How To Register An Emotional Support Animal In California
According to california law one only need to be limited by a disability to qualify for the use of an esa.
How to register an emotional support animal in california. To learn more see nolo s articles on when california landlords have to allow psychiatric service dogs and emotional support animals and how california protects psychiatric service dogs and emotional support animals in the workplace. Steps to get an emotional support animal in california the first step to get an esa in california is to recognize that you have depression anxiety or other type of condition. Finally in general esa rights in california assumes a broader approach to defining emotional support animals in the workplace than the federal government does. California is the most progressive state that supports emotional support animal laws. Even though the state of california does not have any official registration process for emotional support animals there are certain requirements that must be met by the doctor s letter recommending your esa s companionship as part of your treatment.
Decide that you will actually benefit from an emotional support animal and that it will help you with any emotional or mental disabilities. California does have laws however protecting the use of emotional support animals in other settings. Clearly explain your need for an emotional support animal. Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. The esa letter must be 1 written on the lmhp s professional letterhead and 2 must include their licensing information along with their signature.
Be legitimate i e on professional letterhead and written by a qualified physician and or mental health provider. Include the provider s license number as well as their signature and the date the letter was signed. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind alerting people who are deaf pulling a wheelchair alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications. California state in the united states has the most progressive laws for emotional support animals and their owners in the country. Request an esa letter in order to qualify your animal in california as an emotional support animal you must have an esa letter written by a california licensed mental health professional.
The service animal registry of california is also a registry where owners of emotional support animals and service animals can easily and quickly register the status of their animal online. Service animal registry of california registration is valid in all 50 states in the u s a and is one of the most affordable and low cost registries in the.