An ESA letter in Wisconsin is an official document, which qualifies an animal as an emotional support animal part of a person’s therapeutic treatment plan.
Emotional support animals in Wisconsin enjoy benefits that do not apply to regular pets. ESAs are protected under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), meaning landlords must provide reasonable accommodation to ESAs. Wisconsin ESA laws do not protect emotional support animals in air travel, public places, and work environments, but many airlines, properties, and employers make exceptions if the animal has a valid ESA letter Wisconsin. ESAs do not need special training. Registration and certification are not required for an emotional support animal Wisconsin. The ESA letter is the only necessary document.
What are the Specific Emotional Support Animal Laws in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin emotional support animal laws provide strong housing protections under both federal Fair Housing Act and Wisconsin’s specific state statute (Wis. Stat. § 106.50(2r), enacted through 2017 Wisconsin Act 317). ESAs have no rights in public places, on flights, or in most workplaces. Wisconsin currently has NO law against misrepresenting service animals in public places, BUT Wisconsin DOES have a housing-specific fraud provision: individuals who misrepresent a disability to obtain housing forfeit not less than $500 under Wis. Stat. § 106.50.
ESA Housing Laws in Wisconsin
Wisconsin residents with emotional support animals are protected under the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA). This law requires landlords to provide reasonable accommodations for ESAs, even in properties with strict “no pets” policies.
Wisconsin State Law: Wisconsin Statutes § 106.50(2r) (2017 Wisconsin Act 317)
Wisconsin has specific state-level ESA protections that go beyond many other states. Under 2017 Wisconsin Act 317, which created Wis. Stat. § 106.50(2r), Wisconsin law explicitly defines emotional support animals and provides detailed housing protections.
Wis. Stat. § 106.50(1m)(im) defines “emotional support animal” as: “An animal that provides emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship for an individual but that is not trained to perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability.”
Wis. Stat. § 106.50(2r)(br) (Emotional Support Animals): Prohibits housing providers from:
- Refusing to rent to an individual
- Causing the eviction of an individual
- Requiring additional fees or compensation …if the individual has a disability and a disability-related need for an emotional support animal.
Wis. Stat. § 106.50(2r)(bg) (Service Animals): Similar protections for service animals that perform tasks for individuals with disabilities.
Wisconsin Equal Rights Division of the Department of Workforce Development investigates housing discrimination complaints under Wisconsin’s fair housing law.
Your Rights Under Federal and Wisconsin Law:
If you have a legitimate ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional, your landlord must allow your emotional support animal to live with you. Landlords cannot charge pet fees, pet deposits, or monthly pet rent for ESAs. They cannot enforce breed restrictions, weight limits, or size requirements that normally apply to pets. Your ESA is considered a disability accommodation, not a pet under fair housing law.
You must be allowed full and equal access to all housing facilities, and you’re entitled to the same housing opportunities as tenants without animals, as long as your ESA doesn’t pose safety risks or cause substantial damage.
What Documentation You Need:
Under the Fair Housing Act and Wisconsin law, landlords can request supporting documentation if you request an ESA accommodation. Your documentation must:
- Come from a licensed healthcare professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, or other credentialed mental health provider)
- Confirm your disability
- Explain the relationship between your disability and your need for the ESA
- Be on professional letterhead with the provider’s credentials and contact information
CRITICAL WISCONSIN REQUIREMENT: Provider Must Be Licensed in Wisconsin
Wisconsin law is stricter than federal law regarding who can provide ESA documentation. Wisconsin Stat. § 106.50 restricts the medical providers who can provide ESA documentation to:
- A physician
- A psychologist
- A social worker
- Or other health professional
Wisconsin Does NOT Require a 30-Day Relationship
What Landlords in Wisconsin CAN Do:
- Request written verification from your healthcare provider – If your disability or need for an ESA is not readily apparent or already known, landlords can ask for documentation confirming your disability and the connection between your disability and your need for the ESA. Wis. Stat. § 106.50(2r)(br) allows this.
- Verify your healthcare provider’s credentials
- Request animal vaccination and health records – Landlords can ask for copies of your ESA’s vaccination records, health certificates, and proof the animal is parasite-free to ensure the animal doesn’t pose health risks to other residents.
- Deny your ESA if it poses a direct threat to others
- Deny your ESA if it causes substantial property damage – If your ESA is destructive and causes significant damage beyond normal wear and tear (chewing through doors, destroying carpets, damaging walls), landlords can deny the accommodation or require the animal’s removal. You’re responsible for paying for any damage your ESA causes.
- Deny if accommodation creates undue financial or administrative burden – If allowing your ESA would fundamentally alter the nature of the landlord’s housing operations or create excessive financial hardship (undue hardship), they may be able to deny the request. This is a high bar and rarely applies to typical rental situations.
