A tenant showed you one of our cards. Here's what it means.
Short version: it confirms a pet was registered with us. It is not documentation of a disability, and you may ask for the documentation the law allows.
What the card is
A convenience credential a pet owner bought from us: their pet's name, photo and a registration number listed on our verification page. Anyone can check the number to confirm it's genuine and see the pet, city, state and registration date. There is no official ESA registry in the United States, ours included, and registration is never legally required.
What it isn't
It is not a letter from a licensed health care professional, and it carries no legal force under the Fair Housing Act. We say this on the card, on the certificate, and to every buyer before they pay. Under HUD's 2020 guidance, documentation from the internet is not, by itself, reliable evidence of a disability or a disability-related need.
What you may ask for
If a tenant requests a reasonable accommodation and the disability isn't obvious, you may request reliable documentation that they have a disability and a disability-related need for the animal, typically a letter from a licensed professional with personal knowledge of them. You may not require a diagnosis, medical records, or a particular form, and you may not charge pet fees or deposits for an assistance animal once the accommodation is granted. Some states add rules about the professional's relationship with the tenant; see your state.
Verifying our card
Scan the QR or enter the number at esapass.com/verify. That tells you the registration is real and current. It does not tell you anything about the tenant's health, because we never collect any.
General information, not legal advice.