A real evaluation first
A New York-licensed clinician meets you on live video, then signs the letter and lists the license a building can verify.
Five boroughs · ESA and PSD letters
NYC ESA Letters and PSD Letters for All Five Boroughs
Looking for an ESA letter in NYC that a landlord, managing agent or co-op board can check? Start with the free screening, pick your plan, and a New York-licensed clinician will evaluate you by video. Once your request is supported, the signed letter is posted to your account.
Bronx to Staten Island
NY license on it
$0 to get going
Riding the Line to an NYC Letter
The online screening costs nothing, wherever in the five boroughs you live.
Tell us about your home life
Walk us through your days, the animal that helps and the apartment, co-op or house you call home.
Check out, then meet your clinician
Choose a plan, pay at checkout and join a live video evaluation with a clinician licensed in New York.
Open your account for the outcome
The clinician either signs your letter or explains why not. Without a letter, our refund policy applies.
Begin the NYC Screening
- Nothing due up front
- Any borough, same steps
- Pets: one or more
Pricing
Transparent, One-Time Pricing for New York City Letters
Compare the current evaluation fees, read live from our checkout. The NYC screening is free. You choose a plan and pay for it ahead of the video visit, and if no letter can be supported, a refund request is open for 30 days. Questions? Read our FAQ page or contact us.
ESA Housing Letter For One Pet
Clinical review for one emotional support animal and a New York housing letter.
$149.00/ one-time
- Official ESA letter if supported
- Licensed professional review
- Valid for 1 year
- Digital copy
- Email support
- 24-48 Hour
Most Popular
ESA Housing Letter For Multiple Pets
One evaluation covering the support provided by each of your animals in a New York home.
$159.00/ one-time
- ESA letter for multiple pets
- All approved pets on one letter
- Valid for 1 year
- Digital copy
- Priority phone and email support
- Renewal reminders
- 24-48 Hour
PSA Letter
A psychiatric service dog evaluation with a clinician licensed in New York.
$199.00/ one-time
- Official PSD letter if supported
- Licensed professional review
- Valid for 1 year
- Digital copy
- Email support
- 24-48 Hour
Bundle Packages
Compare the combined letter and document options.
Bundle
ESA Letter + Certificate Bundle
An ESA letter and certificate together in one document package.
$199.00/ one-time
- Official ESA letter if supported
- ESA certificate
- Licensed professional review
- Valid for 1 year
- Digital copy
- Email support
- 24-48 Hour
Letter + Certificate + ID
PSD Letter + Certificate + ID Card
A PSD letter, certificate and ID card in one package.
$225.00/ one-time
- Official PSD letter if supported
- PSD certificate
- PSD ID card
- Licensed professional review
- Valid for 1 year
- Digital copy
- Priority email support
- 24-48 Hour
Clinical review
Secure payment
Digital documents
One-time plan fee
Need help choosing? Take the free screening first or compare every plan. Documentation depends on clinical approval; optional certificates and cards do not establish access rights.
Why New Yorkers Choose Us for an NYC ESA Letter
Plenty of city leases and house rules say no pets, so an NYC ESA letter has to give a building something real to review.
A letter for each need
For housing with an emotional support animal we write ESA letters; for trained dogs, a psychiatric service dog letter.
Clear about its reach
A building can look up the letter through our verification page. It is meant for housing, and the decision stays with the building.
What an NYC Building Can Ask You For
The city's Office of Animal Welfare lists the paperwork a housing provider may require. There is no city registry for emotional support animals. Office of Animal Welfare
- A treatment provider's letterIt explains that the animal can ease a symptom of a disability. You do not have to name your specific disability.
- A rabies certificateThe vaccination record has to be up to date.
- A dog license, for dogsEvery city dog needs one, so bring the license or proof that you applied.
- Two weeks of patienceIf the building has not answered in two weeks, the city suggests following up or contacting the Commission on Human Rights. Our New York guide covers the dialogue and the written decision.
Emotional Support Animals in NYCHA Apartments
NYCHA runs its own process, set out in Chapter 14 of its occupancy policy, and it applies to support animals as well as trained dogs. NYCHA Chapter 14
Register through NYCHA
The resident of record files Form 040.505. A disability with no observable symptoms can also call for Form 040.426, NYCHA's Medical Verification Form.
