Wherever you live in Texas, from El Paso to Beaumont, you can be evaluated without a drive to the city. Take the free screening, meet a clinician licensed in Texas by telehealth when appropriate, and pay only if an emotional support animal letter or psychiatric service dog letter is supported.
Texas is big, but your evaluation does not need a long drive. A short, private screening tells a clinician licensed in Texas about your health, your animal and your home, and it costs nothing to start.
Answer a few questions online from any town in Texas.
A clinician licensed in Texas reads your answers and meets you by telehealth when appropriate.
When a letter is supported and you choose a plan, it arrives digitally. When it is not, you pay nothing.
Housing requests for an emotional support animal rest on the Texas Fair Housing Act and federal law, while Human Resources Code Chapter 121 protects trained service dogs. Here is what each rule does.
The Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division takes complaints at (888) 452-4778 within one year; homes inside Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth or Garland go to that city's fair housing office instead. How it treats untrained support animals after HUD's 2026 change is unclear.
A service animal is a canine specially trained or equipped to help a person with a disability. Housing may not charge a fee or deposit for one; the handler pays for damage beyond reasonable wear and tear.
Cities and counties may not write dangerous-dog rules aimed at a breed. A dog declared dangerous must be registered and restrained, with at least $100,000 in liability coverage.
HUD rescinded its 2020 notice and now finds reasonable cause only for animals individually trained to do work or tasks. The Fair Housing Act, private lawsuits and state law did not change.
Two questions sort your animal the way Texas and federal rules do, for your rental, for public places and for flights.
An emotional support animal letter and a psychiatric service dog letter answer different questions. The animal's training decides which one you need.
| Question | ESA letter | PSD letter |
|---|---|---|
| The animal | Usually a dog or cat that helps through its presence, with no task training | A dog trained to do specific tasks for a psychiatric disability |
| Texas housing | A written request under the Texas Fair Housing Act and federal law, weighed case by case since HUD's 2026 change | A Chapter 121 service animal: no extra fee or deposit, and you cover damage beyond reasonable wear and tear |
| Public places | No right of entry to shops, restaurants or offices | Trained service dogs may enter public places under the ADA |
| Flights | Airlines may treat it as a pet under the DOT's December 2020 rule | Flies in the cabin as a service dog; the airline may ask for the DOT form |
| What the letter does | Confirms a disability-related need for the animal at home | Describes the disability-related need the dog's trained tasks address |
San Antonio is one of five sites in the VA's PAWS Act pilot, signed into law on August 25, 2021, in which veterans with PTSD train dogs that may become service dogs. Clinicians at each site decide who is eligible, so ask the VA in San Antonio. Human Resources Code Chapter 121 lists post-traumatic stress disorder in its definition of a person with a disability. The Veterans Crisis Line answers at 988, then press 1.
Photo: Matt Harriger, CC BY-SA 2.0
Health and Safety Code section 826.021 expects a dog or cat to be vaccinated against rabies by four months of age, with boosters on the schedule set by state rule. A city or county may not register or license an animal that has not had the shot.
Photo: Earl Mcgehee, CC BY-SA 3.0
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.
Best option for most renters with one emotional support animal
For people who have more than one emotional support animal in the home
For people who may qualify for a task-trained psychiatric service dog
Save more with combined document bundles
ESA letter and certificate in one package
Complete PSD documentation: letter, certificate and ID card
Texas rule (Human Resources Code 121.006): presenting an animal as a service animal when it is not one is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $1,000 and 30 hours of community service, so an ESA letter never turns a pet into a service dog.
Moving across a state line, or helping a landlord understand a request? Start here.
"At American Service Animals, providing compassionate support at scale is essential. With our licensed professionals, we assist individuals across multiple states, delivering timely evaluations and trusted guidance, reducing uncertainty and simplifying the certification process, so our team can focus on meaningful, high-quality care for every client."
We work exclusively with licensed mental health professionals authorized to practice in Texas and most states
Generic online registries or certificates, without a clinical evaluation, do not replace a legitimate ESA letter from a nationally licensed provider.
Serving clients in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso, Arlington, Corpus Christi, Plano, Lubbock, and all cities across Texas.
Start with the free online screening. A clinician licensed in Texas reviews your answers and meets you by telehealth when appropriate, and you pay only if a letter is supported.
You can still ask in writing under the Texas Fair Housing Act and federal law, with the letter attached. Since May 2026 HUD no longer presumes requests for untrained animals reasonable, and how the TWC Civil Rights Division treats them is not yet clear, so check with TWC.
Fair housing complaints go to the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division, at (888) 452-4778, within one year of the act you are reporting. For a home inside Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth or Garland, TWC sends you to that city's fair housing office.
Human Resources Code Chapter 121 defines a service animal as a canine specially trained or equipped to help a person with a disability. An untrained emotional support animal does not fit that definition.
Not for a service animal covered by Chapter 121. Housing may not charge an extra fee or deposit for it, though you remain liable for damage beyond reasonable wear and tear.
Yes. Human Resources Code section 121.006 makes it a misdemeanor, punished by a fine of up to $1,000 and 30 hours of community service.
Section 822.047 of the Health and Safety Code bars cities and counties from adopting dangerous-dog rules aimed at a breed. A dog declared dangerous must still be registered and restrained, and its owner needs at least $100,000 in liability coverage.
General information for Texas residents, current as of October 2026, and not legal advice. Screening does not guarantee a letter. In a crisis, call or text 988; veterans can press 1 after dialing 988.
Tell a clinician licensed in Texas how your animal helps you. You will learn whether an emotional support animal letter or a psychiatric service dog letter fits, before you pay anything.