Moving with an ESA: new landlords, new states, new letters

Does your ESA approval move with you?

No. An accommodation is an agreement with one housing provider for one home. When you move, the new landlord evaluates your request on its own, even if your previous landlord approved the same animal for years.

That matters more after HUD's May 22, 2026 memo, which no longer treats untrained ESA requests as presumptively reasonable for federal enforcement. Disability rights analysts at DREDF note that approvals already in place generally stand, while people who move or make a new request face the bigger change. Our guide to HUD's 2026 guidance explains the shift, so plan your documentation before you start applying.

Can you reuse your letter with a new landlord in the same state?

Often, yes. If the letter is recent, names the correct animal and comes from a clinician who is still licensed in your state, it is generally reasonable to submit it. Some landlords prefer a letter dated within the last year, and Iowa's statute sets a 12 month validity window for written findings, or the lease term if longer.

Check three things before you send it: the date, the animals listed and the clinician's license status on the state board's website. If anything changed, such as a new animal, ask for an updated letter. Our guide to ESA letter expiration explains renewal options.

What changes when you move to a new state?

Licenses are issued by states. A clinician generally needs to be licensed in the state where you are located to evaluate you and document a need, so a letter from your old state's therapist may not satisfy a landlord, or the law, in your new one. California's Board of Behavioral Sciences, for example, says practitioners must be licensed in the jurisdiction where the client is located.

A few states make room for people who move. Kentucky's KRS 383.085 and Indiana's Code chapter 22-9-7 accept documentation from a provider licensed in your former state if you have an ongoing treatment relationship, and Minnesota's 504B.113 accepts out of state professionals with an existing treatment relationship. Florida accepts out of state practitioner information on disability only if that practitioner provided in person care at least once.

Moving to California with a dog

California is a common example. Health and Safety Code 122318, added by AB 468 and effective January 1, 2022, says a practitioner may provide documentation for an emotional support dog only after a client provider relationship of at least 30 days and a clinical evaluation, and must be licensed in the jurisdiction where the client is located. A letter from a therapist licensed only in Texas, for instance, would not meet that standard.

Because the clinician must be licensed where you are located, the relationship generally begins once you are in California, and documentation follows after at least 30 days. Build that into your housing search. California's Civil Rights Department has also said state law continues to protect untrained ESAs after HUD's change. See our California ESA letter page for specifics.

A moving checklist for ESA owners

A little planning prevents a gap between your old approval and your new one. Keep your previous landlord's written approval, too; it does not bind the new landlord, but it shows a stable history with the animal.

• Look up your new state's rules before you sign anything
• Confirm whether your current clinician is licensed in your new state
• Ask prospective landlords about their accommodation process early
• Update vaccinations and get the local license your new city requires
• Bring copies of your current letter and any prior approval
• Budget time for a new evaluation if your new state has a relationship period

Flying or driving to your new home

Under the Department of Transportation's rule effective January 11, 2021, emotional support animals are not service animals for air travel, and airlines generally treat them as pets with their own carrier rules and fees. A trained psychiatric service dog travels under the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form instead. Our guide to flying with an ESA covers your options.

If you drive, check pet policies at hotels along the way. ESAs do not have public access rights under the ADA, so a hotel's pet rules apply.

Get documentation for your new home

If your move calls for a new letter, start the free assessment once you are in your new state. A clinician licensed there will review it; most clients hear back within one business day, and states with relationship periods take longer than the usual 24 to 72 hours after evaluation.