Nurse practitioners are individuals working in the medical field who are able to treat certain medical and mental health conditions without the assistance of a doctor. Nurse practitioners are allowed to provide treatment, order tests, and give diagnoses, whereas a registered nurse (RN) is not legally allowed to do this without the oversight of a doctor.
If you have a nurse practitioner that you visit regularly, you may be wondering if they can prescribe you an emotional support animal letter. Our guide gives you details on ESA letters and which medical professional may be able to prescribe one.
What Is an ESA Letter?
An emotional support animal (ESA) letter is a letter that states your need for an emotional support animal. These animals are companions to many individuals with certain qualifying mental health conditions, and ESAs provide comfort to their owners through their presence. Unlike a service dog, an emotional support animal is not trained to complete disability-related tasks for their owner, and they have limited access rights as a result.
That being said, emotional support animals are granted the right to live alongside their owner in any reasonable area of housing. Individuals with an ESA or wishing to adopt an ESA will need to first obtain an ESA letter that states their need and lets them officially and legally access this federally protected right.
Can a Nurse Practitioner Prescribe My ESA?
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. organization that oversees the Fair Housing Act (FHA), a nurse practitioner is one of the licensed medical professionals qualified to prescribe an emotional support animal. While, typically, a licensed mental healthcare provider like a therapist or psychiatrist hands out these letters, your nurse practitioner can do the same thing, and it will be legally accepted.
You can find out more information on the types of medical professionals licensed in your state that can legally provide emotional support animal letters by consulting the HUD’s most recent guidelines.
How Do I Get an ESA Letter?
If you believe that an emotional support animal would make a significant difference in your life and in the treatment of your mental health condition, your first step is to speak to a medical professional licensed in your state. A therapist, psychiatrist, or nurse practitioner can all handle your concerns and evaluate your eligibility for an emotional support animal.
Once you have been approved for an ESA, your medical provider will give you an ESA letter stating your need. You can then use this letter to show to landlords or other property management companies to ensure that your emotional support animal lives alongside you in any area of suitable housing.
Can I Get an ESA Letter Online?
It is possible to get an ESA letter online, though you will need to make sure that the person providing your letter is a mental healthcare or medical provider licensed in your state. According to some state laws, they will need to have at least a 30-day relationship with you before they are able to prescribe your ESA letter.
This means that any website where you can simply print off an instant ESA letter or find a letter template to fill out is likely a scam, and these ESA letters will not be accepted by your landlord or rental agency as you try to obtain your fair housing accommodations.
What Protections Will My Emotional Support Animal Have?
Your emotional support animal will only have federally protected rights in terms of housing. The Fair Housing Act protects individuals who need to live alongside their support animals, ensuring that they can receive their benefits while at home. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the federal regulation that provides public access rights to service dogs, does not protect emotional support animals.
Additionally, some states do have laws in place that allow you to take your emotional support animal to work with you. California is the most notable example of this. You will need to check with your state’s specific ESA laws to learn more about your rights with your emotional support animal where you live.
Obtaining Emotional Support Animal Assistance
Emotional support animals are important companions to many, and it’s essential that you obtain a valid ESA letter if you want to take advantage of your federal fair housing rights with your ESA. A nurse practitioner can prescribe your ESA and provide you with this letter as long as they are licensed in your state. Make sure you go through the correct processes to obtain your ESA letter so you can request your housing accommodations without too much stress.
