2026 state ranking
Ten states protect renters with an emotional support animal best
We scored all 50 states on three things their law decides for a renter with an emotional support animal: whether a landlord may charge pet fees for it, whether the state has its own law to turn to, and how long the letter takes. Louisiana and Montana come last.
10
states rule out pet fees for an ESA in their own law and set no letter wait.
10.2 million
renter households live in those 10 states.
2
states, Louisiana and Montana, bar a letter for any animal until 30 days.
1
state, Mississippi, has no housing law of its own for an ESA request.
Here is how every state scores for renters with an emotional support animal.
Darker blue is more protective, coral is harder. Tap a state for its full guide.
Ten states rule out pet fees for an ESA in their own law and set no wait for the letter.
They tie for first with 3 points each, listed here by the share of households that rent. California, Oregon and Tennessee follow with 2.
New Jersey ranks tied 1st. No pet fee or extra deposit, as the state reads its law (Division on Civil Rights). 36.1% of its households rent, about 1.3 million.
Virginia ranks tied 1st. No pet fee, deposit or extra rent (Va. Code § 36-96.3:1(A)). 32.9% of its households rent, about 1.1 million.
Illinois ranks tied 1st. No pet rent, deposit or fee (310 ILCS 120/10). 32.4% of its households rent, about 1.7 million.
Florida ranks tied 1st. No extra charge once approved (Fla. Stat. § 760.27). 32.0% of its households rent, about 2.9 million.
Wisconsin ranks tied 1st. No extra charge to keep the animal (Wis. Stat. § 106.50(2r)(br)). 32.0% of its households rent, about 812,000.
Kentucky ranks tied 1st. No pet fee, deposit or extra rent (KRS 383.085(4)). 31.9% of its households rent, about 595,000.
Indiana ranks tied 1st. No fee to keep the animal (Ind. Code § 22-9-7-13). 29.3% of its households rent, about 813,000.
Minnesota ranks tied 1st. No added fee, charge or deposit (Minn. Stat. § 504B.113, subd. 3). 28.4% of its households rent, about 671,000.
Maine ranks tied 1st. No fee or security deposit (5 M.R.S. § 4582-A(3)). 26.7% of its households rent, about 164,000.
West Virginia ranks tied 1st. No fee or deposit (W. Va. Code § 5-11A-5). 24.5% of its households rent, about 181,000.
Louisiana and Montana are the hardest states to keep an emotional support animal as a renter.
The bottom five, hardest first. A 30-day wait is the rule that costs the most points.
Louisiana ranks tied 49th. No letter until a 30-day relationship with the clinician, for any animal (La. R.S. 46:1974). 31.9% of its households rent, about 590,000.
Montana ranks tied 49th. No letter until a 30-day relationship with the clinician, for any animal (Mont. Code § 70-24-114). 31.4% of its households rent, about 147,000.
Arkansas ranks tied 46th. No letter for a dog until a 30-day relationship with the clinician (Ark. Code § 20-14-1003). 32.9% of its households rent, about 410,000.
Iowa ranks tied 46th. No wait, but the letter must certify whether the relationship has lasted 30 days and seven more points (Iowa Code § 216.8C). 28.7% of its households rent, about 385,000.
Mississippi ranks tied 46th. No fair-housing or ESA law of its own, so renters rely on the federal Fair Housing Act alone. 29.5% of its households rent, about 347,000.
All fifty states, ranked, fit in one table.
Sort by rank, by name or by the share of households that rent. Every state links to its full guide.
