Dr. Benjamin H. Krasne, M.D.
Board-certified physicianBoard-certified in anesthesiology, he reads medications and metabolism with a pharmacologist's eye, which shapes how he doses weight loss and longevity care.
Documentation for your trained service dog
PSD letter online from a licensed clinician
If your dog is trained to do specific tasks for a psychiatric condition, a licensed clinician can evaluate you by phone or video and write the letter you need for housing and air travel planning.
- 5–10 minute phone or video evaluation
- $149 for up to 2 dogs
- Pay nothing if not approved
Start with your state
Pick your state to see local rules, pricing and booking.
Select a state to start
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Ready now? Start my free evaluation. Free to book. You pay only if your letter is approved.
$149starting price, one-time
Licensed U.S. clinician review
Evaluation: Phone or video, 5–10 minutes
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5–10 minphone or video
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PSD letter cost
| Letter | Covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| PSD letter | One or two dogs | $149 |
| PSD letter | 3 dogs | $229 |
Booking is free and you're charged only if your letter is approved.
Why get a PSD letter through My IV Doctors
Evaluated by a clinician
A licensed clinician talks with you about your symptoms, how they limit daily life and the specific tasks your dog is trained to perform.
Verifiable details
Your letter includes the clinician's license type, number and issuing state, so a landlord can confirm it comes from a real provider.
Built for housing and flights
The letter addresses your disability-related need for a trained dog and comes with a plain explanation of how it applies to housing and air travel.
No approval, no charge
If the clinician doesn't find that a letter is appropriate, none is issued and you pay nothing for the evaluation.
Getting a PSD letter online, step by step
- 1
Book a free evaluation
Pick a phone or video slot and share a few details about your mental health and your dog. No insurance or upfront payment is needed.
- 2
Talk with a licensed clinician
In 5–10 minutes, the clinician asks about your condition, how it affects you and which tasks your dog is trained to do.
- 3
Get your PSD letter if approved
If the clinician finds a letter appropriate, you pay and your signed letter is issued. If not, you aren't charged.
- 4
Use your letter for housing and travel
Send the letter with your housing accommodation request. Before a flight, check whether your airline requires the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form.
Who a PSD letter is for
A psychiatric disability
Examples include PTSD, panic disorder, major depression, severe anxiety, OCD and bipolar disorder, when the condition substantially limits things like sleep, work or leaving the house.
A dog trained to perform tasks
Your dog has been trained, by you or a professional trainer, to do specific things that help with your symptoms. There's no required training program or credential.
Renters and people moving
If you're applying for an apartment, condo or other housing with pet restrictions, the letter supports your accommodation request.
More than one service dog
A single letter can cover up to 2 dogs for $149, or 3 dogs for $229, when each dog meets the criteria.
Not for untrained comfort animals
If your dog helps by being there rather than by doing trained tasks, an emotional support animal letter is the accurate document, and it starts at $129.
How a PSD letter differs from an ESA letter
| Feature | PSD letter | ESA letter |
|---|---|---|
| Animal | Dogs only | Most common pets |
| Training required | Yes, individually task-trained | No |
| Housing (Fair Housing Act) | Covered | Covered |
| Public places (ADA) | Covered; no paperwork required | Not covered |
| Airline cabins | Covered, with DOT forms | Not covered |
What is a psychiatric service dog letter?
A psychiatric service dog (PSD) is a dog that has been individually trained to perform work or tasks for a person with a psychiatric disability. The tasks are the defining feature. A dog that calms you just by being nearby is an emotional support animal; a dog that interrupts a panic attack with deep pressure, wakes you from nightmares or reminds you to take medication is doing trained work tied to your condition.
The ADA doesn't require any paperwork for a service dog to go with you into stores, restaurants or other public places. Documentation becomes useful elsewhere. When you ask a landlord for a reasonable accommodation under the Fair Housing Act, a letter from a clinician who evaluated you is the reliable information housing providers are allowed to request. For air travel, the letter can sit alongside the U.S. Department of Transportation form airlines may ask you to complete.
At My IV Doctors, a licensed clinician talks with you about your symptoms, how they limit daily life and the tasks your dog performs. Letters are signed by Andrew Patel, MD or Gabriel Warner, LCSW. If the clinician doesn't find that a letter is appropriate, none is issued, and you pay nothing.
Psychiatric service dog tasks: examples
Tasks should connect directly to your symptoms. During the evaluation, it helps to describe what your dog actually does and when. A few common examples:
- Applying deep pressure to ease a panic or anxiety episode
- Interrupting self-harm, skin picking or other repetitive behaviors
- Waking you during nightmares or night terrors
- Bringing medication or a phone during an episode
- Grounding you during dissociation by nudging or pawing
- Creating space or leading you out of a crowded, triggering setting
Psychiatric service dog laws: ADA, housing and air travel
Three federal frameworks matter, and each treats documentation differently. In public places, the ADA allows staff to ask only two things when it isn't obvious: whether the dog is required because of a disability, and what task it has been trained to perform. They can't ask for medical records, an ID card or a demonstration, and the Department of Justice doesn't recognize online certificates as proof.
In housing, the Fair Housing Act lets a provider ask for reliable information about a disability-related need when the disability isn't apparent, which is where a clinician's letter does its job. For flights, the Department of Transportation lets airlines require a form in which you attest to your dog's health, behavior and training, and a separate form for flights of 8 hours or more. Airlines don't have to accept emotional support animals as service animals, but trained psychiatric service dogs are covered.
How a PSD letter differs from an ESA letter
The deciding question is training. A psychiatric service dog must be a dog and must be individually trained to perform tasks; in return, it's covered in housing, public places and airline cabins. An emotional support animal can be almost any household pet, needs no training and is protected mainly in housing. Choosing the letter that matches your animal protects you if a landlord or airline looks closely, and it protects the credibility of other handlers.
