Miami Beach ESA Letters for Condo and Apartment Residents
On the barrier islands between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic, most people live in condos and apartment buildings, and plenty of them limit pets. If your animal supports your mental health, a Florida-licensed clinician can evaluate you online and write the letter your building needs.
Three parts of Miami Beach
The city's only dog beach is in North Beach.
How the Miami Beach Letter Process Works
You answer
A short, confidential screening about your symptoms, your animal and your building.
A clinician decides
A mental health professional licensed in Florida reviews it and holds a telehealth session when clinically indicated.
You receive the letter
After approval and payment, the signed letter arrives by email, ready for your manager or board.
Built for How Miami Beach Lives
Condo owners
- Letter addressed to the association
- Covers boards with pet bans or size limits
- Clinician follow-up if the board has questions
Renters
- ESA letter for one animal or up to three
- No pet deposit for an approved ESA under Florida law
- Works with online leasing portals
Service dog handlers
- Psychiatric service dog letter
- Optional ID card and certificate bundle
- Helpful for housing and travel paperwork
Miami Beach Letter Prices
Five plans in lights, each price read live from our system at the moment this page loads.
Is Bark Beach Open?
Bark Beach, between 80th and 81st Streets, is the only city beach where dogs are allowed. Check today or pick a date and time.
From Avocado Farm to Art Deco Resort
Miami Beach was an uninhabited stretch of oceanfront when the first investors arrived. The city now counts 82,890 residents, from the 2020 census.
1870
Henry and Charles Lum buy oceanfront land for 75 cents an acre.
1876
The Biscayne House of Refuge shelters shipwrecked sailors near 72nd Street.
1913
A bridge from the mainland opens, then the longest wooden bridge in the world.
1915
The town incorporates under the name Miami Beach.
1979
The Art Deco Historic District joins the National Register.
Art Deco Buildings and Condo Boards
The Art Deco District holds hundreds of hotels and apartment buildings from 1923 to 1943, the largest collection of its kind in the world. Many are now condos run by associations with their own pet rules.
- Read the association's pet rule and note the exact limit you need an exception to.
- Send the letter to the board or manager in writing, and keep the date.
- If the board asks for more, it may request reliable information about need, not your medical records.
Lincoln Road, Patios and Your Animal
Lincoln Road runs between 16th and 17th Streets and is known for outdoor dining and galleries. Who comes along depends on the kind of animal.
Psychiatric service dog
May go inside restaurants and shops with its handler. Staff can ask only two questions about it.
Emotional support animal
Treated as a pet in public places. Look for patios that welcome dogs.
Miami-Dade and City Rules at a Glance
Miami-Dade licensing
- Every dog older than four months needs a county license.
- Proof of rabies vaccination comes first.
- Cat licenses are available but optional.
City beach rules
- Dogs are prohibited on city beaches except Bark Beach.
- Enter Bark Beach at Collins Avenue and 81st Street.
- Metered parking sits across from the site.
Miami Beach Questions
Where can dogs go on the beach in Miami Beach?
Only at Bark Beach, between 80th and 81st Streets east of North Beach Oceanside Park. The city prohibits dogs on its other beaches. Bark Beach is open Friday through Sunday afternoons.
Does my dog need a Miami-Dade license in Miami Beach?
Yes. Miami-Dade County requires a license for every dog older than four months, issued with proof of rabies vaccination. Cat licenses are optional.
My condo association bans dogs. Can it refuse my emotional support dog?
It has to consider a reasonable accommodation request supported by a letter from a qualifying clinician. Send the letter to the board in writing and keep a record of the date.
Can I bring my emotional support animal into restaurants on Lincoln Road?
Only where the restaurant allows pets. An ESA has no public access rights, while a trained psychiatric service dog can go wherever customers go.
I split the year between Miami Beach and New York. Which clinician should write my letter?
For a Florida home, a Florida-licensed clinician is the simplest choice. An out-of-state clinician counts only after in-person care or with Florida telehealth registration.
How long does it take?
The screening takes minutes. Approved letters usually arrive by email within 24 to 48 hours after payment.
Across the Bay and Up the Coast
General information for Miami Beach residents as of September 2026, not legal advice. Bark Beach hours and beach rules are set by the City of Miami Beach, and dog licensing by Miami-Dade County; both can change, so check before you go. Screening does not guarantee a letter. In a crisis, call or text 988.
Bring a Florida Letter to Your Next Board Meeting
The free screening takes minutes. If a clinician approves you, the letter can reach you before the board's next agenda.
