ESA laws by state

Emotional support animals in Florida

Florida follows the federal Fair Housing Act for emotional support animals. Housing documentation means a letter from a licensed professional who knows you; a registration card is not documentation in Florida, or anywhere.

All states

What the law says here

Emotional support animals are protected in housing under the federal Fair Housing Act. They are not service animals and do not have public-access rights, and U.S. airlines are no longer required to accept them in the cabin.

Florida law (Fla. Stat. §760.27) allows a housing provider to request documentation from a licensed health care practitioner who has personal knowledge of your disability. Documentation that consists only of an online questionnaire or registration is not sufficient in Florida. ESA Pass does not provide clinician evaluations or ESA letters.

Knowingly misrepresenting an animal as a service animal, or providing false information to obtain an accommodation, is unlawful in this state and may be a misdemeanor.

What Florida's 2020 law says

Florida's Fair Housing Act (§ 760.27, added by SB 1084 in 2020) lets a housing provider ask for reliable information supporting your need for an emotional support animal when the disability isn't obvious. That information can come from a licensed health care practitioner with personal knowledge of your disability.

A practitioner from another state counts only if they have given you care or services in person at least once.

Online registrations in Florida

The same law says plainly that an emotional support animal registration of any kind obtained from the internet, including an ID card, patch or certificate, is not by itself enough to establish a disability or a need for the animal. That includes ours. A card is a convenience, not housing documentation.

False claims in Florida

Falsifying information or documentation for an emotional support animal, or knowingly misrepresenting an animal as one, is a second-degree misdemeanor under § 817.265. A housing provider also may not charge a fee or deposit for an approved emotional support animal.

Where a registration card fits

Our card and certificate are convenience items for everyday situations: a doorman, a walker, a neighbor. They carry a registration number anyone can check on our verification page. They do not establish a disability or a need for an accommodation, and a Florida housing provider is not required to accept them in place of a letter. If you need housing protection, get a letter from a licensed professional.

What a Florida housing provider may ask

If your disability isn't obvious, they may ask for reliable documentation from a licensed professional that you have a disability and a disability-related need for the animal. They may not ask for your diagnosis or medical records, and may not charge pet rent or a pet deposit for an approved assistance animal.

Sources

42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B); 24 C.F.R. § 100.204
Fla. Stat. § 760.27 (SB 1084, 2020)
Fla. Stat. § 817.265

General information, not legal advice. Laws change; we update this page when they do.