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Tennessee · 30 city guides in three Grand Divisions
ESA and PSD Letters in Tennessee, With Your City's Pet Rules at Hand
Start with a free online screening, then a telehealth evaluation by a Tennessee-licensed clinician, who writes your ESA letter or PSD letter if your situation supports it. Below are the local license, rabies and leash rules for thirty Tennessee cities, each linked to its own guide.
Tennessee license holders
Rules for 30 cities
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West Tennessee, 5 city guides Middle Tennessee, 15 city guides East Tennessee, 10 city guides
Free Tennessee screening
Three Steps Before Any Tennessee Letter
Screening is online and costs nothing, so you know where you stand before choosing a plan.
Begin the Free Tennessee Screening- No cost for step one
- Private health answers
- A Tennessee license holder decides
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After checkout, a clinician who holds a Tennessee license reviews your answers and evaluates you by telehealth.
Hear the decision
A supported letter is posted to your account in digital form; if the clinician cannot support one, you get the reason and may request your refund.
Pricing
Transparent, One-Time Pricing for Tennessee Letters
Compare the current evaluation fees, read live from our checkout. The Tennessee screening is free. Payment for the plan happens at checkout, before any evaluation; if your clinician finds that a letter is not supported, a refund can be requested within 30 days of the purchase. Questions? Read our FAQ page or contact us.
ESA Housing Letter For One Pet
Clinical review for one emotional support animal and a Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee.
$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 Tennessee Renters Trust American Service Animals
From Shelby County to Sullivan County, the same four things set our letters apart.
Tennessee-licensed authors
The clinician who evaluates you holds a Tennessee license and puts it on the letter.
An evaluation behind every letter
A form alone never produces a letter; a clinician reviews your answers and evaluates you first.
Housing language that fits
Letters speak to landlords, property managers and HOAs, the people who answer accommodation requests.
Clear prices, paid once
The plans above show every price, charged once at checkout, with the refund policy behind them.
Tennessee Rabies and Pet License Rules
Tennessee requires a rabies vaccination for dogs and cats from 6 months of age, but licenses are local. Some cities license from 3 months, some rely on the rabies tag, and Montgomery County voted down a county license.
- Rabies
- State law sets 6 months as the age for dogs and cats, and several cities ask for proof sooner. T.C.A. 68-8-103 text · Wilson County Animal Control
- Licenses
- Each city or county decides whether you need one, what it costs and when it renews.
- Leashes and limits
- Running at large, tethering hours and the number of dogs per home vary by city code.
City Pet Rules by Grand Division
The headline rule for each city with a guide, checked against official city or county pages between September 28 and October 11, 2026. Open the city guide for contacts and sources.
| City guide | Headline rule |
|---|---|
| Memphis | Dogs need a city license from 3 months, after the rabies shot; pets over 6 months must be spayed or neutered unless exempt, or covered by a one-time $200 fertile-animal permit. |
| Bartlett | Rabies for dogs and cats from 3 months; the city dog license is paid with the rabies shot at the vet, and 8 dogs and cats in total need no multi-animal permit. |
| Collierville | Cats and dogs over 5 months are licensed each year, $6 altered or $15 unaltered, even with a 3-year vaccine; up to 3 dogs over 3 months without a kennel license. |
| Germantown | Licenses for dogs over 3 months and cats over 6 months, with veterinary rabies proof and a breeding-capability certification. |
| Jackson | Dogs and cats over 6 months need rabies and spay or neuter unless exempt, with a yearly unaltered fee; dogs stay confined to the property. |
| City guide | Headline rule |
|---|---|
| Nashville | Dogs and cats from 6 months are vaccinated and registered with Metro; tags cost $8 for one year or $24 for three. |
| Brentwood | Dogs and cats stay leashed off the owner's property; Miss Peggy's Bark Park in Tower Park is the off-leash spot. |
| Franklin | The county animal center's monthly rabies clinics cost $10 with the tag and certificate included. |
| Spring Hill | City code requires rabies vaccination and registration, and cats fall under the running-at-large rule as well. |
| Columbia | The city runs no animal services, so Maury County does; rabies after 3 months for dogs and 6 for cats, a booster a year later, and leashes up to 15 feet. |
| Clarksville | No county license, but rabies shots are required, and each rabies tag has carried a $5 county registration since September 2017. |
| Gallatin | Animal control is part of the city police department, and barking complaints start with a warning. |
