26 miles of trails
Dogs are welcome on every trail in Hot Springs National Park, on a leash no longer than 6 feet.
Hot Springs · Garland County · Ouachita Mountains
Hot Springs ESA Letters and Psychiatric Service Dog Letters
Hot Springs, the Garland County seat, grew up around the thermal waters that Congress set aside in 1832. Start the free screening, and an Arkansas-licensed clinician decides if an emotional support animal letter or a psychiatric service dog letter fits.
Free in the Spa City
AR clinicians only
Relaxed and online
Hot Springs Pet License
Yearly$10
Lifetime, neutered$20
Dogs and cats over 3 months, licensed within 30 days.
A no-cost first step for the Spa City
Start a Free Screening From Hot Springs
Fill in the screening at your own pace, from a porch in the Ouachitas or a break downtown. A clinician licensed in Arkansas reads it, and a dog letter waits until the client-provider relationship is 30 days old under Ark. Code 20-14-1003, unless you are verified as homeless.
Screening
Share a few details on your health, your animal and where you live in Garland County.
Evaluation
An Arkansas-licensed clinician reviews them and meets you by video when appropriate.
Letter
If you qualify, choose a plan and the letter is emailed; if you do not, you owe nothing.
A Park Older Than Yellowstone
American Indians came to this valley for thousands of years to quarry novaculite for tools and weapons. In 1832 Congress set the springs aside as the Hot Springs Reservation, which makes Hot Springs the oldest national park among today's park units, forty years older than Yellowstone. When the reservation became a national park in 1921, the townspeople named their city Hot Springs National Park as well. Its centerpiece is Bathhouse Row: eight grand bathhouses built in the first three decades of the 1900s, all still standing.
1832
Congress sets the springs aside as the Hot Springs Reservation.
1916
The reservation comes under the new National Park Service.
1921
Named the eighteenth national park on March 4.
1985
The Buckstaff is left as the one bathhouse still open on the Row.
Hot Springs ESA and Psychiatric Service Dog Letter Pricing
Clear pricing for emotional support animal and psychiatric service dog letters written by a licensed mental health professional. Your screening is free, and you pay only if a clinician supports a letter and you decide to continue.
ESA Housing Letter For One Pet
$149
Best option for most renters with one emotional support animal
- Free online screening with a licensed psychotherapist
- Telehealth evaluation when clinically indicated
- Letter written for ESA housing requests
- Digital delivery after approval
- Follow up clarification for landlords included
Most Popular
ESA Housing Letter For Multiple Pets
$159
For people who have more than one emotional support animal in the home
- Free clinical screening that covers up to three ESA dogs or cats
- All approved animals listed together on a single ESA housing letter
- Letter tailored for apartments and rental homes
- Digital delivery after approval
- Support for landlord questions about pet deposits and rent
Psychiatric Service Dog Evaluation
$199
For people who may qualify for a task-trained psychiatric service dog
- Free initial screening with a licensed psychotherapist
- Telehealth evaluation focused on symptoms and the tasks the dog is trained to do
- Letter describing the disability-related need and task support
- Clinically grounded documentation, not a generic certificate
- Follow up clarification for housing providers included
Bundle Packages
Save more with combined document bundles
BUNDLE
ESA Letter + Certificate Bundle
$199
ESA letter and certificate in one package
- ESA letter from a licensed professional
- ESA certificate with QR code verification
- Digital delivery after approval
- Valid for 1 year with renewal reminders
BEST VALUE
PSD Letter + Certificate + ID Card
$225
Complete PSD documentation: letter, certificate and ID card
- PSD letter from a licensed professional
- PSD certificate with QR code verification
- PSD ID card with photo and barcode
- Digital delivery after approval
Clinically reviewed
Secure payment
No hidden fees
American Service Animals does not sell ESA registrations. All letters are based on real clinical evaluations.
Arkansas law (Ark. Code 20-14-1003): before a provider documents your need for an emotional support dog, you need at least 30 days as a client, unless you are verified as homeless.
Letters Hot Springs Clients Order
Four documents a Garland County client can choose, each on its own card.
