Like all other 49 states, Florida Emotional Support Animal Laws are bound by the Americans with Disabilities Act in regards to service dogs and ESAs. This means that an individual with a certified emotional support animal can fly with their companion in the cabin of an airline and should also be allowed to live in a housing unit that doesn’t otherwise allow animals. In both cases, the patient cannot legally be charged extra money to bring their ESA with them.

For millions of Americans, emotional support animals (ESAs) help them navigate the world while dealing with emotional and/psychological challenges. These animal companions are not pets – they are certified and protected as a necessary form of treatment for people with a variety of disorders. Emotional support animals can only be prescribed by a certified mental health professional.

For the letters themselves, should the client wish to have a Travel and Housing Letter combined, and they find they qualify for the letter, the mental health professional will send a single letter with both described in the one letter. Although the criteria and assessments are the same for either letter, some may find they only need one rather than both. They can purchase the letter which they find they are needing the most. The Housing letter never expires and does not need to be renewed. For those who request and qualify for the Travel letter, they would need to renew annually, and the dates of that letter are good from one year to the day of the phone assessment.

As the medical community has begun to recognize the value of emotional support animals, people all over the country that suffer from emotional challenges have been freed suffering when out in public. Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act, ESA’s can accompany a patient onto the cabin of an airplane and in a rental unit that does not otherwise allow animals on the property. Furthermore, in both cases, the airline and landlord are not allowed to charge the patient an extra fee for the use of an ESA.

In January 2021, the Department of Transportation (DOT) came out with a new final ruling that amends the Air Carrier Access Act. The new rule states that emotional support animals are no longer a protected class of animal and airlines are no longer required to allow them on flights. Service Dogs, which are animals that are trained to perform a specific task, are allowed on flights by passengers are now required to submit a form before flying stating that the dog has been trained, is in good health, and can properly perform a specific task for its owner.