Dogs
Cats
Brand Reviews
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Copy Link
Are Emotional Support Animals Allowed in Arizona?
Yes, the emotional support animal Arizona laws recognize ESAs and protect them under the Fair Housing Act and, to some extent, the American Disability Act (ADA).
An emotional support animal is not limited to a dog. It can be any animal species, from a rabbit to a pig, given that they provide emotional care and a sense of well-being.
In 1990, these acts were implemented in all states of the USA to support the benefits of emotional support animals to individuals with disabilities.
Legitimate way to certify your emotional support animal
- Connects licensed medical practitioners to individuals seeking ESA letters
- ESA letters comply with state and federal regulations
What are the Emotional Support Animal Arizona Laws?
As opposed to the definitive protection of service animals or guide animals, emotional support animals Arizona laws are less strict. According to emotional support animal Arizona laws, ESAs are not service animals as they do not undergo any training.
Although there are mentions of ESAs in the Fair Housing Act, the transportation law, and access to public spaces, whether these laws protect emotional support animals completely or not depends on several factors.
What are Arizona ESA Housing Laws?
According to the Fair Housing Act of the state of Arizona, individuals with emotional support animals are treated equally to individuals with service animals.
For example, landlords cannot discriminate against prospective tenants with emotional support animals and cannot charge any fee for providing reasonable accommodation for the emotional support animal.
Landlords cannot demand that the emotional support animal be trained or have any certifications. Also, they cannot discriminate against the ESA based on its type, breed, weight, or size.
However, the landlord can ask for a legitimate ESA letter. They can ask for vaccination certificates of the emotional support animals to be provided by the prospective tenant.
What are Arizona ESA Employment Laws?
The American Disability Act (ADA) mandates that employers can discriminate against an employee based on their mental disability, physical or emotional disabilities, or conditions of illness.
However, the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn’t extend to the allowance of emotional support animals in the workplace. Whether your emotional support animal would be allowed with you in your workspace is a debatable topic. Mainly the answer to this varies for every case.
It may vary depending on your employer’s stance on it, the nature of your workplace, and the type of emotional support animal you have. It is best to provide a legitimate ESA letter to your employer to convince them.
What are Arizona ESA Travel Laws?
There are no specific emotional support animal Arizona State laws.
Until 2021, the Air Carrier Access Act had the provision of allowing emotional support animals in the plane without any added charges. This law was modified on December 02, 2020, and ESAs were not allowed on board as effective from 2021. Service dogs are an exception to this law.
In case you must air travel with your emotional support animal, you must opt for an airline that has a provision for an animal carrier and is lenient on allowing emotional support animals on board.
Also, you need to get an emotional support animal letter. An official statement details why this animal is required for your emotional support, how this animal qualifies as an emotional support animal, and why the animal must travel with you.
Next, contact the airline staff before booking your tickets to understand if a provision can be made to allow your emotional support animal on board. And finally, provide your legitimate ESA letter to the airline staff during your booking.
However, animal carriers in flights are not a very secure space, and occasional fatalities are known to occur. Thus, if you want your emotional support animal to travel with you on board, you can do so after paying an extra charge.
However, this is possible only if your ESA is small enough to fit the seat’s leg space, is vaccinated, and can relieve itself in a sanitary manner (applicable for long flights).
What are Arizona ESA Public Transportation Laws?
Unfortunately, there are no emotional support animal Arizona laws protecting ESAs in public transportation.
Let it be parks, retail stores, or spaces of private ownership. If the location doesn’t allow pets, your emotional support animal will also be barred from there.
This is one such scenario where the emotional support animals are considered the same as pets.
However, psychiatric service animals are allowed in specific public spaces (as they are trained).
Owing to this, many emotional support animal owners have tried to pose their emotional support animal (in cases when it’s a dog) as a service dog. The fine for such a dishonest act is $500.
Thus, taking your emotional support dog to places where pets are restricted is not recommended.
How Do You Get an Emotional Support Animal in Arizona?
Wondering how to get an emotional support animal in Arizona? Well, you will need an emotional support animal letter.
To get the ESA letter, you need to be diagnosed with a mental health condition such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety.
In addition, certain physical conditions are also eligible. Examples are cancer, diabetes, traumatic brain injury, cancer, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis.
Your licensed therapist will refer you to a licensed mental health professional (LMHP) to get the diagnosis. Then, the LMPH will write you an ESA letter.
To simplify the process, you can use a telehealth provider to connect to LMPH. Such an online provider is CertaPet. There are three steps to getting your ESA letter from CertaPet.
First, make yourself available for a quick screening. This would require five minutes where you need to fill in your details and answer questions about your mental health. The screening is confidential and safe.
Next, you will be in touch with a licensed mental health professional (LMPH). Finally, based on the assessment of the LMHP, you will be granted an ESA letter if they see fit.
You can use this legitimate letterhead from CertaPet to find yourself an emotional support animal or validate your current pet as an emotional support animal.
Do I Have to Tell My Landlord I Have an Emotional Support Animal in Arizona?
Yes, based on emotional support animal Arizona laws, you must inform the landlord if you have an ESA.
This is because laws applicable to emotional support animals differ greatly from those applicable to pets. For example, your landlord cannot demand you keep an ESA on a leash, but they can demand your pet to be kept on a leash.
Your landlord will surely require your ESA letter to verify the legitimacy of your claim. Thus it is best to share a copy of your emotional support animal letter with your landlord as soon as you get it.
Can a Landlord Deny an Emotional Support Animal in Arizona?
According to the Fair Housing Act, no landlord can discriminate against a tenant or prospective tenant if they have therapy animals.
However, a landlord can deny accommodating an emotional support animal if the animal is wild and not domesticated; poses a direct threat to other residents and staff; puts the safety of others at stake, or the animal is extremely large in stature.
If the emotional assistance animal fits one of these descriptions, you will not be able to contest the landlord.
Can You Have Multiple Emotional Support Animals in Arizona?
Yes, you can have multiple emotional support animals in Arizona. There are no emotional support animal Arizona laws limiting the number of ESAs per owner.
However, you need to be eligible for multiple ESAs. If you need more than one emotional support animal, you would need to modify your ESA letter from an LMHP.
You can undergo the same steps at CertaPet and request a modified letter from your LMHP if they validate your requirement.
