- Price
- $149 for up to 2 dogs; $229 for up to 3
- Delivery
- Emailed within 24 hours after approval
- State law
- 17 M.R.S. 1312: public places and housing
- Where to complain
- Maine Human Rights Commission
How Maine PSD Letter works
Book a telehealth evaluation and tell the clinician about your symptoms and the tasks your dog performs. If they find that you qualify, your signed PSD letter is emailed within 24 hours after approval. If you don't qualify, no letter is issued.
Who it’s for, and who it isn’t
May be a fit
- Mainers whose dog performs trained psychiatric tasks
- Renters who need documentation for a landlord
- Trainers actively training service dogs
- Handlers with up to 3 trained dogs
Usually not a fit
- Dogs that haven't finished task training; calling them service animals can be fined in Maine
- Comfort-only animals; those are assistance animals for housing, not service animals
- Anyone under 18
What’s included
- Telehealth evaluation with a licensed clinician
- Signed letter with the clinician's license type, number and state
- $149 for one or two dogs and $229 for three
- Emailed within 24 hours after approval
Possible side effects
- No medical side effects
- Maine can fine you up to $1,000 each time you claim service status for a dog without completed task training
- Some small owner-occupied rentals fall outside the White Cane Law's housing section
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
HUD's May 2026 enforcement guidance presumes housing requests for task-trained psychiatric service dogs to be reasonable. The ADA lets businesses ask only two questions and no documentation. Maine's definition in 5 M.R.S. 4553(9-E) limits service animals to trained dogs, and 17 M.R.S. 1312 extends access to housing as well as public places, with no extra charge.
Public places under the ADA and Maine law
Staff may ask only whether the dog is required for a disability and what task it performs. Maine adds:
- Trainers actively training service dogs have the same rights and responsibilities as handlers (17 M.R.S. 1312)
- Presenting a dog as a service animal before its task training is complete, or putting a service vest on a pet, risks a fine of up to $1,000 each time
Housing in Maine
The White Cane Law reaches housing, and you can't be charged extra for keeping your service dog. Its housing section doesn't reach every rental: some owner-occupied two-family buildings and rooms let in the owner's own home are excluded.
If you are refused in Maine
Complaints about a shop, restaurant or landlord can go to the Maine Human Rights Commission. HUD also accepts federal housing complaints.
Prescription treatments are available only to eligible patients after a clinical evaluation by an independently licensed clinician.
Maine PSD Letter: common questions
Is a psychiatric service dog covered in Maine?
Yes, if it performs disability-related tasks. Maine limits service animals to trained dogs, as the ADA does.
Can I call my dog a service dog while it's still training?
Not if it hasn't finished task training. Maine can fine that up to $1,000 per occurrence, though active trainers have their own access rights.
Does Maine's law cover every rental?
No. Certain owner-occupied two-family buildings, and rooms let in an owner's home, are excluded from its housing section.
Who handles service dog complaints in Maine?
The Maine Human Rights Commission, for both public accommodations and housing.
How much is the PSD letter?
$149 for one or two dogs and $229 for three.
Sources
We cite government agencies, professional societies and peer-reviewed research. See our editorial policy.
- 17 M.R.S. § 1314-A (misrepresentation of assistance and service animals)Maine Legislature
- Maine Human Rights CommissionMaine Human Rights Commission
- Enforcement guidance on requests to use an animal as a reasonable accommodation (May 2026)U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- ADA requirements: service animalsADA.gov (U.S. Department of Justice)