PSD letter limits and responsibilities
A PSD letter documents a clinician's assessment of your need for a trained service dog. It does not train your dog, and it doesn't replace the rules that apply to service dogs in public.
- There is no federal service dog registry, ID card or official vest; those products have no legal effect
- Your dog must be trained to perform tasks; the letter can't stand in for training
- A service dog that is out of control or not housebroken can be asked to leave a public place
- You're responsible for your dog's behavior and any damage it causes in a rental
- Approval depends on the clinician's evaluation and isn't automatic
- If you're in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 or go to the nearest emergency room
Physicians who oversee your care
Independently licensed U.S. physicians supervise every treatment we offer.
Dr. Johnathan Chance Miller, M.D.
PhysicianTrained at Columbia and Washington University, he pairs prescriptions with practical habits around food, training and sleep.
Dr. Vanessa Niles, R.N., M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
OB-GYN, board certifiedAn OB-GYN for more than 40 years and a Fellow of ACOG, she leads women's health care, from perimenopause to PCOS.
PSD letters by state
Each state page covers its service animal law alongside the ADA. Tap your state to start.
All states A–Z
- AL Alabama
- AK Alaska
- AZ Arizona
- AR Arkansas
- CA California
- CO Colorado
- CT Connecticut
- DE Delaware
- FL Florida
- GA Georgia
- HI Hawaii
- ID Idaho
- IL Illinois
- IN Indiana
- IA Iowa
- KS Kansas
- KY Kentucky
- LA Louisiana
- ME Maine
- MD Maryland
- MA Massachusetts
- MI Michigan
- MN Minnesota
- MS Mississippi
- MO Missouri
- MT Montana
- NE Nebraska
- NV Nevada
- NH New Hampshire
- NJ New Jersey
- NM New Mexico
- NY New York
- NC North Carolina
- ND North Dakota
- OH Ohio
- OK Oklahoma
- OR Oregon
- PA Pennsylvania
- RI Rhode Island
- SC South Carolina
- SD South Dakota
- TN Tennessee
- TX Texas
- UT Utah
- VT Vermont
- VA Virginia
- WA Washington
- WV West Virginia
- WI Wisconsin
- WY Wyoming
PSD letter FAQs
Still deciding? The first consultation is free and takes about 5–10 minutes.
Start my free evaluationHow much does a psychiatric service dog letter cost?
It's $149 for up to 2 dogs and $229 for 3 dogs. Booking the evaluation is free, and you're charged only if the clinician approves your letter.
Do I need a letter to take my service dog into stores?
No. The ADA does not let businesses demand paperwork for a service dog. Staff may only ask whether the dog is needed because of a disability and what task it's trained to do.
What qualifies a dog as a psychiatric service dog?
The dog must be individually trained to perform work or tasks directly related to your psychiatric disability. Breed and size don't matter, and there's no required training school, but comfort alone doesn't count as a task.
Can I train my own psychiatric service dog?
Yes. Federal law doesn't require professional training, so handlers can train their own dogs. The dog must reliably perform its tasks and behave well in public before it's treated as a service dog under the ADA.
Can I fly with my psychiatric service dog?
Yes. DOT rules require airlines to accept trained service dogs, including psychiatric service dogs, in the cabin. Airlines may ask you to submit the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form, where you attest to your dog's health, behavior and training, and another form for flights of 8 hours or longer.
Do landlords have to accept a PSD letter?
Housing providers covered by the Fair Housing Act must consider reasonable accommodation requests backed by reliable documentation. A letter from a licensed clinician who evaluated you fits that description, though a provider can still deny a specific dog that poses a direct threat or would cause substantial damage.
Can a landlord charge pet fees for a psychiatric service dog?
Generally no. A service dog approved as a reasonable accommodation isn't treated as a pet, so pet rent and pet deposits shouldn't apply. You can still be charged for actual damage.
Do I need to register my psychiatric service dog?
No. The U.S. has no federal registry, and the Department of Justice says online certificates don't create any rights under the ADA. A clinician's letter is useful for housing; it isn't an entry pass or a license for your dog.
Who writes and signs my PSD letter?
Letters are signed by Andrew Patel, MD or Gabriel Warner, LCSW. Each letter includes the clinician's license type, number and issuing state.
What conditions qualify for a psychiatric service dog?
PTSD, panic disorder, generalized anxiety, major depression, OCD and bipolar disorder are common examples. What matters is that the condition substantially limits a major life activity and that your dog's tasks help with it.
Can I get a PSD letter for a dog in training?
Tell the clinician where your dog's training stands. The ADA only covers dogs that are already trained, and some state laws treat dogs in training differently, so your letter should reflect your situation accurately.
What happens if I don't qualify for a PSD letter?
You won't receive a letter, and you won't be charged. If your dog provides comfort but doesn't perform trained tasks, the clinician may suggest an ESA letter instead.
Does a PSD letter expire?
There's no federal expiration date, but many housing providers prefer documentation dated within the past year. A short re-evaluation before a new lease keeps your letter current.
Get your PSD letter with a short evaluation
Schedule a phone or video evaluation of about 5–10 minutes with a licensed clinician. Letters are $149 for up to two dogs or $229 for three, and you pay only if approved.
Related services
References
- ADA.gov: Frequently asked questions about service animals and the ADA
- U.S. Department of Transportation: Service animals
- HUD: Assessing a person's request to have an animal as a reasonable accommodation (FHEO-2020-01)
- ADA.gov: ADA requirements for service animals
Medically reviewed October 2026. This page is general information and not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. Read our editorial policy.
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