- Price
- $129 for up to 2 pets; $199 for 3 or more
- Delivery
- Emailed within 24 hours after approval
- State law
- 310 ILCS 120: real therapeutic relationship
- Where to complain
- Illinois Department of Human Rights
How Illinois ESA Letter works
Book a telehealth evaluation. A licensed clinician talks with you about your symptoms, daily life and the role your animal plays, which is the kind of meaningful assessment Illinois expects. If they decide you qualify, your signed letter is emailed within 24 hours after approval. Otherwise no letter is issued.
Who it’s for, and who it isn’t
May be a fit
- Renters in Chicago, Springfield, Peoria or elsewhere in Illinois with a no-pets lease
- People with a mental health condition whose animal reduces their symptoms
- Tenants whose landlord has sent its own request form
- Households with more than one support animal
Usually not a fit
- Anyone wanting a certificate without an assessment; Illinois law rejects those
- Public places; ESAs have no public-access rights
- Flights; airlines may treat ESAs as pets
- Anyone under 18
What’s included
- A real telehealth evaluation with a licensed clinician, not a form-only certificate
- Signed letter on letterhead with the clinician's license type, number and state
- $129 for up to 2 animals; $199 for 3 or more
- Emailed within 24 hours after approval
Possible side effects
- No medical side effects; the main risk is using the letter where it does not apply
- An Illinois landlord may check that your letter is authentic and ask for more if it falls short
- You pay for damage, and untrained ESAs are reviewed case by case federally
This isn’t a complete list. Your clinician reviews risks, interactions and warnings with you before prescribing. In an emergency, call 911.
What the evidence says
The Fair Housing Act and 24 CFR 100.204 require reasonable accommodations, and HUD's May 2026 guidance reviews untrained ESAs case by case. Illinois layers the Assistance Animal Integrity Act on top: documentation is due only when the need isn't apparent, it must reflect a therapeutic relationship rather than a bought certificate, and pet deposits and fees are barred once the animal is approved.
Illinois law on ESA documentation
Under the Assistance Animal Integrity Act (310 ILCS 120), a landlord's right to request written documentation depends on your disability or need not being apparent already.
- The letter must come from someone with a therapeutic relationship with you; sites selling certificates without a meaningful assessment don't qualify
- No particular diagnosis has to be named
- An approved assistance animal can't be charged a pet deposit or pet fee
What an Illinois landlord can and can't ask
A landlord may give you its own request form, but it can't reject you just because you used your own letter instead. It may verify that your documentation is genuine and ask for more if the first letter is incomplete.
If your request is denied in Illinois
The Illinois Department of Human Rights takes housing discrimination complaints statewide. In Chicago, the city's Commission on Human Relations also enforces the Fair Housing Ordinance. Federal complaints go to HUD.
Prescription treatments are available only to eligible patients after a clinical evaluation by an independently licensed clinician.
Illinois ESA Letter: common questions
Will an Illinois landlord accept a letter instead of its own form?
A landlord can offer a form, but under the Act it can't deny your request only because you sent your own letter.
Can I be charged a pet deposit for my ESA in Illinois?
No. Pet deposits and pet fees are barred for an approved assistance animal, though you still pay for damage.
Does my Illinois ESA letter have to name my diagnosis?
No specific diagnosis is required.
I live in Chicago. Where do I complain?
You can go to the Illinois Department of Human Rights or the Chicago Commission on Human Relations, and federally to HUD.
What does the letter cost?
$129 for one or two pets and $199 for three or more, emailed within 24 hours after approval.
Sources
We cite government agencies, professional societies and peer-reviewed research. See our editorial policy.
- Assistance Animal Integrity Act, 310 ILCS 120Illinois General Assembly
- Illinois Department of Human Rights: file a chargeIllinois Department of Human Rights
- Enforcement guidance on requests to use an animal as a reasonable accommodation (May 2026)U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development