Welcome, fellow dog lovers!
My name is Leslie
Lucky is more than my dog - he’s my best friend, my co-pilot, and my buddy on every adventure life throws my way. I know how much support and comfort he brings me, and I want to help others find that same happiness. I’ve taken a close look at the most popular ESA sites and narrowed them down to the very best options!
The Best ESA Letter Providers for 2023
Below, I break down the top options for ESA letters so that you can be certain you’re picking the right provider for you. I’m sharing only the most trustworthy, reliable, and helpful sites, and I cover each provider in detail so that you can know exactly what to expect.
I also go over the most important things to consider when picking your ESA provider; this is a big decision, and you need to feel confident in your choice.
In a Hurry? Check Out My Top Pick
Get a risk-free consultation with a mental health professional in your state today.
What I liked
Founded by lawyers so you can be confident that every step of the ESA process meets all Fair Housing Act (FHA) requirements Fantastic customer service and support Multiple pets can receive letters for no additional charge Most ESA letters received within 24 hours Offers the support of a legal team Money back guarantee if your ESA letter doesn’t work Available in all 50 states Offers ESA vests, collars and collar tags to minimize hassle from your landlord In business since 2015 and is the largest player in the space Wonderful value
BBB rating of A+ and over 7,500 positive reviews on Shopper Approved
What could be better
Sends multiple marketing emails after you’ve subscribed My Favorite ESA Letter Providers
Express Pet Certify
United Service Dog
What I Learned About ESA Letter Providers
When I looked for ESA letter services online, it quickly became clear that there are a multitude of choices online - and that some are much better than others. In fact, several of the options I found were outright scams.
I wanted to find the options that were safe, reliable, and actually worked - both for myself, and to share that info with others. So I decided to go through a detailed review process of the most popular, promising providers.
My ultimate goal was to find a service that will provide an accurate, efficient, and legitimate evaluation, and then provide a letter that will work for landlords, jobs, and travel companies. I also wanted a provider that offered easy renewals, and who would be willing to support me through the process or if there were any issues.
I’ll go through my detailed review of each provider below, and I’ll also let you in on the tips and tricks I learned when settling on the right ESA service for me.
Why a Trustworthy ESA Provider Is So Important
As I said, I found a few dangerous, scammy services when looking for an ESA letter provider. These are the main reasons why you’ll want to be sure you’re choosing a legitimate, reliable service:
1. The Comfort in Knowing You’re Supported If Things Go Wrong. Unfortunately, some landlords or companies can hassle you, even if you have an ESA letter. My first landlord used their lawyer to push me out of my unit after I received my letter; I wanted to choose a service this time with a legal team and strong customer support, so that I’d never have to go through something like this alone again.
2. The Confidence You’re Avoiding Expensive Fines. It may seem unnecessary to thoroughly review ESA letter providers or to pay for their services - but this couldn’t be less true. If your letter is found to be illegitimate (such as the ones offered by the scammy sites are), you could be fined as much as $5,000.
What to Look for in an ESA Letter Service
I want to be sure that Lucky is legally allowed to be with me wherever I may need him - at work, at home, or in certain public spaces. The best way to do that is to be sure I’m choosing a provider that offers a legitimate, legal ESA letter. These are the factors that separate the great providers from the scams:
- An Evaluation by a Mental Health Professional in Your State. According to federal law, you must have a relationship with a licensed mental health professional who provides your evaluation. A live video or phone call qualifies as having a “relationship.” Also, you can only legally be given an ESA letter by a mental health professional who resides in the same state you do. Because of this, you have to choose a provider with a nationwide network of licensed professionals.
- Helpful and Reliable Customer Service. Trying to register your animal as an ESA can be a stressful process, but the right customer service team can help make it simple and calm. Since you must renew your letter every year, you’ll want a company that makes the renewal process easy, and who you won’t mind dealing with consistently.
- Quick Service. You may find yourself in need of an ESA letter fast; even if you aren’t rushed, waiting for weeks to receive your letter is just unneeded stress. I wanted to focus on providers that could provide a letter in as little as a day.
- Good Value for Your Dollar. Again, you’re going to need to renew your letter annually - which means the cost of an ESA service provider can add up. While it’s worth it to pay for a good, reliable service, I wanted to find providers that can work on a tight budget without sacrificing quality.
- Legal and Medical Support. As I said above, it’s possible to be harassed by your landlord even with an ESA letter. A strong, knowledgeable legal team and a network of respected mental health professionals can have your back during any confrontations.
- Help With Additional ESA Forms. If you need any additional ESA forms, such as those for bringing your ESA to university (which can be a massive hassle), having to find a second ESA provider can make the whole process much more of a headache. A provider that offers every form you could need can make your life infinitely less complicated.