Weight and breed caps
Registered pet dogs are capped at 25 pounds with three breeds barred, but an assistance animal is exempt and may live alongside one registered pet.
Documents bought online
NYCHA's policy says online certificates from a vendor are not acceptable on their own. Ask which form it needs before you pay anyone, us included.
Public Housing Reasonable Accommodations Coordinator: 212-306-6079. Customer Contact Center: 718-707-7771. NYCHA occupancy policy
Service Dogs in New York City
A psychiatric service dog has trained work to do; an emotional support animal does not need any. A PSD letter from us documents the disability-related need.
- What staff can ask
- Two things: does a disability call for the animal, and which work or task has it learned? Where the need is obvious, not even these.
- Paperwork in public
- Public places cannot ask for proof of disability or a service animal certificate, and no special registration exists.
- Still a licensed dog
- A service dog is still a dog under city rules, so it needs an ordinary NYC dog license.
Taking an ESA on NYC Ferry and the Subway
The two systems treat an emotional support animal differently, so check before you leave home.
Dogs are allowed onboard and at landings provided they are well-behaved and not disruptive.
That is NYC Ferry's policy of June 11, 2026. Dogs stay on a short leash and off the seats, and other pets ride in a closed carrier. The policy does not mention ESAs. NYC Ferry pet policy
On MTA subways and buses, only trained service animals ride uncontained. An ESA goes in a bag or container. The Staten Island Ferry has its own rule, explained on our Staten Island page.
Choose Your Borough for Local Details
Shelters, parks, Housing Court and legal aid differ by borough, so each one has its own page.
Citywide Lines for Tenants and Support
| Line | How to reach it |
|---|---|
| Tenant Helpline | Call 311 and ask for it, Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. City helpline page |
| Right to Counsel | Facing eviction? Call 311 and ask for Right to Counsel. City Right to Counsel page |
| Housing Court Answers | (212) 962-4795, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Housing Court Answers |
| Commission on Human Rights | Free complaints within one year of the last act: 311 or (212) 416-0197. NYC CCHR |
| Fair Housing Justice Center | Free counseling and investigations: 212-400-8201. FHJC |
| NYC 988 | Free and confidential, day or night: call or text 988. ACCESS NYC listing |
NYC Questions on Letters, Buildings and Service Dogs
What can I do if my NYC building ignores my ESA request?
The city says a request should end in a written decision. If two weeks pass without an answer, follow up or contact the Commission on Human Rights, where complaints are free for one year after the last act.
How can I tell an NYC ESA letter is legit?
It comes from a licensed clinician who actually evaluated you, not from a registry. New York City has no ESA registration, and a building may ask for a letter from a treatment provider.
Will an NYC building verify my ESA letter?
They can. A building may ask for a letter, a rabies certificate and, for a dog, a city license or proof you applied. Each of our letters has a reference number that can be confirmed on our verification page.
Is a city license required for an emotional support dog?
Yes. Every dog in the city needs one, including ESAs and service dogs. A spayed or neutered dog costs $8.50 a year, and an unaltered dog over four months costs $34.
Will NYCHA take an ESA letter bought online?
Its policy says online certificates issued by a vendor are not acceptable alone, and it may require its own Medical Verification Form. Call the Reasonable Accommodations Coordinator at 212-306-6079 before you pay for anything.
Can an emotional support animal ride the NYC subway?
Only in a bag or container that does not annoy other riders. MTA rules leave emotional support animals out of their service animal definition.
How does New York City define a service dog?
One trained for particular work or tasks because of a person's disability, psychiatric disabilities included. No certificate is required, though the dog still needs a city license.
Where can NYC tenants get free housing advice?
Call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline, Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For Housing Court questions, Housing Court Answers takes calls at (212) 962-4795.
Statewide Pages for New Yorkers
New York guidesRegion-by-region offices, dog licenses and co-op boards
ESA letters across New YorkOur statewide service page
New Yorkers, Take the First Step for Free
The screening is free. You then see a New York-licensed clinician by video, and any supported letter arrives in your account.
Harlem to Tottenville
One live video visit
Each plan priced online
