- Price
- $129 for up to 2 pets; $199 for 3 or more
- Delivery
- Signed letter emailed within 24 hours after approval
- State rule
- Federal rules apply; no Texas ESA statute
- Where to complain
- Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division
How Texas ESA Letter works
You complete a telehealth evaluation with a licensed clinician, who asks how your condition affects you and how your animal helps. If you qualify, the signed letter is emailed within 24 hours after approval, and you give it to your Texas landlord with your accommodation request. If you don't qualify, no letter is issued.
Who it’s for, and who it isn’t
May be a fit
- Texas renters in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio or anywhere in the state facing a no-pets rule
- Tenants who need documentation for a new lease or a renewal
- People whose animal helps with anxiety, depression, PTSD or another mental health condition
- Households with more than one support animal
Usually not a fit
- Bringing an animal into stores or restaurants; ESAs have no public-access rights
- Flights; airlines may treat ESAs as pets
- Anyone seeking an ESA registration or ID; no such thing exists in law
- 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 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 doesn't cover
- Untrained ESAs are reviewed case by case under HUD's May 2026 guidance, and fees may sometimes be allowed
- Wait too long and you can lose the state complaint route: TWC requires filing within one year
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
With no Texas ESA statute, the governing rules are the Fair Housing Act and 24 CFR 100.204. HUD's May 2026 guidance adds that a landlord weighs each untrained ESA on its own facts rather than presuming it reasonable. The TWC Civil Rights Division lists a refusal to bend a no-pet policy as unlawful where a tenant with a disability needs that change to live in the home.
How Texas handles ESA requests
In Texas, an ESA request is simply a request for a change to a rule or policy, such as a no-pet policy, that you need because of a disability. The TWC lists refusing a reasonable accommodation like this among the unlawful housing practices.
What a Texas landlord can and can't ask
If your need isn't obvious, a landlord can ask for reliable documentation from a clinician. They shouldn't ask for your diagnosis or medical records, and they can't require a registry certificate. You are still responsible for any damage.
If your request is denied in Texas
- Get your complaint to TWC's Civil Rights Division no later than one year after the discrimination.
- You can choose TWC or HUD, but not both, so decide before you send an inquiry form.
- TWC handles Texas property only, and it usually requires that the owner have more than three properties.
- If your landlord is smaller than that, a HUD complaint may be the better route.
Prescription treatments are available only to eligible patients after a clinical evaluation by an independently licensed clinician.
Texas ESA Letter: common questions
Does Texas have its own ESA law?
No. ESA requests in Texas are handled under federal and Texas fair housing rules as reasonable accommodation requests.
Can I file with both TWC and HUD?
No. Pick one. TWC's guidance says you can file with either agency but not both.
How long do I have to complain in Texas?
TWC needs your complaint within one year of the date the discrimination happened.
Does TWC cover a landlord who owns one duplex?
Usually not. TWC's process generally requires the owner to have more than three properties. HUD may still be an option.
How much is a Texas ESA letter?
$129 covers 1 or 2 pets and $199 covers 3 or more, emailed within 24 hours after approval.
Sources
We cite government agencies, professional societies and peer-reviewed research. See our editorial policy.
- Texas Workforce Commission: Housing DiscriminationTexas Workforce Commission
- Enforcement guidance on requests to use an animal as a reasonable accommodation (May 2026)U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development