| Hendersonville | Pets over 3 months need a rabies shot, and the tag plus the certificate counts as a licensed dog, cat or ferret. |
| Lebanon | Rabies, registration and a tag; a dog at large costs $50 plus costs, and tethering is capped at 30 minutes at a time and 3 hours a day, supervised. |
| Mount Juliet | Dogs never run at large and wear a collar with a current rabies tag at all times. |
| La Vergne | The rule is no loose dogs; shelter intake is by appointment except for sick, injured or biting strays. |
| Smyrna | Dogs and cats are vaccinated and registered under the anti-rabies law and wear the tag; Bark Springs Park has large and small dog areas. |
| Murfreesboro | A $2 license per dog or cat over 3 months, paid to the County Trustee by May 1 each year, on top of a current rabies shot. |
| Shelbyville | No running at large, and feeding strays is off limits unless you take full responsibility for them. |
| Cookeville | The city and Putnam County share one animal shelter, which takes Putnam County animals only and holds strays for 72 hours. |
| City guide | Headline rule |
|---|---|
| Knoxville | A yearly city tag inside city limits, issued with a current rabies shot and worn alongside the rabies tag. |
| Farragut | Since April 2024 a single provider has handled animal control for all of Knox County, Farragut included. |
| Maryville | Every dog and cat is licensed by sending the rabies and sterility certificates, with no visit needed; no running at large. |
| Oak Ridge | Register every animal over 3 months, $5 if altered and $10 if not, at an Oak Ridge vet or the city shelter. |
| Chattanooga | Dogs and cats over 3 months need a license backed by a rabies certificate; it lasts a year and can be renewed in the 60 days before it runs out. |
| Cleveland | No running at large; off the owner's property a dog must be leashed or under visible control, and tagged strays are held 5 days, untagged 3. |
| Morristown | Under Hamblen County rules, barking from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. is a nuisance when it lasts 10 straight minutes or 30 minutes with breaks. |
| Johnson City | New residents have 90 days to get a registration certificate, and pets are spayed or neutered at 6 months, with exceptions. |
| Kingsport | Up to 5 dogs over 12 months per home, kennels aside; dogs wear a vet rabies tag and may not run at large. |
| Bristol | No outdoor tethering from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. without a city permit. |
Tennessee Pet Rule Questions, City by City
Eight quick answers drawn from the city guides above.
Do I need a pet license in Nashville?
Yes. Metro Nashville wants dogs and cats 6 months and older vaccinated against rabies and registered, with a tag that costs $8 for a year or $24 for three years.
When does a Memphis dog need a license?
From 3 months of age, after its rabies shot. Memphis also requires spaying or neutering after 6 months unless the pet is exempt or covered by a $200 one-time permit.
Is there a pet license in Clarksville?
Not a county one. Montgomery County voted the license down, but rabies vaccination is required and a $5 county registration rides on each rabies tag.
What does Chattanooga require for dogs and cats?
A license for pets over 3 months, based on a rabies certificate, good for one year and renewable within 60 days before it expires.
How do Knoxville pet tags work?
Pets inside the city limits need a city tag every year, which requires a current rabies vaccination and is worn with the rabies tag.
How much is a pet license in Murfreesboro?
Two dollars per dog or cat over 3 months, paid to the Rutherford County Trustee by May 1 each year, along with a current rabies vaccination.
Does an emotional support animal skip local pet rules?
No. An ESA is licensed, vaccinated and leashed under the same city rules as any other pet.
At what age does Tennessee require a rabies shot?
State law sets 6 months for dogs and cats, though some cities license or ask for rabies proof from 3 months.
More Tennessee Pages and Neighboring States
Tennessee's main page, our general guides and all eight bordering states.
Tennessee letters and guides
Tennessee ESA lettersHow the process works for youRights for ESA ownersA guide for landlordsSign up
States around Tennessee
KentuckyVirginiaNorth CarolinaGeorgiaAlabamaMississippiArkansasMissouri
Have a question before you begin? Phone (650) 942-0005 or write to support@americanserviceanimals.com.
Prepared for Tennesseans: general information current as of October 2026 that is not legal advice. Each city rule comes from the codes and agency pages cited in that city's guide; fees, ages and limits change, so confirm them with your city first. Screening does not guarantee a letter. In a crisis, call or text 988.
Find Your Tennessee City, Then Take the Free Screening
Whatever your city's pet rules, the evaluation runs the same way. Once a Tennessee-licensed clinician approves your request, you will find the ESA letter or PSD letter waiting in your account.
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