- Price
- $129 for up to 2 pets; $199 for 3 or more
- Delivery
- Signed letter emailed within 24 hours after approval
- State law
- PHRA protects ESAs; Act 118 penalises false claims
- Where to complain
- Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
How Pennsylvania ESA Letter works
Book a telehealth evaluation and explain your symptoms and how your animal helps. If the clinician finds you qualify, a signed letter on letterhead with their license type, number and state is emailed within 24 hours after approval. No letter is issued if you don't qualify.
Who it’s for, and who it isn’t
May be a fit
- Pennsylvania renters whose lease bans or limits pets
- People whose mental health condition is eased by their animal
- Tenants who want documentation from a clinician who actually evaluated them
- Households with more than one support animal
Usually not a fit
- Public places or flights; ESAs have no public access rights and airlines may treat them as pets
- Anyone without a genuine disability-related need; misrepresenting one is a misdemeanor in Pennsylvania
- Anyone seeking a certificate or registry
- Anyone under 18
What’s included
- Telehealth evaluation with a licensed clinician
- Signed letter on letterhead with the clinician's license type, number and state
- $129 for up to 2 animals, or $199 for 3 or more
- Letter emailed within 24 hours after approval
Possible side effects
- No medical side effects; the risk is relying on the letter outside housing
- The Commission's verification guidance may change after its 2026 comment period
- Untrained ESAs are reviewed case by case under HUD's May 2026 guidance
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. In Pennsylvania the Human Relations Act also protects ESA requests, and the Human Relations Commission enforces it and has issued guidance covering assistance animals, ESAs and service animals.
Pennsylvania law on emotional support animals
Two laws protect an ESA request in a Pennsylvania rental: the state Human Relations Act and the federal Fair Housing Act. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission enforces the state Act.
In 2018, Act 118 created state penalties for people who lie about needing an assistance animal at home.
Act 118 penalties
- Knowingly lying about a disability, or about needing an assistance animal because of one, to get housing is a third-degree misdemeanor
- Producing or supplying paperwork that falsely labels an animal an assistance or service animal counts as a summary offense, fined up to $1,000
Guidance under review in 2026
Public comment on the Commission's updated animal guidance opened on October 1, 2026 and closes on November 15, 2026. What the Commission says about verifying a request may change once that process ends, so check its guidance page before you submit.
If your request is denied in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission takes housing and commercial property complaints, as well as employment, education and public accommodation cases. Federal complaints go to HUD.
Prescription treatments are available only to eligible patients after a clinical evaluation by an independently licensed clinician.
Pennsylvania ESA Letter: common questions
Does Pennsylvania protect ESAs in housing?
Yes. Both the state Human Relations Act and the federal Fair Housing Act recognise an ESA as a reasonable accommodation in housing.
What is Act 118?
A 2018 law that penalises lying about a need for an assistance animal in housing and creating false documents for one.
Is Pennsylvania's ESA guidance changing?
Possibly. The Commission's public comment period on updated animal guidance runs from October 1 to November 15, 2026.
Who enforces ESA rights in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. HUD handles federal complaints.
How much is the letter?
$129 covers 1 or 2 pets and $199 covers 3 or more.
Sources
We cite government agencies, professional societies and peer-reviewed research. See our editorial policy.
- PHRC: Assistance, Emotional Support, and Service Animal GuidancePennsylvania Human Relations Commission
- Housing discrimination complaints and civil rights informationPennsylvania Human Relations Commission
- Enforcement guidance on requests to use an animal as a reasonable accommodation (May 2026)U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development