Apply For Your Colorado ESA Letter
You love your pet and want to take them wherever you go so they can be close to you. With a Colorado ESA letter, you can do just that.
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) letter is easy to get in Colorado when prescribed by a mental health professional. That letter will allow your beloved service pet to accompany you on planes, in many housing arrangements, and in places of public accommodation such as schools and universities.
Benefits of a Colorado ESA Letter
Having an ESA letter in Colorado offers peace of mind to individuals struggling with mental health issues.
The document serves as evidence that their animal is recognized by the law as medically necessary and protected under federal law including the Air Carrier Access Act and Fair Housing Act (FHA).
With this assurance, individuals can confidently maintain their daily lives without fear of being discriminated against due to their need for emotional support from an animal companion.
Live in no-pet housing
No more pet charges
Easier to travel
Easier public access
3-Steps to Get an ESA Letter in Colorado Online
Apply Online
To get an ESA letter for your pet, you need to fill out a form online with your medical information and why you need an ESA. Once you finish the form, you submit it online.
Get Evaluated Online
After you submit your form online, a Service Pets mental health practitioner will review your application to see if you qualify for an ESA.
Receive an ESA Letter
After you get evaluated, you will get an ESA Letter online. You can download your letter so that you can begin enjoying the benefits of an ESA letter.
What Does A Legitimate ESA Letter Look Like?
According to Colorado pet laws, a legitimate ESA letter should be written on the letterhead of a state-licensed therapist or LMHP. And it must include the following elements:
- Name and signature of the professional.
- The license number of the Therapist.
- Date of the license, and state where it’s issued.
- The need for an ESA for treating the individual’s mental health.
- Details of the pet, including breed, size, and type
- Date of issuance and expiration.
Table of Contents for Colorado ESA FAQs
Colorado Emotional Support Animal Laws
ESA Letter Certification
Who can write an ESA letter in Colorado?
Only a licensed medical healthcare professional (LMHP) can sign and issue a legitimate ESA letter. Here is a list of a few specialists that have the authority to sign an emotional support animal letter according to the ESA laws in Colorado:
- A Physicians
- A Psychiatrist
- A licensed nurses practitioner
- A licensed marriage and family therapist
- A Psychologist
- A licensed clinical social Worker (LCSW)
Colorado ESA Housing Laws
Can a landlord discriminate against an ESA owner?
The Federal Fair Housing Act protects people with disabilities who need emotional support animals. Landlords cannot say no to emotional support animals or charge extra money because of the breed, size, or weight of the animal.
Can a landlord ask for ESA certification?
Colorado ESA housing laws stipulate that landlords can ask for documentation proving the tenant’s need for an emotional support animal prior to making any changes in policy related to pets in their rented property.
This documentation can come from either a licensed therapist or physician and must state why the individual needs an emotional support animal in order for them to have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy their home.
What if the landlord has a "no-pet" policy?
Your landlord can not deny your emotional support dog in Colorado, even if there is a general “no-pets” policy.
Can a landlord charge a pet fee for Emotional Support Animals?
No, your landlord cannot charge you a pet free for having an ESA.
In fact, you can waive off any pet fees or deposit for your emotional support animal in Colorado.
Can a landlord restrict renting to an ESA owners based on breed and size
No, your landlord can not restrict your emotional support animal based on the size, weight, and breed.
Can I have an ESA for on-campus housing?
According to the Fair Housing Act, universities have to provide accommodation for you and your emotional support animal if you have a certified Colorado ESA letter. Dorms are an exception to this rule.
Additionally, you cannot take your emotional support animal into other parts of the university, like academic buildings, the cafeteria, or lecture halls.
Are there any exceptions to Colorado ESA housing laws?
Yes, your landlord can take action if your ESA:
- causes any damage to the landlord’s property — the landlord has the right to evict you after a 10-day notice
- shows aggressive behaviour toward others — the landlord has the right to evict you
- causes some allergic reactions to others — the landlord can deny your ESA
Colorado ESA Employment Laws
Does the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act include Service Animals?
Yes, the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act states that is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee because of their need for a Service Animal.
This means that employers cannot deny a job or promotion, or otherwise treat an employee differently because they have an ESA.
Does an employer have to provide accommodations for a Service Animal?
Yes, employers are obligated to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with Service Animals, such as allowing the animal into the workplace and making sure that any housing provisions allow them as well.
Is an ESA the same as a Service Animal?
A service dog isn’t the same as an ESA.
Service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks for their owners, such as protecting them during a seizure or reminding them to take their medication.
By law, service dogs may accompany their owners almost everywhere, except where their presence would compromise the environment. For example, a service dog can be in a hospital waiting room, but not in a sterile operating room.
Can I bring my ESA to work?
There are some workplaces in Colorado that allow people to bring their pets with them. These places often have rules about how the pet should behave, like being potty trained.