- Experts for Every State. Not every state handles ESAs the same way, and you’ll need a service provider who you trust will get the ins and outs of your location right. This is also helpful if there’s a chance you’ll be moving out of your current state in the future.
The Top ESA Letter Providers Reviewed
US Service Animals will refund your purchase 100% if your ESA letter does not work for you.
Founded by lawyers so you can be confident that every step of the ESA process meets all Fair Housing Act (FHA) requirements Fantastic customer service and support Multiple pets can receive letters for no additional charge Most ESA letters received within 24 hours Offers the support of a legal team Money back guarantee if your ESA letter doesn’t work Available in all 50 states Offers ESA vests, collars and collar tags to minimize hassle from your landlord In business since 2015 and is the largest player in the space Wonderful value
BBB rating of A+ and over 7,500 positive reviews on Shopper Approved
What could be better
Sends multiple marketing emails after you’ve subscribedAfter coming across the scam sites, I was nervous trying to get an ESA letter. And since the whole process was new to me, it was easy to be overwhelmed. But US Service Animals’ warm, professional team made me feel completely secure. They were incredibly patient and answered literally every question I could come up with, and they made me feel entirely confident in my choice to work with them (and they offer a satisfaction guarantee, which made me feel even more confident.)
Like I said, I had an awful experience with my first landlord and my ESA letter, but US Service Animals offers “landlord support.” This means that you can have your landlord talk right to US Service Animals, so you don’t have to deal with that conflict or explain your legal rights yourself. This kind of support and peace of mind makes them a fantastic value; I’m completely comfortable recommending US Service Animals to anyone who needs an ESA letter, no matter how nervous or inexperienced you are regarding the process.
Wrapping UpOut of all the providers I could find, US Service Animals were the only ones who eased every fear, answered every question, and addressed every need I had. Their satisfaction guarantee, fast turnaround time, and excellent support team make this my ultimate pick.
Runner Up
Helpful customer service Nationwide coverage Relatively quick turnaround time Good value
What could be better
Have to pay extra for a 24 hour turnaround Still advertise that ESAs can fly on airplanes which is no longer true
My Experience Using Pettable
While US Service Animals easily took the lead, Pettables was still a close runner-up. While they don’t offer a satisfaction guarantee the way US Service Animals does, their legal team is so strong that I felt almost as confident when working with Pettable. Their customer support was also very helpful, though the wait times for help could be frustratingly long. Still, Pettable is a smart choice if you have a particularly tight budget and are more concerned with lower cost versus a satisfaction guarantee or especially fast service.
Wrapping Up
While Pettable is a great value, you will notice some major plusses missing - like a satisfaction guarantee or quick service.
Wonderful customer service Strong legal support
Fast turnaround times Very fairly priced
Also offers PSD training
What could be better
You have to check out over the phoneMy Experience Using Valid ESA Letters
The customer service at Valid ESA Letters made me feel like I was in great hands, and like they truly cared about me. They called me immediately after my initial sign up, before I had ever paid, and offered to answer any questions I had and to calm any fears or concerns. Combine that with their reasonable prices and quick turnaround time, there is a very good case to rank them #2 on my list.
However, the clunky mobile website and lack of a video chat option with a mental health professional made me ultimately decide to use a different site.
Wrapping Up
Valid ESA Letters absolutely knows how to make you feel special and if you are okay with just a phone call as opposed to a video chat with a mental health professional then this option may be right for you.
Friendly and helpful customer service team Fast turnaround time
Pre-screening process makes everything quick and stress-free
What could be better
Offers an unnecessary psychiatric service dog letter
Sends tons of marketing mailersMy Experience Using CertaPet
It can be intimidating to have to talk to a mental health professional when you aren’t sure if you qualify for one. CertaPet relieved these fears and made the entire process less overwhelming by first having me take a 5-minute pre-screening exam. After the pre-screening exam I spoke to a real therapist over the phone and received my letter in less than 48 hours.
One thing that I found problematic though was that they offer a psychiatric service dog letter - which is not a thing that actually exists. It made me feel less confident in their knowledge or transparency, although their ESA letters seem perfectly legitimate.
Wrapping Up
While I didn’t feel as confident in CertaPet’s honesty, they made the entire process much less stressful and overwhelming, as well as fast - they’re a great option if you’re in a hurry or nervous about the telehealth visit.
