Important truth first: There is no official government registration required for Emotional Support Animals in the US. The only thing that truly matters—and what provides real legal protections (like no-pet housing policies under the Fair Housing Act)—is a valid ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional.
Once you've secured that essential letter (prescribing your animal as part of your treatment for a qualifying condition), you can take an optional extra step for added convenience: Add your ESA to a private national registry. This quick process—just a few questions on a trusted site like USServicePets.com—gives you helpful tools like ID cards, certificates, and easy verification to smooth everyday interactions.