| Rank and state | Points | Pet fees | State law | Letter rule | False-claim penalty | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Jerseytied | 3 | No pet fee or extra deposit, as the state reads its law | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 36.1%1.3 million households |
| 1Virginiatied | 3 | No pet fee, deposit or extra rent | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 32.9%1.1 million households |
| 1Illinoistied | 3 | No pet rent, deposit or fee | Own ESA law | None | None listed | 32.4%1.7 million households |
| 1Floridatied | 3 | No extra charge once approved | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 32.0%2.9 million households |
| 1Wisconsintied | 3 | No extra charge to keep the animal | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 32.0%812,000 households |
| 1Kentuckytied | 3 | No pet fee, deposit or extra rent | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 31.9%595,000 households |
| 1Indianatied | 3 | No fee to keep the animal | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 29.3%813,000 households |
| 1Minnesotatied | 3 | No added fee, charge or deposit | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 28.4%671,000 households |
| 1Mainetied | 3 | No fee or security deposit | Own ESA law | None | None listed | 26.7%164,000 households |
| 1West Virginiatied | 3 | No fee or deposit | Own ESA law | None | None listed | 24.5%181,000 households |
| 11Californiatied | 2 | Barred by state housing rules | Own ESA law | 30-day wait for dogs | None listed | 44.2%6.1 million households |
| 11Oregontied | 2 | No pet security deposit | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 36.9%643,000 households |
| 11Tennesseetied | 2 | You may ask for an exception to pet fees | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 33.2%972,000 households |
| 14New Yorktied | 1 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | None | None listed | 45.7%3.6 million households |
| 14Nevadatied | 1 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | None | Service animals only | 39.9%494,000 households |
| 14North Dakotatied | 1 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 38.8%136,000 households |
| 14Hawaiitied | 1 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | None | None listed | 38.4%189,000 households |
| 14Texastied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 37.7%4.3 million households |
| 14Massachusettstied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 37.6%1.1 million households |
| 14Washingtontied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | Service animals only | 37.1%1.2 million households |
| 14Rhode Islandtied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 36.5%164,000 households |
| 14Oklahomatied | 1 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 34.3%551,000 households |
| 14Coloradotied | 1 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 34.1%845,000 households |
| 14Georgiatied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 33.7%1.4 million households |
| 14Alaskatied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 33.5%92,000 households |
| 14Connecticuttied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 33.3%485,000 households |
| 14Nebraskatied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 33.3%275,000 households |
| 14North Carolinatied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 33.2%1.5 million households |
| 14Arizonatied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | Service animals only | 32.2%962,000 households |
| 14Marylandtied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 32.2%773,000 households |
| 14Ohiotied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 32.0%1.6 million households |
| 14Kansastied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 31.9%384,000 households |
| 14South Dakotatied | 1 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 31.7%121,000 households |
| 14Missouritied | 1 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 31.4%806,000 households |
| 14Pennsylvaniatied | 1 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 30.7%1.6 million households |
| 14Utahtied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | Yes | 30.4%360,000 households |
| 14Alabamatied | 1 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | None | Yes | 29.0%598,000 households |
| 14New Mexicotied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 28.9%248,000 households |
| 14Idahotied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 28.3%213,000 households |
| 14Wyomingtied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 28.3%73,000 households |
| 14South Carolinatied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | Service animals only | 27.7%616,000 households |
| 14New Hampshiretied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 27.4%157,000 households |
| 14Vermonttied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 26.8%76,000 households |
| 14Michigantied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | Service animals only | 26.5%1.1 million households |
| 14Delawaretied | 1 | Federal standard | State fair-housing law | None | None listed | 26.2%108,000 households |
| 46Arkansastied | 0 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | 30-day wait for dogs | Service animals only | 32.9%410,000 households |
| 46Mississippitied | 0 | Federal standard | Federal law only | None | None listed | 29.5%347,000 households |
| 46Iowatied | 0 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | Extra points on the letter | Service animals only | 28.7%385,000 households |
| 49Louisianatied | -1 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | 30-day wait, any animal | Yes | 31.9%590,000 households |
| 49Montanatied | -1 | Federal standard | Own ESA law | 30-day wait, any animal | None listed | 31.4%147,000 households |
We scored each state with three counts anyone can redo.
- Pet fees, 0 to 2 points: 2 where the state's own law or rules bar a pet fee or deposit for an ESA, 1 where they limit one, 0 where only the federal standard applies.
- A state law, 0 or 1 point: 1 where the state has its own ESA law or a fair-housing law that covers the request. Since HUD's May 2026 memo, the state agency is where a renter turns.
- The letter, 0 to minus 2: minus 2 where no letter can issue before a 30-day relationship for any animal, minus 1 where that wait covers dogs only or the letter must certify extra points.
- Penalties for faking an ESA are in the table but not scored, because they aim at fake claims, not honest renters. States with equal points share a rank.
- The law comes from our 50-state ESA law table, where every row cites its statute. Renter households come from the US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table B25003.
Cite this ranking: ESA Card, “Best and Hardest States for Renters With an Emotional Support Animal,” www.esacard.com/esa-friendly-states, updated October 20, 2026.
Every state still needs the same thing from you: a letter from a licensed clinician.
Ask the clinician who already treats you first. In New Jersey and New York, ESA Card's live video evaluation with a licensed therapist is $120; elsewhere, telehealth services typically charge $139–$199.
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