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Emotional Support Animal Maryland Laws & Recognition 2024
Updated on
- Written by Esther Seun, BSN
Medically reviewed by
Dr. Maya Frankfurt, PhD
Individuals with mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, phobias, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) benefit from having emotional support animals (ESAs). Emotional support animals are animals who help their owners live better lives by providing comfort and emotional support in various situations and environments.
You must have documentation in the form of an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional to be recognized as an individual that needs an ESA. Only then can you and your ESA enjoy the rights and protections made available under federal and state laws. These include housing and travel benefits, although they are not as extensive as they are for service animals.
Are you considering getting or do you already have an emotional support animal? Maryland protects the rights of ESAs and their owners. Read on to understand which laws apply to you and your support animal in Maryland.
Emotional Support Animal Maryland: The Laws
In Maryland, ESAs and their owners enjoy protection under the Fair Housing Act.[1] The act requires landlords to provide a “reasonable accommodation” to anyone with an ESA and the proper documentation. Owners, thus, have the legal right to live with their support animals, including in buildings with a no pets policy, and should not be made to pay pet fees or deposits.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation,[2] ESAs are not covered by the Air Carrier Access Act and cannot accompany their owners on flights without documentation and additional fees. Access to such benefits depends solely on the airline’s policy.
3 Maryland Emotional Support Animal Laws
Employment Laws
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),[3] service dogs can access public places, including workplaces. Unfortunately, this does not apply to ESAs, and they do not have the legal right to be allowed access to workplaces. Some employers may, however, permit you to bring ESA to work if requested and with proper documentation.
The ADA also prohibits discrimination against citizens with mental disabilities. Sometimes, not allowing an ESA in the workplace can be counted as discrimination. If argued successfully, your ESA may accompany you to work.
Housing Laws
Maryland laws do not differ from the federal law on housing emotional support animals. According to the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA), landlords and housing providers must allow emotional support animals. The FHA protects people with disabilities from housing discrimination and states that landlords must provide a “reasonable accommodation” to anyone with an ESA and the proper documentation.
Landlords can request documentation that establishes you have a mental disability and require the services of an ESA as part of your therapy. However, they cannot refuse rental properties (including residential buildings with “no-pet” or “no-animal” policies) to people who live with an ESA. They also cannot increase the rent or require pet fees and deposits from owners of ESAs.
Travel Laws
Maryland state law does not make an exception to the federal law on air travel for ESAs. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),[4] the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) no longer classifies emotional support animals as service dogs as of January 2021. Hence, ESAs no longer have air travel access and do not have to be accepted on a plane. Permission to travel with their owners is at the airline’s discretion.
If your animal is allowed on the plane, you will be asked to submit documentation, including an ESA letter, veterinary health forms, and a guarantee that your companion animal will behave well at least 48 hours before the flight.
Emotional Support Animals In Maryland: What Are They?
Emotional support animals (ESAs) provide daily comfort and emotional support to people with mental or emotional disabilities. They are, however, not formally trained to perform any special tasks for their owners. Hence, they do not fit into the Maryland laws’ definition of service animals. According to Maryland’s service animal law, service animals are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities, including guide dogs and signal dogs.
In Maryland, to be considered an emotional support animal, the owner needs a letter from a licensed mental health professional (LMHP). Although popular, dogs are not the only animals qualified to be ESAs. You may decide to make a cat, bird, pig, rabbit, fish, hamster, or miniature horse your ESA if they do not pose any danger and can help relieve symptoms of your mental disability.
Emotional Support Animal Registration Maryland
The first step to getting an emotional support animal in Maryland is to meet with a licensed mental health professional who can practice in the state. During your consultation, your psychologist or therapist will assess you for mental health symptoms and determine whether you have a mental illness. If they make a diagnosis, you may qualify for a support animal.
It is up to the licensed mental health professional to determine if you will benefit from having an ESA. If you do, they can write an ESA letter to that effect. Getting an ESA letter shouldn’t take forever. Your mental health professional can write one within minutes.
Wondering how to get an ESA letter in Maryland? There are third-party companies like Certapet you can contact to consult with a licensed mental health professional and obtain an ESA letter seamlessly. Check out our best legitimate ESA letter registration picks.
Where To Adopt An ESA In Maryland?
Once you qualify for an ESA, you can start to look for one. Usually, those with pets already tend to make them their support animals. Shelters and pet rescue institutions are the best spots to find and adopt a furry friend. Some popular places in Maryland to adopt an emotional support animal include:
- Prince George’s County Animal Adoption Center.
- Small Miracles Dog Rescue.
- Maryland SPCA.
- Saving Grace Animal Rescue.
- Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter.
Places In Maryland Where You Can Bring Your ESA
Friendly Bars And Restaurants For Dogs
Dogs can be great outdoor buddies, even when you’re hoping to grab a meal. A few bars and restaurants in Maryland where you can enjoy a drink or meal with your dogs around include:
- Bayside Skillet.
- Macky’s Bayside Bar & Grill.
- Cinghiale.
- Buddy Lou’s.
- Longboard Cafe.
Great Dog Runs And Dog Parks
Dogs are mostly companion animals. While they help you overcome your disability, it is important that you meet their needs as well. Dogs love to play and make new friends. Some great dog parks in Maryland you can visit and enjoy with your dog include:
- Quiet Waters Park.
- Assateague State Park.
- Broadneck Dog Park.
- Patterson Dog Park.
- Locust Point Dog Park at Latrobe Park.
Conclusion
There are federal and state laws that cover emotional support animals. Maryland state laws are similar to the federal laws providing full housing benefits. However, there are restrictions for ESA’s regarding air travel and employment rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to Maryland state laws, an ESA letter must be written by a healthcare professional licensed to work in Maryland.
No, they don’t. Only service animals have legal rights[5] under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Maryland law to accompany their owners to public places such as public transportation, stores, and hotels, amongst others.
There is no stated limit to the number of ESAs you can get. You can get as many emotional support animals as you want if your LMHP agrees that your treatment requires multiple assistance animals and states each of them in your ESA letter.
Yes, you can. However, an ESA letter must be issued by a licensed mental health professional to that effect before your pet can be recognized as an emotional support animal.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),[6] emotional support animals are no longer considered service dogs. This means they no longer have the right to be accepted on a plane. Permission to travel with their owners is at the airline’s discretion.
No, it’s not. A psychiatric service dog (PSD) is a type of service dog that performs specific tasks to help a person with a mental disability. Service dogs are not ESAs.
Campus housing counts as a reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities under the Fair Housing Act. So, you can live in dorms and on-campus housing with your ESA.
No. Emotional support animals can be of any breed. They could be cats, fish, pigs, hamsters, birds, rabbits, or miniature horses.
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- HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). (2021). Assistance Animals. [online] Available at: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/assistance_animals.
- Transportation.gov. (2021). Service Animals | US Department of Transportation. [online] Available at: https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animals.
- ADA.gov. (2023). ADA Requirements: Service Animals. [online] Available at: https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/.
- Transportation.gov. (2021). Service Animals | US Department of Transportation. [online] Available at: https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animals.
- ADA.gov. (2023). Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA. [online] Available at: https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-faqs/.
- Transportation.gov. (2021). Service Animals | US Department of Transportation. [online] Available at: https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animals.
Written by:
Esther Seun, BSN
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
