Emotional Support Animal Registration Texas – Everything to Know

Emotional support animals are a type of support animal that provides comfort to individuals with a psychiatric disability through companionship. These support animals aren’t the same as pets, as their handlers require them for their condition, and as such, federal law grants them certain protections.

However, state laws vary, and the rules for these animals aren’t the same everywhere. Our article will cover emotional support animal registration in Texas. Read on to find out what you need to do in Texas to get an emotional support animal or make your pet one.

What Is an Emotional Support Animal?

An emotional support animal, or ESA for short, is a type of support animal. They comfort their owners with a psychiatric disability simply by existing. Emotional support animals don’t require any training to become one, unlike service animals that need training directly related to someone’s disability – more on their differences below.

Emotional support animals can be any pet the individual is permitted to have in their state. Common types of emotional support animals include dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, Guinea pigs, and even fish.

Individuals with psychiatric disabilities must obtain an ESA letter from a mental health professional to have an emotional support animal. This document essentially works as a prescription that recommends an emotional support animal to the individual with a psychiatric disability. It includes the details of the person’s diagnosis and basic information about their emotional support animal.

ESAs vs. Service Animals – What’s the Difference?

As mentioned, service animals must be trained specifically to assist someone with a disability, whereas emotional support animals don’t have any training requirements. Furthermore, an emotional support animal can be any animal an individual is allowed to have. A service animal, on the other hand, must be a dog regardless of breed or size.

One of the most important differences between emotional support animals and service animals is the extent of their legal protections. Service animals, for instance, have public access rights that allow them to enter any public space the handler is allowed, including businesses that typically don’t accept pets, such as restaurants.

Emotional support animals don’t have the same access rights. Businesses in Texas can deny an emotional support animal but can’t subject their no-pet policies to service animals unless their presence creates a safety or health hazard.

Last but not least, service animals don’t require any document or certification like emotional support animals do. They only need to receive proper training to assist their handler with a disability – with no required document like an ESA letter.

Emotional Support Animal Registration in Texas

Once a person gets an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional (LMHP), their pet will become an emotional support animal. Texas, like many other states, doesn’t have specific laws about emotional support animals. There isn’t a place for emotional support animal registration in Texas.

However, this doesn’t mean that emotional support animals aren’t protected in Texas. Federal law, namely the Fair Housing Act, protects emotional support animal owners to live with their ESA, even if their accommodation normally doesn’t allow pets.

Under the Fair Housing Act, landlords must make reasonable accommodations, such as changing their no-pet policy, to permit the emotional support animal to live on their property.

During this process, the landlord may require the emotional support animal owner to present their ESA letter from an LMHP. When requested, it must be provided to the landlord. An emotional support animal owner can do this in person or write a letter to their landlord with a copy of their ESA letter.

Additionally, note that you won’t need to go for an emotional support animal registration. Texas, like all other states, doesn’t require registration or certification for support animals. All you need is an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional to have your pet as an emotional support animal in Texas.

Getting an ESA Letter in Texas

Getting an ESA letter in Texas is the same as in other states. You must speak with a licensed mental health professional, and they will decide if you would benefit from having an emotional support animal.

An ESA letter is just like a drug prescription; you can’t just request a mental health professional to write you one. They must assess if an emotional support animal would help with your condition in order to write you an ESA letter.

There are also online services that can connect you with a licensed mental health professional in Texas who can write you an ESA letter, such as emotionalsupportanimal.com. Compared to going to the office of an LMHP in your area, the process of obtaining an ESA letter this way is usually much faster.

In any case, you will need to speak with an LMHP in Texas to get an emotional support animal letter.