- Price
- $149 for up to 2 dogs; $229 for up to 3
- Delivery
- Signed letter emailed within 24 hours after approval
- State law
- PHRA protects handlers and trainers alongside the ADA
- Where to complain
- Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
How Pennsylvania PSD Letter works
Book a telehealth evaluation and describe your symptoms and your dog's trained tasks. If the clinician finds you qualify, your signed letter with their license type, number and state is emailed within 24 hours after approval.
Who it’s for, and who it isn’t
May be a fit
- Pennsylvanians with a mental health disability whose dog performs trained tasks
- Renters who need to document that need for a landlord
- Handlers with up to 3 trained dogs
Usually not a fit
- Comfort-only animals; those are ESAs
- Anyone putting a service vest on an untrained animal; Act 118 penalises it
- Anyone under 18
What’s included
- Telehealth evaluation with a licensed clinician
- Signed letter with the clinician's license type, number and state
- Up to 2 dogs for $149, or up to 3 for $229
- Letter emailed within 24 hours after approval
Possible side effects
- No medical side effects
- Dressing a non-assistance animal to look like one can bring fines up to $1,000
- The Commission's guidance is proposed and could change
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 animals, including psychiatric service dogs, are reasonable. The ADA allows businesses two questions and no documentation demands. Pennsylvania's Human Relations Act adds protection in housing, businesses, schools and workplaces.
Pennsylvania law on service animals
Under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, using, handling or training a guide or support animal because of a disability is protected. The Commission's proposed guidance reads 'guide animal' in the Act the same way federal law reads service animal, meaning a dog or miniature horse that has been individually trained for work or tasks.
Training is itself protected under the Act. Its guidance counts as a trainer anyone who raises or trains assistance animals for disabled people.
Public places under the ADA
Businesses may only ask if the dog is needed for a disability and which task it performs. According to the Commission's guidance, a service animal doesn't need a certificate or license, isn't a pet, and has to remain under its handler's control.
Act 118 and misrepresentation
Act 118 of 2018 penalises putting a vest, harness, collar or sign on an animal that isn't an assistance animal to suggest that it is. Fines reach $1,000.
If a Pennsylvania landlord refuses
File with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, or with HUD for a federal complaint.
Prescription treatments are available only to eligible patients after a clinical evaluation by an independently licensed clinician.
Pennsylvania PSD Letter: common questions
Does my PSD need a license in Pennsylvania?
No. Under the Commission's guidance, neither a certificate nor a license is required.
Are trainers protected in Pennsylvania?
Yes. The Human Relations Act protects people who train guide or support animals.
Can I buy a service vest for my pet?
Putting a vest or harness on an animal that isn't an assistance animal to suggest it is one can bring fines up to $1,000 under Act 118.
Do I need the letter in Pennsylvania shops?
No. Under the ADA staff can't require documentation.
How much is the PSD letter?
$149 covers 1 or 2 dogs and $229 covers up to 3.
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
- ADA requirements: service animalsADA.gov (U.S. Department of Justice)