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Emotional Support Animal NJ: Laws In New Jersey 2024
Updated on
- Written by Jessica Holbrook, RN
Medically reviewed by
Dr. Maya Frankfurt, PhD
Many people depend on assistance animals for emotional support. However, states have different laws regarding these animals. It is important to understand the laws regarding emotional support animals (ESAs) in New Jersey. Before you secure housing, try to fly on an airplane, or use public transportation, you need to know whether or not your dog will be permitted to stay with you and if you will be charged a fee for having your dog with you.
NJ Emotional Support Animal: New Jersey Laws
New Jersey Law does not protect emotional support animals in the same way that service animals are protected. While public spaces and housing areas are required to make reasonable accommodations for service animals, they are not required to do so for emotional support animals.
Getting a valid ESA letter should help you justify bringing your pet with you to public spaces, but New Jersey laws do not require that an ESA letter is honored.
Emotional Support Animal Laws In New Jersey
Housing Laws (Fair Housing Act)
If you depend on animal companions for your mental health, it is important to find housing that will allow your support animal to live with you. Some families may need to know how many emotional support animals they can have in their homes
Since they are not covered by ADA laws, you will have to find a pet-friendly living space for you and your emotional support animal. Landlords and owners of rental properties are not required to allow emotional support animals on their premises or make special accommodations.
Travel Laws (Air Carrier Access Act)
Air travel for people with physical disabilities or an emotional disorder can be especially difficult. Travel laws require that reasonable accommodations be made for people who use an assistance animal to help manage a physical disability or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation[1], airlines are required to allow specially trained service dogs to travel. However, it is up to the specific airline whether they will allow other breeds of animals or emotional support animals on their planes.
Public Transport Laws
If you use public transportation like a bus or subway, you might worry about whether or not you can bring your service dog with you. Public transportation services are required to make reasonable accommodations for specially trained service dogs.
If your support animal is another breed like a bird or cat, they may not be allowed to be outside their enclosure while using public transportation.
What Is Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?
An emotional support animal can help you manage problems such as depression and anxiety. They can provide comfort in difficult times and are a huge help to people with emotional disabilities. Unfortunately, federal law does not always protect people who need emotional support from animals.
According to the The American for Disabilities Act (ADA)[2], emotional support animals are not the same as service animals, and they are not protected by the same laws. An emotional support animal is not trained to perform a specific task and, therefore, is not guaranteed the same rights as a specially trained service dog.
ESA Letter: What Is It?
One of the most important things you need to understand is how to get an ESA letter. While an ESA letter does not give you the same rights as service dogs, a valid ESA letter may help you get your animal into public places or help you convince housing providers to accommodate your needs.
You can check out Certapet reviews to help you find the right place to apply for an emotional support animal.
How Can I Get An ESA Letter In New Jersey?
Because emotional assistance animals are so popular, it is important to know the best place to get a legitimate ESA letter. To get an ESA letter, you just have to speak with a licensed mental health professional.
If you suffer from any mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety, your licensed mental health professional can write you a kind of prescription for animal-assisted therapy in the form of a valid ESA letter.
Online services like Certapet can connect you to a person who can assist you in getting your ESA letter.
Where Can You Adopt An ESA In New Jersey?
An emotional support animal is not trained to perform tasks in the same way that a service dog usually is. Because of this, it is easy to find a support animal in New Jersey. People suffering from mental health problems might adopt animals from miniature horses to dogs or cats to provide comfort and help them manage their disability.
Animal Alliance New Jersey
The Animal Alliance in New Jersey[3] is a pet rescue that helps connect pets with people looking for an animal in New Jersey. They provide low-cost spay and neuter services as well as veterinary care and rehoming of abused pets.
North Star Pet Rescue
North Star Pet Rescue is a great place to find a support animal in New Jersey. This organization helps pets find both foster homes and permanent families. Adopting from a shelter like North Star Pet rescue can benefit both the animal and the person who adopts them.
Places In New Jersey To Bring Your ESA
If you want to keep your emotional support animal with you in New Jersey, you will have to find a place that is friendly to pets. Unless you have a trained service animal; bars, restaurants, and parks are not obligated to let you bring your animal inside.
While some establishments might honor a valid ESA letter, New Jersey Law does not require them to do so.
Restaurants And Bars That Allow ESAs In New Jersey
- Brickwall Tavern & Dining Room—Asbury Park, NJ.
- Dogtooth Bar & Grill – Wildwood, NJ.
- Jon & Patty’s Coffee Bar & Bistro – Ocean City, NJ.
- MudHen Brewing Company – Wildwood, NJ.
- Paragon Tap & Table – Clark, NJ.
- Bum Rogers Crabhouse – Seaside Park, NJ.
- Point Lobster Company – Point Pleasant Beach, NJ.
- Robin’s Nest – Mount Holly, NJ.
- Yianni’s Cafe – Ocean City, NJ.
- Lambertville Station – Lambertville NJ.
Parks For Dogs In New Jersey
While most parks in New Jersey do allow dogs and pets, some public places are more dog and pet friendly than others. For example, finding a park where dogs are permitted to walk off-leash may be a place that your ESA will enjoy.
- Wolf Hill Dog Park—Oceanport, NJ.
- Washington Lake Park – Sewell, NJ.
- Laurel Acres Park – Mount Laurel, NJ.
- Mercer County Park – West Windsor Township, NJ.
- Freedom Barks Dog Park – Medford, NJ.
- Timber Creek Park – Blackwood, NJ.
Conclusion
Because of laws such as the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act, rental properties, restaurants, bars, airplanes, and public transport areas are required to make reasonable accommodations for service animals, including for people who have a psychiatric service dog.
However, emotional service animals are not protected by the same federal laws as trained service animals. A valid ESA letter might be recognized by some housing areas or restaurants, but you should double-check with the owners before securing housing or visiting a public place with your support animal in New Jersey.
Frequently Asked Questions
An emotional support animal is not the same as a service animal. Emotional support animals can be any kind of dog, cat, or other animal that provides comfort to their owner. A service animal is usually a dog that receives special training to perform a task that helps someone manage a physical disability or PTSD.
A licensed mental health professional can write an ESA letter recommending an assistance animal for anyone with an emotional disability.
Any kind of animal can be an ESA. All different breeds of cats, dogs, and even miniature horses can provide people with comfort and provide emotional support.
Emotional assistance animals can help with mental illness. Many people keep a support animal in New Jersey to help them manage their depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
Emotional support animals do not need special training. They simply provide comfort to their owner. However, service animals do need special training.
Most airlines allow emotional support animals on airplanes for a pet fee. Trained service dogs are exempt from these fees.
+ 3 sources
Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here
- Transportation.gov. (2021). Service Animals | US Department of Transportation. [online] Available at: https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animals.
- Adata.org. (2023). Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals | ADA National Network. [online] Available at: https://adata.org/guide/service-animals-and-emotional-support-animals.
- Animal Alliance (2017). Animal Alliance. [online] Animal Alliance . Available at: https://www.animalalliancenj.org/.
Written by:
Jessica Holbrook, RN
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
