Emotional support animal law, state by state
HUD rescinded its 2020 assistance animal guidance in May 2026 and narrowed federal enforcement to individually trained animals. State law is now the operative protection, and it is not the same in any two places. This is what each state actually does.
The five states with a relationship rule
These states require a client-provider relationship to exist before the documentation issues, so no lawful letter can be produced the same day you ask for one. If you live in one of them, this is the only fact that matters until you have dealt with it.
- Arkansas requires 30 days (A.C.A. § 20-14-1003).
- California requires 30 days (Cal. Health & Safety Code § 122319, added by AB 468 (2021)).
- Iowa requires 30 days (Iowa Code § 216.8B, as amended by SF 2268 (2024)).
- Louisiana requires 30 days (La. R.S. § 46:1974, enacted by Act 558 of 2024).
- Montana requires 30 days (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-114, enacted by HB 703 (2023)).
Every state
7 states have legislated on emotional support animals directly. The rest run on their fair housing statute and on how a court reads the reasonable accommodation duty.
| State | Own ESA statute | Relationship rule | Reviewing now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No | None | |
| Alaska | No | None | |
| Arizona | No | None | |
| Arkansas | Yes | 30 days | |
| California | Yes | 30 days | |
| Colorado | No | None | |
| Connecticut | No | None | |
| Delaware | No | None | |
| District of Columbia | No | None | |
| Florida | Yes | None | |
| Georgia | No | None | |
| Hawaii | No | None | |
| Idaho | No | None | |
| Illinois | No | None | |
| Indiana | No | None | |
| Iowa | Yes | 30 days | |
| Kansas | No | None | |
| Kentucky | No | None | |
| Louisiana | Yes | 30 days | |
| Maine | No | None | |
| Maryland | No | None | |
| Massachusetts | No | None | |
| Michigan | No | None | |
| Minnesota | No | None | |
| Mississippi | No | None | |
| Missouri | No | None | |
| Montana | Yes | 30 days | |
| Nebraska | No | None | |
| Nevada | No | None | |
| New Hampshire | No | None | |
| New Jersey | No | None | |
| New Mexico | No | None | |
| New York | No | None | |
| North Carolina | No | None | |
| North Dakota | No | None | |
| Ohio | No | None | |
| Oklahoma | No | None | |
| Oregon | No | None | |
| Pennsylvania | No | None | |
| Rhode Island | No | None | |
| South Carolina | No | None | |
| South Dakota | No | None | |
| Tennessee | No | None | |
| Texas | No | None | |
| Utah | No | None | |
| Vermont | No | None | |
| Virginia | Yes | None | |
| Washington | No | None | |
| West Virginia | No | None | |
| Wisconsin | No | None | |
| Wyoming | No | None |
Every state page carries its own sources and the date it was last reviewed. This is a plain description of what the law says, not legal advice.