ESA housing letter
For a request to a Hot Springs landlord or association.
Two or more animals
Lists each animal the clinician supports on one page.
Psychiatric service dog letter
For a dog trained in tasks, such as creating space for you in a crowd.
Card and certificate
A summary included in some bundles, under the notice shown below.
Arkansas notice (Ark. Code 20-14-1002): A certificate, identification card or tag does not entitle an emotional support animal to the rights and privileges accorded by law to a service dog. Misrepresenting an animal as a service animal may subject an individual to a civil penalty under Ark. Code 20-14-310.
Hot Springs With a Dog
From Oaklawn Park, racing on Central Avenue since 1904, to the trails above Bathhouse Row, here is where a dog fits into the city.
Bathhouse Row
Pet waste stations sit at both ends of the Row, and the Fordyce Visitor Center has park information for dog owners.
Superior Bathhouse
The park service lists the Superior Bathhouse Restaurant and Brewery as a place pets are allowed.
Hot Springs Bark Park
Two fenced acres at 410 Hollywood Avenue, open dawn to dusk since 2010, with separate areas for large and small dogs.
Pets wait outside the visitor center and other federal buildings in the park. Trained service animals may go inside; an emotional support animal is not a service animal, so it waits outside too.
Hot Springs Pet Rules Worth Knowing
Six rules from the city's animal control laws and the city code, for any animal living in Hot Springs.
A rabies shot every year
Under city code 10-1-6, dogs and cats over three months get a yearly rabies vaccine from a licensed veterinarian and wear the metal tag on a collar or harness.
License within 30 days
Apply within 30 days of getting the pet or moving to the city. Licensed veterinarians can issue the license and tag when they give the rabies shot.
Fee waivers in the code
License fees are waived for registered dogs serving people who are blind or deaf and for government-owned police dogs; the code lists no other service dogs.
Four animals per home
A household with more than four animals needs a kennel permit: $100 the first year and $50 each year after.
Riding in a pickup
City code 10-1-10 requires an animal in an open vehicle to be restrained so it cannot leave or be thrown out; the city asks for a crate, a carrier or the cab.
Bites that break the skin
They are reported to Animal Services right away, and the animal is quarantined for 10 days whatever its vaccination status.
The city says breaking its animal ordinances can bring fines of up to $525.
Hot Springs Pet and Letter Questions
Six answers for owners and visitors in the Spa City.
Do I need a pet license in Hot Springs?
Yes. Dogs and cats over three months must be licensed within 30 days of getting the animal or moving to the city, and the tag must be worn at all times.
How much is a Hot Springs pet license?
$10 a year for each neutered or restrained dog or cat. A neutered animal can instead get a $20 lifetime license if it is vaccinated every year.
Can a visitor keep a dog in Hot Springs without a city license?
Under city code 10-1-7, the 30-day licensing requirement does not apply to a nonresident who keeps a dog or cat in the city for no longer than 60 days. The rabies rule in 10-1-6 still covers every dog and cat over three months in the city.
Where is Hot Springs Animal Services?
At 319 Davidson Drive, phone (501) 262-2091, open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Is the city's 30-day window the same as Arkansas's 30-day rule for dog letters?
No, they are separate. The city's 30 days are for licensing a new pet. The state's 30 days are the client-provider relationship a provider needs before documenting your need for an emotional support dog.
Can my ESA come into a Hot Springs restaurant or shop?
Not by right. An emotional support animal has no public access rights in Arkansas, and anyone selling an ESA vest or tag must tell you so. Trained service animals are the ones with access rights.
Elsewhere in Arkansas
Two nearby cities and two Arkansas guides.
General information for Hot Springs residents, current as of October 2026, and not legal advice. License fees and rules are set by the city and can change; Hot Springs Animal Services can confirm them. Screening does not guarantee a letter. In a crisis, call or text 988.
Ease Into Your Hot Springs Screening
From Bathhouse Row to the Ouachita foothills, a clinician licensed in Arkansas can understand how your animal helps you.
Paid on approval
Garland County care
Home-based