But there are no laws that require employers to allow pets or assistance animals in the office.
Colorado ESA Laws for Travel
Do Colorado travel laws honor all ESAs?
Not all animals are considered ESAs under Colorado Law.
To be considered an ESA, the animal must be prescribed by a licensed mental health professional as part of a valid treatment plan for a mental or emotional disability.
This means that the animal has been trained to provide therapeutic benefits to its handler which may include providing companionship, reducing stress, reducing anxiety, eliminating depression symptoms, and providing comfort during times of crisis or loneliness.
Can I bring my ESA on an in-state flight?
ESA owners have certain rights when flying with their animals on in-state flights within Colorado.
According to The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) — a federal law that prohibits air carriers from discriminating against individuals with disabilities — ESA owners may bring their animal into the cabin at no additional charge as long as they are accompanied by documentation from their mental health professional. This documentation should clearly state that the animal is part of an active treatment plan and is necessary in order for the ESA owner to travel safely.
The airline will also have certain requirements regarding the size and behavior of the ESA in order for it to be allowed onboard; these requirements vary depending on the specific airline but typically require that the animal remain leashed at all times and remain calm during flight.
Can I bring my ESA on a train or bus in Colorado?
In addition to flying with their ESAs, Colorado law also allows ESA owners other forms of travel while accompanied by their animals including busing and rail services throughout Colorado such as Greyhound buses or Amtrak trains.
The same rules apply here: owners must present proper documents from their mental health professional outlining why they need an ESA with them while traveling before being allowed on board with their pet.
Colorado ESA Public Access Laws
What are Colorado ESA Public Access Laws?
Read the U.S. Department of Justice guide to service animals and public access. Ask a lawyer about your case.
Where can I bring my ESA in Colorado?
Generally, it’s up to the owner of the premises. Most public spaces fall under “public accommodation” rules in Colorado:
- Entertainment spaces, concert halls, and stadiums
- Restaurants and other food establishments
- Retail and rental locations
- Houses of worship
- Gathering spaces and convention centers
- Museums and libraries
- Parks
- Hotels and lodging providers
- Transportation stations
- Businesses
Where can I bring my ESA to a hotel or restaurant in Colorado?
Colorado doesn’t require owners and proprietors of businesses and public spaces to allow emotional support animals.
If you want to take your ESA to a hotel or a restaurant, it’s best to call first and see whether it’s allowed. If you do get permission but your ESA threatens others, has an accident indoors, or acts out of control, the premises owner may remove you and your animal.
Common Questions About ESAs in Colorado
A housing attorney can advise you on your own lease or dispute.
What do I send my landlord if the lease bans pets?
A written request gives both of you a record of what you're asking for. Name the pet rule you need changed and include any needed proof from your clinician.
Be clear about which animal will live with you. An ESA letter doesn't settle every request.
What should a Colorado clinician assess before writing an ESA letter?
The clinician needs to assess your disability and the reason you need the animal. Colorado has provider-specific rules for ESA recommendations, including how the clinician meets with you. Ask the clinician which rules apply to their license before relying on a fully online service.
What should I check before paying for an ESA letter?
Before you pay, find out who will assess you and check that person's license. A letter-only checkout with no health assessment is a warning sign.
Ask about the total price, too. A later renewal may cost extra.
What if my landlord turns down the ESA request?
A denial may list a missing letter, animal behavior, or another reason. Read that reason before deciding what to do next.
You may need to supply more proof or get legal help to challenge the decision. Court papers require a separate response, even while you're discussing an ESA.
Can I take my ESA into shops or restaurants?
Comfort alone doesn't give an animal the ADA rights of a service dog. Those rights depend on trained work or tasks, such as a dog trained to interrupt a harmful behavior.
For an ESA, call the shop before you visit to find out whether pets are welcome. State or local rules may provide other access rights.
Will a hotel waive its pet fee for my ESA?
Pet fees can still apply. For a normal hotel booking, an ESA is usually subject to the same pet policy as other pets.
Check the rate and animal limits with the hotel itself. ADA service-dog rules are separate.
Can my ESA fly with me without a pet fee?
Expect the airline to apply its pet rules to an ESA. That may mean a carrier, a pet fee, or no place for that animal on the flight.
Check before paying for your own ticket. Federal service-dog rules apply to trained dogs that meet the task requirement.
Can my ESA come to work with me?
Ask HR before bringing your animal in. An employer may consider an ESA as a change to workplace policy for a disability.
The answer can turn on the work you do and how the animal behaves there. A hospital work area, for example, raises different concerns from a desk job.
Apply for an ESA Online in CO Today!
Service Pets makes it easy to get your pet certified as an emotional support animal.
Simply fill out the form to schedule a consultation with one of our Colorado state-licensed therapists!
