Palm Beach Gardens ESA Letters and Psychiatric Service Dog Letters
Palm Beach Gardens counted 59,182 residents in 2020 and an estimated 63,883 in 2023. Fill in the free online screening, and a Florida-licensed clinician will assess whether an emotional support animal letter or a psychiatric service dog letter is appropriate for you.
Who May Enter City Parks
| Animal | Other parks | Dog park |
|---|---|---|
| Pet dog | No | Yes |
| ESA | No | If a dog |
| Service animal | Yes | If a dog |
Parks are open dawn to dusk; the dog park is off Lilac Drive.
Three Brushstrokes to a Gardens Letter
Take the free screening
Tell us what you live with, what your animal does for you and what kind of Palm Beach Gardens home you rent or own.
Talk with a clinician
A Florida-licensed clinician reviews your answers and meets with you by telehealth when appropriate.
Get your letter
If the clinician supports it and you choose a plan, the signed letter is emailed to you.
A Paper Town and Two Old Banyans
John D. MacArthur announced plans for the city in 1959. The Legislature refused his first name, Palm Beach City, so he picked Palm Beach Gardens for the garden city he had in mind. Incorporated that year as a paper town, it had one resident at the 1960 census, Charles Cooper. In 1961 MacArthur paid to move an 80-year-old banyan from Lake Park to the city's entrance, and while it crossed the railway the tree knocked out Western Union lines. A second banyan followed, and both still stand on MacArthur Boulevard near Northlake Boulevard and appear on the city shield.
Palm Beach Gardens Park Pet Rule Check
City parks admit pets only where a park is designated for them, with an exception for animals assisting people with disabilities. Choose your animal, the park and the time to see what the rule means for you.
- Choose an animal and a park, then select Check the Rule.
What Gardens Residents Can Order
ESA letter for housing
Backs a request to a Palm Beach Gardens landlord or community association to make room for your animal.
Letter for more than one animal
Lists every animal the clinician finds part of your support.
Psychiatric service dog letter
For a task-trained dog, the kind of animal the city's park exception is written for.
Card and certificate
Available in certain bundles as a handy summary.
Palm Beach Gardens Plans on the Easels
Each canvas shows one plan at the price our checkout charges today.
Before the Gardens: Juno, Prairie Siding and Kelsey City
Before development the land was cattle ranches and pine forest with swamp farther west. The first settlers, in the 1890s, came from Juno, now Juno Beach.
Palm Beach Gardens Areas We Serve
Florida Law for Gardens Pet Owners
Two kinds of animal
Under section 413.08, a service animal is trained for work or tasks; an emotional support animal is not a service animal in public places.
Housing is separate
Section 760.27 governs ESA requests to housing providers, and it does not open parks or stores to an ESA.
Penalties for pretending
Passing off a pet as a service animal is a second-degree misdemeanor plus 30 hours of community service.
Gardens Questions Hanging From the Banyan
Can I take my dog into Palm Beach Gardens city parks?
Only into a park designated for that use. City rules bar people from bringing any pet or animal into a City park unless the park is specifically designated for it, with an exception for animals assisting people with disabilities.
Where can dogs play in Palm Beach Gardens?
At the dog park off Lilac Drive, next to Lilac Park at 4175 Lilac Street. The city says dogs are welcome there.
Are service animals welcome in Palm Beach Gardens parks?
Yes. The exception covers animals assisting or aiding impaired or physically disabled people, and the city describes service animals as dogs or miniature horses trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities.
Will a doctor's note let an emotional support animal into a city park?
No. According to the city, animals whose only role is comfort, companionship or emotional support are not service animals and are not permitted, even with a doctor's note.
When are Palm Beach Gardens parks open?
All City parks are open from dawn until dusk, except for scheduled events and closures for inclement weather.
So what is an ESA letter good for in Palm Beach Gardens?
Housing. It can support an accommodation request to a Florida landlord or association under section 760.27, which has nothing to do with park access. That state statute still applies, even though HUD has narrowed its own enforcement to trained animals.
Nearby in Northern Palm Beach County
General information for Palm Beach Gardens residents, current as of October 2026, and not legal advice. The City of Palm Beach Gardens sets its park rules and hours and can change them, so check with Parks and Recreation before a visit. Screening does not guarantee a letter. In a crisis, call or text 988.
Free Screening for the Gardens
From Lilac Street to Hood Road, a Florida-licensed clinician can look at the role your animal plays in your health.
