- Price
- $129 for up to 2 pets; $199 for 3 or more
- Delivery
- Signed letter emailed within 24 hours after approval
- State law
- SDCL 43-32-35 sets who may write the letter
- Where to complain
- South Dakota Division of Human Rights
How South Dakota ESA Letter works
You book a telehealth evaluation and talk with a licensed clinician about your symptoms and what your animal does for you. South Dakota expects the letter to tie your disability to the animal, so the clinician addresses that connection directly. If you qualify, the signed letter is emailed within 24 hours after approval. If you don't, no letter is issued.
Who it’s for, and who it isn’t
May be a fit
- South Dakota renters asking for an exception to a no-pets rule or an animal limit
- Tenants whose need for an animal is not visible, so a landlord may ask for documentation
- People with anxiety, depression, PTSD or a similar condition whose animal eases their symptoms
- Households in Sioux Falls, Rapid City or anywhere else in the state with more than one support animal
Usually not a fit
- Taking an animal into shops or restaurants; ESAs have no public-access rights
- Flying; airlines may treat an ESA as a pet
- Anyone who wants a registry number or ID card; neither has legal weight
- 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
- Letter explains the link between your condition and your animal
- $129 covers 1 or 2 pets and $199 covers 3 or more
- Emailed within 24 hours after approval
Possible side effects
- No medical side effects; the risk is relying on the letter for something it does not cover
- A false disability claim or fake paperwork can lead to eviction and a damage fee of up to $1,000 in South Dakota
- Untrained ESAs are reviewed case by case under HUD's May 2026 guidance, so approval is never automatic
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 landlords to consider reasonable accommodations, and HUD's May 2026 enforcement guidance says untrained ESAs are weighed case by case rather than presumed reasonable. South Dakota's SDCL 43-32-33 to 43-32-36 sit beneath that federal rule and add state limits on documentation requests and penalties for fraud.
South Dakota law on support animals in rentals
- If your disability and your need for the animal are obvious, or your landlord already knows about them, the landlord may not ask for paperwork (SDCL 43-32-34).
- When documentation is allowed, it must link your disability to the animal and be written by a licensed health care provider (SDCL 43-32-35).
- That provider can't be someone whose only South Dakota business is certifying animals.
- For these housing sections, South Dakota reads service animal broadly enough to include emotional support, therapy and assistance animals of a tenant with a disability.
What a South Dakota landlord can and can't ask
A landlord may ask for a letter when your condition or your need is not apparent. They may not ask for your diagnosis or medical records, and they may not ask for anything when the need is already clear.
You stay responsible for damage the animal causes, the same as any tenant.
If your request is denied in South Dakota
You can contact the South Dakota Division of Human Rights, part of the Department of Labor and Regulation, or file a federal fair housing complaint with HUD. Keep copies of your request, your letter and any reply from the landlord.
Honest claims only
South Dakota treats false disability claims seriously. Knowingly giving a landlord fraudulent paperwork can cost you the tenancy plus up to $1,000 in damages. That is why our clinicians issue a letter only after a real evaluation, and only when you qualify.
Prescription treatments are available only to eligible patients after a clinical evaluation by an independently licensed clinician.
South Dakota ESA Letter: common questions
Who can write an ESA letter in South Dakota?
A licensed health care provider. State law excludes anyone whose only business in South Dakota is certifying animals. Your letter shows the clinician's license type, number and state.
Does South Dakota law cover emotional support animals at all?
Yes. For the rental sections in SDCL chapter 43-32, the state's broad use of service animal includes emotional support animals.
Can my landlord ask for a letter if they already know about my condition?
No. Under SDCL 43-32-34, documentation can't be demanded when your disability and need are readily apparent or already known.
What happens if someone uses a fake ESA letter in South Dakota?
SDCL 43-32-36 allows eviction, plus damages capped at $1,000, when a tenant knowingly hands over fraudulent paperwork.
How much does the letter cost?
$129 covers 1 or 2 pets and $199 covers 3 or more. It is emailed within 24 hours after approval.
Sources
We cite government agencies, professional societies and peer-reviewed research. See our editorial policy.
- SDCL 43-32-34 (South Dakota Legislature)South Dakota Legislature
- Division of Human RightsSouth Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation
- Enforcement guidance on requests to use an animal as a reasonable accommodation (May 2026)U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development