What a legitimate PSD letter includes

Licensed clinician evaluation

The core of a legitimate letter is a real clinical relationship, even a brief one. A licensed professional, such as a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker or licensed professional counselor, should assess your symptoms and how they limit your daily life before writing anything.

Our process reflects that. You book online, then have a 5–10 minute phone or video evaluation with a licensed clinician. Gabriel Warner, LCSW, carries out the mental health evaluations behind PSD letter requests, and Andrew Patel, M.D., reviews evaluations and signs letters when the clinical findings support one. If the findings don't support a letter, none is issued and you don't pay.

A site that issues a letter after a quiz alone, with no clinician speaking with you, is not offering an evaluation.

Clinician licensed in your state

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services explains that telehealth providers generally must be licensed or legally permitted to practice in the state where the patient is located. That's why a legitimate service confirms your state before your evaluation.

We only evaluate people in states where our clinicians can lawfully do so, and the booking step confirms your state. If a provider can't tell you which state their license is from, treat that as a warning sign.

What appears on a PSD letter

Formats vary, but a well-prepared PSD letter for housing typically includes the following. Ours always include the clinician's name, license type, license number, issuing state and the date.

• The clinician's full name and signature
• License type (for example, M.D. or LCSW)
• License number and the state that issued it
• The date the letter was signed
• Clinician or practice contact information for verification
• A statement that you have a disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities
• A statement that you have a disability-related need for a dog trained to perform work or tasks

What a PSD letter doesn't need

A letter is meant to support a request, not to expose your medical history. Many clinicians describe the disability and the related need without listing a specific diagnosis, therapy notes or medications. If a housing provider asks for more detail than seems necessary, you can ask what information they actually need.

The letter is about you and your need. It isn't proof of your dog's training, and the clinician isn't certifying the dog. You remain responsible for your dog's training, behavior and control.

What a PSD letter can and can't do

Housing is where a letter is most useful. When a disability or the need for an animal isn't obvious, a housing provider may ask for reliable information supporting your accommodation request. HUD's May 2026 enforcement guidance treats requests for animals individually trained to perform disability-related tasks as presumptively reasonable, and it is openly critical of the industry that turns pets into emotional support animals, citing a dismissed case that relied on an online form letter.

In public places, no letter is needed. Under the ADA, staff can ask only two questions and can't require documentation, and ADA.gov states that online certificates and registrations don't convey any rights. For flights, airlines may require the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form; a letter can accompany it but doesn't replace it.

How to verify a clinician's license

Every state has licensing boards that let the public look up a professional's license status. For social workers, the Association of Social Work Boards links to each state board's online license lookup. For physicians, the Federation of State Medical Boards lists contact information and websites for every state medical and osteopathic board.

Search the clinician's name and license number on the issuing state's board site and confirm that the license is active and matches the type on the letter. Housing providers can do the same, which is one reason a legitimate letter always shows the license number and state.

PSD letter checklist

Before you send a letter to a housing provider, take two minutes to review it the way the provider will.

• The clinician's name, license type, license number and issuing state are all present and legible
• The license shows as active on the issuing state board's website
• The letter is signed and dated
• It describes your disability-related need for a trained dog, not just a wish for a pet
• It doesn't claim to register, certify or grant public access to your dog
• You know how a provider can contact the clinician's office to confirm it

No official PSD registry

There is no federal or government-run registry, certificate, ID card or vest for psychiatric service dogs. Mandatory registration of service animals isn't permitted under the ADA. A letter that comes with a “registration number” or ID card isn't more legitimate; those extras simply have no legal effect.