Hawaii ESA Letters: The Evaluation and the Arrival Paperwork
Hawaii is the only state with a quarantine law written to keep it free of rabies, so the ESA process here can involve two sets of papers: the clinical letter for your home and, if the animal is flying in, its entry documents. Begin with the free screening, and a clinician licensed in Hawaii decides whether a letter is supported.
Two Clocks in Hawaii
The Short Answer for Hawaii Renters
An emotional support animal letter is written documentation from a licensed clinician that you have a disability and that the animal eases it. In Hawaii it backs a reasonable accommodation request under the state fair housing law, chapter 515 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. It does not change how the animal enters the state: for quarantine an ESA is handled like any pet, and only trained service dogs have their own entry route.
Five Steps From Screening to a Signed Hawaii Letter
Take the free screening
Answer questions about your health, your animal and your housing from any island.
Meet a Hawaii-licensed clinician
The evaluation takes place by telehealth when that is clinically suitable, and the clinician may decide a letter is not supported.
Choose a plan only if approved
Payment comes after a clinician supports a letter, never before.
Receive the signed letter
The letter arrives digitally with the clinician's license details.
Send a written request
Give the letter to your landlord or association with a request for a reasonable accommodation, and keep copies of everything.
Hawaii Arrival Date Planner
Moving an animal to the islands? The Department of Agriculture wants at least 30 days after the most recent rabies shot and 30 days after a passing FAVN blood test before a dog or cat lands. Enter your dates to see which one sets the earliest arrival.
- Enter both dates, then select Plan the Arrival.
Simple, Transparent Pricing for the Hawaii ESA Process
Clear pricing for emotional support animal and psychiatric service dog letters written by a licensed mental health professional. Your screening is free, and you pay only if a clinician supports a letter and you decide to continue.
ESA Housing Letter For One Pet
Best option for most renters with one emotional support animal
- Free online screening with a licensed psychotherapist
- Telehealth evaluation when clinically indicated
- Letter written for ESA housing requests
- Digital delivery within 24-48 hours after payment
- Follow up clarification for landlords included
ESA Housing Letter For Multiple Pets
For people who have more than one emotional support animal in the home
- Free clinical screening that covers up to three ESA dogs or cats
- All approved animals listed together on a single ESA housing letter
- Letter tailored for apartments and rental homes
- Digital delivery within 24-48 hours after payment
- Support for landlord questions about pet deposits and rent
Psychiatric Service Dog Evaluation
For people who may qualify for a task-trained psychiatric service dog
- Free initial screening with a licensed psychotherapist
- Telehealth evaluation focused on symptoms and the tasks the dog is trained to do
- Letter describing the disability-related need and task support
- Clinically grounded documentation, not a generic certificate
- Follow up clarification for housing providers included
Bundle Packages
Save more with combined document bundles
ESA Letter + Certificate Bundle
ESA letter and certificate in one package
- ESA letter from a licensed professional
- ESA certificate with QR code verification
- Digital delivery within 24-48 hours after payment
- Valid for 1 year with renewal reminders
PSD Letter + Certificate + ID Card
Complete PSD documentation: letter, certificate and ID card
- PSD letter from a licensed professional
- PSD certificate with QR code verification
- PSD ID card with photo and barcode
- Digital delivery within 24-48 hours after payment
What Act 154 Put Into Hawaii Housing Law
The 2022 law wrote the assistance animal rules directly into chapter 515, so a Hawaii landlord no longer has to guess what counts.
An assistance animal is defined
It is an animal needed for disability-related work, services or tasks, or one that gives emotional support easing an identified symptom or effect of a disability.
Any species, trained or not
The definition reaches service, therapy, comfort and emotional support animals, with or without formal training, and animals other than dogs.
Verification a provider may request
A housing provider may ask for information, including verification from a treating health care professional, about the disability and the need for the animal.
Purchased items prove nothing
A vest, garment, tag or registration document commonly bought online is not valid verification of a disability-related need.
Service Dog or ESA When the Plane Lands
The service dog route
A guide dog or a dog individually trained for disability-related tasks can skip quarantine if every step is followed, including a current rabies shot and notice to the Rabies Quarantine Branch at least 24 hours before arrival.
The pet route, which includes ESAs
Emotional support is not a task under the Department of Agriculture definition, so an ESA meets the full dog and cat checklist: two rabies certificates, the FAVN result, a health certificate and the Pet Owner Portal application.
Landing on a Neighbor Island
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Oahu is the entry point for every dog and cat unless the Department of Agriculture has issued a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit.
Kona, Kahului or Lihue
Direct airport release there needs the permit, and the paperwork has its own checklist for each type of trip.
30 days ahead
The Animal Quarantine Station must receive the documents, including the Dog and Cat Import Form AQS-279, 30 or more days before arrival.
Residents flying home
Island pets that leave and return use separate checklists, so pick the one written for animals that already live in Hawaii.
Red Flags in the Hawaii ESA Process
A registry number as proof
Act 154 says purchased registrations are not verification, so a site selling only a listing is selling something a provider can set aside.
Approval with no evaluation
A real clinician can decline. A letter promised before anyone has reviewed your history is not a clinical decision.
Passing a pet off as a service dog
Under HRS 347-2.6, knowingly misrepresenting a service animal can bring a fine of $100 to $250 the first time and at least $500 after that.
Complaints and Help on the Islands
Hawaii Civil Rights Commission
Housing complaints within one year of the discrimination (Act 56 of 2026); (808) 586-8636, 830 Punchbowl Street, Room 411, Honolulu.
Disability and Communication Access Board
The state board publishes flyers on service animals and on assistance animals in housing, and notes that no license or certification is legally required.
Assistance Dogs of Hawaii and Guide Dogs of Hawaii
Nonprofits on Maui and Oahu that train working dogs for people with disabilities.
In a crisis
Call or text 988 at any hour, from any island.
Hawaii Process Questions, Tagged for the Trip
Island Pages to Read Next
General information for Hawaii residents and anyone moving an animal to the islands, current as of October 2026, and not legal advice. Entry rules, fees and checklists come from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and can change, so confirm them with the Animal Quarantine Station before you travel. Screening does not guarantee a letter. In a crisis, call or text 988.
Start the Hawaii Screening Before You Book the Flight
Whether you already rent on Oahu or are moving an animal across the Pacific, a clinician licensed in Hawaii can look at your need first.
