Book a confidential video evaluation with a mental health clinician licensed in Maryland. No registry sign-ups and no certificate-only shortcuts: when your evaluation supports it, you get a genuine ESA or psychiatric service dog letter for Maryland apartments, rowhouse rentals, condominiums, college housing and HOA communities.
Like the four quarters of the state flag, the screening fits together from three steps and a starting point. The screening is free. Checkout for the plan comes ahead of the Maryland-licensed clinician's evaluation, and a request that clinician cannot support qualifies for a refund when you ask inside 30 days.
Short questions about your mood, the animal you rely on and your Maryland rental, at a pace that suits you.
After checkout, a Maryland-licensed clinician works through your answers and sees you on video when clinically appropriate.
When the evaluation supports the request, a signed letter is sent digitally; when it does not, you learn why and may then request a refund within 30 days.
Pricing
All fees shown come live from our checkout. The Maryland screening is free, and the plan or bundle you choose is purchased before the evaluation; if a Maryland-licensed clinician cannot support a letter, a refund follows under our policy if requested no later than 30 days after purchase. Questions? Read our FAQ page or contact us.
An emotional support animal letter for Maryland housing, one animal, one review.
$149.00/ one-time
One review that weighs every animal in your Maryland household.
$159.00/ one-time
Psychiatric service dog evaluation by a Maryland-licensed clinician.
$199.00/ one-time
Compare the combined letter and document options.
The Maryland ESA letter, joined by its certificate.
$199.00/ one-time
A psychiatric service dog letter with a certificate and ID card.
$225.00/ one-time
Choosing between plans? Try the screening at no cost or compare every plan. Letters depend on clinical approval; the optional certificates and cards add no access rights.
After HUD changed its federal enforcement on May 22, 2026, the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights issued guidance on emotional support animals to make one point clear: a change in federal enforcement policy does not eliminate protections under Maryland law. It also spells out the questions a housing provider can and cannot put to you.
Documentation is different. A housing provider can request documentation from a medical provider showing your disability and the therapeutic benefit the animal gives in easing its symptoms or effects; without that documentation, the commission says, a denial will likely be permissible.
The commission's guidance describes three things a housing provider is advised to look for in ESA documentation.
The commission adds that documentation is not unreliable just because it was produced online or through telemedicine. Our Maryland letters follow a real evaluation with a clinician licensed in Maryland, and no letter is written unless the clinician finds the need supported.
Emotional support animals rely on the reasonable accommodation duty in the Maryland Fair Housing Act; trained service animals also have their own rights in the Human Services Article.
Two sources set the numbers: the commission's ESA guidance and the security deposit rules in Real Property Article 8-203.
No fee, deposit or other charge because of an ESA, including fees for processing the request, even where pets are normally charged.
A landlord may not hold more than one month's rent per dwelling unit, with a narrow exception tied to utility assistance.
A tenant charged more can recover up to three times the extra amount plus reasonable attorney's fees, during the tenancy or within two years after it ends.
Damage is still the owner's to pay. The commission says a landlord can charge for ESA damage or deduct it from the deposit under its usual policy, as long as an ESA owner is treated like any other tenant.
Insurance is generally not a reason to say no. Without a specific showing of undue burden, refusing an ESA because the policy does not cover animals will generally be an improper denial.
The commission's housing page sets one year from the alleged discriminatory act for housing complaints, and its complaint process pages walk through the stages.
The commission invites both sides to conciliation. If that fails, the case goes to MCCR's Office of the General Counsel, and the commission can enforce the law by filing in State court.
The case is dismissed, and you have the right to ask the commission in writing to reconsider.
410-767-8600, Maryland Relay 711, mccr@maryland.gov. William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul Street, Suite 900, Baltimore, MD 21202-1631.
All 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City are within reach of our telehealth ESA letters and PSD evaluations, west of the Chesapeake Bay as well as on the nine counties usually counted as the Eastern Shore. Cities with their own Maryland guide carry a link.
Garrett County to Ocean City, one sequence applies everywhere: screening online, followed when appropriate by a telehealth visit with a Maryland-licensed clinician.
Read the Maryland guide
"At American Service Animals, providing compassionate support at scale is essential. With our licensed professionals, we assist individuals across multiple states, delivering timely evaluations and trusted guidance, reducing uncertainty and simplifying the certification process, so our team can focus on meaningful, high-quality care for every client."
We work exclusively with licensed mental health professionals authorized to practice in Maryland and most states
Generic online registries or certificates, without a clinical evaluation, do not replace a legitimate ESA letter from a nationally licensed provider.
Serving clients in Baltimore, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Bowie, Hagerstown, Annapolis, College Park, Salisbury, Laurel, and all cities across Maryland.
Start Your Free EvaluationMaryland's one-pet ESA housing letter is $149. There is no screening fee; the plan is purchased before the evaluation begins; if the Maryland-licensed clinician finds no support for a letter, our refund policy covers you on a request inside 30 days of buying it.
Yes, according to the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. Its September 2026 guidance says a change in federal enforcement policy does not eliminate protections under Maryland law, and that a reasonable accommodation under the Maryland Fair Housing Act may include an emotional support animal that has no task training.
No. MCCR's guidance says housing providers may not impose fees, deposits or other charges because of an ESA, including fees for processing the request, even where they normally charge for pets. Damage the animal causes can be charged the same way it would be for any tenant.
It can. MCCR's guidance says documentation is not unreliable just because it came from the internet or telemedicine, but landlords are advised to check that it was issued by a healthcare provider with a bona fide relationship with you and that it affirms a real therapeutic benefit. Rubber-stamp approvals may be refused.
Questions about the animal: whether it is housetrained, its size, weight, breed and species, whether it is safe around people and other animals, any history of injury or damage, and whether you can care for it and control it in shared spaces. The landlord may not ask about your diagnosis or its severity, or demand medical records or an exam.
One year from the alleged discriminatory act. Complaints about public accommodations have a shorter deadline of six months.
Generally not. MCCR says a rejection based only on species or breed will generally be evidence of discrimination, and that a lack of insurance coverage for animals is generally an improper reason to deny an ESA unless the landlord shows a specific undue burden.
One month's rent per dwelling unit is the ceiling under Real Property Article 8-203, with a narrow exception for some tenants who receive utility assistance. A tenant charged more can recover up to three times the extra amount plus reasonable attorney's fees.
Marylanders: read this page as broad guidance, current as of October 2026, rather than legal advice. Laws, rules and agency guidance evolve, and the commission looks at each case's own facts. Screening does not guarantee a letter. Further pages: ESA rights overview, ESA laws elsewhere and our company. During a crisis, call or text 988 around the clock or chat online; veterans can press 1.
Bring your question to a Maryland-licensed clinician, who can say whether your situation fits an ESA letter or a PSD letter, if either; the screening is free.
