Staten Island ESA and PSD Letters, From St. George to Tottenville
Renting near the ferry, in New Dorp or down in Great Kills? No trip over the Verrazzano is needed. Try the free screening, then select a plan and book your video visit with a New York-licensed clinician. If your clinician supports it, a signed letter lands in your account.
Transparent, One-Time Pricing for Staten Island Letters
Compare the current evaluation fees, read live from our checkout. Staten Island's screening is free. Choose a plan at checkout before your video visit, and you can request a refund within 30 days when the clinician cannot support a letter. 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.
Plenty of island rentals still say no pets, so a Staten Island ESA letter has to give a landlord a clear basis for saying yes.
Your clinician's signature
A New York-licensed clinician evaluates you first, then signs with license details.
The letter that fits
ESA letters cover an emotional support animal; psychiatric service dog letters cover a dog trained for tasks.
Quick to look up
Our verification page confirms any letter for anyone who asks. It is for housing, and your landlord still answers it.
Riding the Staten Island Ferry With an ESA
NYC DOT runs the free ferry, and its passenger rules are stricter than many riders expect. Ferry rules
Pets, other than service animals ... are not allowed in the terminals and/or onboard the ferries, unless they are caged and/or muzzled.
The only exemption is for ADA service animals, so plan to treat an ESA as a pet: in a cage or muzzled.
Feeding animals in the terminals or on board is also barred, and breaking the rules can mean a summons or being refused boarding. NYC Ferry is a separate service with a different policy, covered on our NYC page.
Photo: Norbert Nagel, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Germany, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Staten Island Railway Has Its Own Rule
The railway falls under state regulations separate from the subway's. 21 NYCRR 1040.8
Most animals
Inside a container, carried in a way that will not bother other riders.
Service animals
No container needed, but they must be harnessed or leashed.
Emotional support
The definition excludes comfort and emotional support animals, so use a container.
Staten Island's Animal Care Center
ACC's island center is on Veterans Road West. ACC locations
3139 Veterans Road WestStaten Island, NY 10309 Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pet surrender by appointment; call (212) 788-4000 before coming about a lost pet
Photo: Aude, CC BY-SA 4.0
Island Parks and Beaches for Dog Owners
NYC Parks limits leashes to six feet and sets off-leash hours until 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m. in marked places. NYC Parks dog areas
Silver Lake Park
A dog run on Victory Boulevard, below the pavilion.
Clove Lakes Park
No run, but two off-leash areas: near Royal Oak Road and along Brookside Avenue.
Wolfe's Pond Park
A run to the left of Cornelia Avenue. City beaches bar dogs, with a leashed exception on some sand from October 1 to May 1.
Wagner and College of Staten Island Students
Wagner uses its own forms, so a letter alone may not be enough. Check with the office first.
Wagner College
A licensed professional, not a relative, completes Wagner's support animal form, and the student files a housing request. Dogs and cats must be at least 10 months old, and owners reapply each year. Academic Advising and Accessibility: 718-390-3416. Wagner support animals
College of Staten Island
We found no written ESA policy. Dolphin Cove, its residence, is managed by American Campus Communities, so ask both Dolphin Cove at (718) 982-3019 and Accessibility Services at 718-982-2510. CSI accessibility
Courts and Tenant Help on the Island
Housing Court on Castleton Avenue
927 Castleton Avenue. The Landlord-Tenant line is 718-675-8452. Richmond County court
No island office is listed. The Brooklyn office covers Staten Island, and the main line is (844) 697-3471. DHR contacts
North Shore to South Shore: Our Island Clients
From the North Shore to the South Shore, each of these is a New York address with the same video evaluation.
Photo: Giorgio Galeotti, CC BY 4.0
St. GeorgeStapletonPort RichmondWest BrightonNew DorpDongan HillsGreat KillsTottenville
Staten Island Questions on the Ferry, Trains and Shelters
Can I bring my ESA on the Staten Island Ferry?
Only if it is caged or muzzled. The ferry rules exempt ADA service animals alone, so an emotional support animal falls under the pet rule.
Do service dogs need a cage on the ferry?
No. The rule exempts ADA service animals, so a trained service dog can ride without one.
Can an ESA ride the Staten Island Railway?
Only in a container, carried in a way that will not bother other riders. The railway's rule excludes comfort and emotional support animals from its service animal definition.
Where is the animal shelter on Staten Island?
ACC's center is at 3139 Veterans Road West, and it is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Call (212) 788-4000 before coming about a lost pet.
Can dogs go on Staten Island beaches?
City beaches generally bar dogs, though NYC Parks allows leashed dogs on some beach sand and boardwalks from October 1 to May 1 as a courtesy.
Will Wagner College accept an ESA letter by itself?
Wagner uses its own support animal form, completed by a licensed professional who is not a relative. Ask Academic Advising and Accessibility at 718-390-3416 what it will take.
Where is Staten Island Legal Services now?
At 60 Bay Street, Suite 900, after its move. Call (718) 233-6480, or the Legal Services NYC line at 917-661-4500.
Where is Housing Court on Staten Island?
At 927 Castleton Avenue. The Landlord-Tenant line is 718-675-8452.
