- Price
- $149 for up to 2 dogs; $229 for up to 3
- Delivery
- Signed letter emailed within 24 hours after approval
- State law
- RCW 49.60 names psychiatric disabilities
- Where to complain
- Washington State Human Rights Commission
How Washington PSD Letter works
You meet a licensed clinician by telehealth and describe your condition and the tasks your dog is trained to perform. If you qualify, the signed letter is emailed within 24 hours after approval for use with a Washington landlord. No letter is issued if you don't qualify.
Who it’s for, and who it isn’t
May be a fit
- Washington handlers whose dog is trained for tasks such as interrupting impulsive or destructive behavior
- Renters who need to document that need for a landlord
- Handlers with up to 3 trained dogs
Usually not a fit
- Dogs that help through companionship only; that is an ESA
- Anyone hoping a letter will substitute for task training
- Anyone under 18
What’s included
- Telehealth evaluation with a licensed clinician
- Signed letter with the clinician's license type, number and state
- $149 covers 1 or 2 dogs and $229 covers 3
- Emailed within 24 hours after approval
Possible side effects
- No medical side effects
- In Washington, a false service animal claim is a civil infraction, and a business can put up signs about fines as high as $500
- If you decline to answer the two permitted questions, Washington law presumes the animal is not a service animal
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 dogs are reasonable. The ADA limits businesses to two questions without documentation. Washington's WLAD uses the same definition as the ADA, covering dogs and miniature horses trained for tasks, and it mentions psychiatric disabilities by name.
Public places in Washington
Officers and businesses in Washington may ask only two things: whether a disability makes the animal necessary, and what task it performs. They can't demand papers or a demonstration.
Answer both questions. If you refuse, state law presumes the animal isn't a service animal and you can be asked to leave.
Washington service animal rules
- A trainer working with a service animal trainee is generally protected from being turned away, provided the trainee is under control (RCW 49.60.215).
- RCW 49.60.214 makes a false claim that an animal is a service animal, or a trainee, a civil infraction.
- A business is allowed to display signs about misrepresentation fines, which can reach $500.
Housing with a PSD in Washington
RCW 49.60.222 protects people who use a trained service animal in real estate transactions. If a landlord refuses your request, file with the Washington State Human Rights Commission within 12 months, or with HUD.
Prescription treatments are available only to eligible patients after a clinical evaluation by an independently licensed clinician.
Washington PSD Letter: common questions
Does Washington law mention psychiatric service dogs?
Yes. The state definition names psychiatric disabilities and gives interrupting impulsive or destructive behavior as an example task.
What happens if I don't answer a business's questions in Washington?
Washington then treats the animal as not being a service animal, and you may be asked to take it out.
Are miniature horses covered in Washington?
Yes. Washington's definition, like the ADA's, includes miniature horses as well as dogs when they are task-trained.
What's the fine for a fake service animal in Washington?
It's a civil infraction. Businesses can post notices about fines of as much as $500.
How much is a PSD letter?
$149 covers 1 or 2 dogs and $229 covers 3.
Sources
We cite government agencies, professional societies and peer-reviewed research. See our editorial policy.
- RCW 49.60.215Washington State Legislature
- Fair housingWashington State 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)