Good mental health professional team Works nationwide Very quick service (24-48 hours) Great value
What could be better
Legal support isn’t reliable They charge you for “ESA expert” phone support No state-specific expertise Unfriendly customer serviceMy Experience Using Support Pets
If you don’t need your ESA letter immediately, and you aren’t terribly concerned with extra features or support, Support Pets could work for you. You’ll get a legitimate ESA letter very quickly, and their mental health professionals are all very qualified and personable.
However, their customer service can be almost rude, and they don’t offer the legal support or expertise of the higher-ranking options.
Wrapping Up
A simple, bare bones service that gets you a real letter fast - but not much else.
Very easy to set up an appointment
What could be better
Lack of ESA expertise Mental Health Professionals are qualified - but not specifically for ESAsMy Experience Using Mango Clinic
Mango Clinic makes it massively easy to schedule your appointment, which makes the process feel very convenient and smooth. However, their website is lacking on ESA info, and it wasn’t easy to ask their support staff questions either. Plus, their team focuses on so many different issues that it felt like they didn’t have the depth of knowledge around ESAs to make me feel truly confident in them.
Wrapping Up
If you’re more worried about a smooth scheduling process than obtaining info on ESAs, Mango Clinic may work well for you.
Very fast turnaround time
What could be better
Letters may not be legitimate Still advertise that ESAs can fly on airplanes which is no longer trueMy Experience Using ESA Doctors
At ESA Doctors, you are approved solely by email - which, again, likely does not qualify as having a “relationship” with a mental health professional. Because of this, I’m not at all certain that their ESA letters are legitimate. You do connect directly with an LMHP who sends you a consent form, so they’re a bit more reliable than more obvious scams. However, since they charge up to $200, I would want to be much more certain I’m getting a legally viable letter.
Wrapping Up
Not as clearly illegitimate as some other services, but their methods are too questionable considering their high price.
Thorough questionnaire Excellent support chat
What could be better
Possibly illegitimate letters Very expensiveMy Experience Using American Service Pets
This is another service where I question the legitimacy of the ESA letters since you never speak live with a mental health professional. Instead, they have you take an online questionnaire, which, to be fair, does seem very thorough, but it likely does not meet the “relationship” criteria required by law.
However, their customer support is easy to access, since they offer a useful chat feature. But I was bothered by how expensive their packages are (and the fact that the packages are full of products that aren’t really needed, like service vests).
Wrapping Up
Very expensive, and possibly questionable letters, but if you’re looking for a highly accessible customer support team, you may love American Service Pets.
Mobile website was easy to use Detailed pre-screening questionnaire
What could be better
ESA letters appear to be illegitimate Customer suppport is terrible
BBB rating of FMy Experience Using Express Pet Certify
This is yet another service we can’t possibly recommend as you never speak to a mental health professional over voice or video chat. Instead, you take a fairly detailed online survey and then you are instantly approved. My letter appeared to have incorrect contact information for the “therapist” who wasn’t licensed to practice in my state. Getting a refund was extremely difficult. Steer clear of this company.
Wrapping Up
I recommend staying as far away as possible from this company. The ESA letters are not legitimate, they have awful customer support, and a BBB rating of F.
Lots of optional add-on products Qualified mental health team
What could be better
Pushy about upselling Add-on products aren’t really needed Website is unattractive and clunkyMy Experience Using United Service Dog
Again, United Service Dog follows the trend of not letting you actually speak live with a mental health professional, which makes me question their ESA letters overall. However, this site is massively popular, so I felt like I couldn’t avoid reviewing them, despite there not being many positives about them. Their website is difficult to use, and how hard they try to upsell you on unnecessary products makes it feel like they care more about squeezing money from you than actually helping you out.
Wrapping Up
While this site is very popular, it doesn’t offer many benefits, and their ESA letters may not be legitimate.
Comparison Chart
Here is a quick cheat sheet if you don't feel like reading above. There are a lot of similarities between the services, but there seems to be a clear front runner with US Service Animals.
| Legit | Turnaround | Experience | Legal Support | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ideal ESA Service |  |
5 | 5 | |
<$300 |
|
US Service Animals |
|
5 | 5 | |
$129-179 |
|
Pettable |
|
4 | 4 | |
$150-200+ |
| Valid ESA Letters | |
4 | 3.5 | |
$149-200 |
| Certapet | |
3.5 | 3.5 | |
$100-200 |
My Overall Thoughts
Thanks so much for taking the time to go over my reviews of ESA letter providers! My focus was on trying to help others (and myself!) find services that are trustworthy, legitimate, and that will help you feel secure and confident. I feel much more secure now knowing that Lucky is legally able to be with me when and where I need him most - and I hope you can find the same peace of mind!If you have any questions about getting an ESA letter at all, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! I love talking to other dog lovers, and after all this research, I’m more than happy to help spread my knowledge to those who need it!