- Charge you for any damage your ESA causes – You are fully responsible for any destruction, excessive wear, repairs, or cleaning needed because of your ESA’s behavior. Under Wis. Stat. § 106.50(2r)(bg), landlords can charge tenants for damages from their animals. You’re responsible for cleaning up after your animal and must pay for any damage it causes.
- Issue warnings and evictions for problem animals
- Deny if documentation is fraudulent or inadequate
- Impose limitations on multiple ESAs – Housing providers can consider each request for multiple assistance animals on a case-by-case basis and impose limitations based on what is necessary for full use and enjoyment of your unit. You must provide documentation for each ESA. Having a very large number of ESAs may not be considered a “reasonable” accommodation under Wisconsin law.
- Require proper waste disposal and animal control – Landlords can require the animal’s waste be picked up and properly disposed of, and that your ESA must be well-behaved and under your control at all times.
What Landlords in Wisconsin CANNOT Do:
- Cannot request your detailed medical records
- Cannot request your specific diagnosis
- Cannot charge pet fees, deposits, or monthly pet rent
- Cannot enforce breed restrictions on ESAs – Even if your landlord has a policy banning pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Dobermans, or other breeds considered “aggressive,” they cannot apply these breed restrictions to legitimate ESAs. Wisconsin law makes clear that breed bans don’t apply to assistance animals. Decisions must be individualized to the specific animal’s actual behavior. Landlords cannot apply breed or weight restrictions to ESAs.
- Cannot enforce size or weight restrictions
- Cannot require ESA registration or certification – Landlords cannot require you to register your ESA with any online registry, obtain an ESA certificate, or get your animal “certified” through any program. There is no official government registry for ESAs in Wisconsin or anywhere in the United States. There is no required registry or certification for an ESA.
- Cannot require your ESA to wear vests, tags, or special identification – Your ESA doesn’t need to wear any special identification, vests, collars, or tags. While these items might help identify your animal, landlords cannot make them a requirement.
- Cannot deny housing solely because you need an ESA
- Cannot require specific forms beyond reasonable documentation – While landlords may provide forms for convenience, they cannot make proprietary forms mandatory or require documentation beyond what’s reasonable under federal guidelines.
- Cannot treat ESA owners differently than other tenants
- Cannot deny based on other tenants’ allergies or fears
- Cannot retaliate against you for requesting an ESA
- Cannot deny based on “no pets” policies own.
Small Landlord Exemption:
Under the Fair Housing Act, certain small housing providers may be exempt from ESA accommodation requirements:
- Owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer rental units
- Single-family homes rented without a real estate broker or agent (owner who has 3 or fewer rental properties)
If your landlord qualifies for this exemption, they may not be required to follow Fair Housing Act protections for ESAs.
Fair Housing Resources in Wisconsin:
Wisconsin Equal Rights Division (ERD)
- Part of: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
- Phone: (608) 266-6860
- Website: dwd.wisconsin.gov/er
- Investigates housing discrimination complaints under Wisconsin’s fair housing law
- Complaint Deadline: Contact ERD for Wisconsin state-level complaint deadlines
ESA Travel Laws in Wisconsin
As of January 2021, emotional support animals are no longer recognized for air travel under the Air Carrier Access Act. The Department of Transportation changed its rules, and airlines now treat ESAs as regular pets with all associated fees and restrictions.
If you’re flying from General Mitchell International Airport (Milwaukee), Dane County Regional Airport (Madison), Austin Straubel International Airport (Green Bay), or other Wisconsin airports, your ESA will need to fly as a pet.
This means your animal must fit in a carrier under the seat in front of you (if small enough and the airline allows cabin pets) or fly in cargo. You’ll pay standard pet fees, which typically range from $95 to $200 each way, and your animal must meet the airline’s size and carrier requirements.
If you have a psychiatric service dog (PSD) rather than an ESA, your rights are different. PSDs qualify as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act and can fly in the cabin free of charge. However, you’ll need to complete the airline’s service animal documentation, which typically must be submitted at least 48 hours before your flight.
Ground Transportation:
ESAs have no legal right to accompany you on buses, trains, or other public transportation in Wisconsin unless the transit system has pet-friendly policies. Service animals are allowed, but ESAs are not service animals under the law and don’t have public access rights on transportation.
ESA Laws in Public Places in Wisconsin
Emotional support animals have ZERO public access rights in Wisconsin. ESAs are not service dogs, and they cannot accompany you into public places where pets aren’t normally allowed.
Under both Wisconsin’s equal rights law (Wis. Stat. § 106.52) and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, only service animals have public access rights.
Wisconsin Statute § 106.52(1)(fm) defines service animals as: “Any animal that is individually trained, or is being trained, to work or perform tasks to benefit a person with a disability.”
These animals include guide dogs and hearing dogs. Service animals must be trained to perform specific tasks: ESAs, which provide comfort through their presence without specific training, do not qualify.
Your ESA cannot accompany you to:
- Restaurants and cafes
- Grocery stores (Pick ‘n Save, Festival Foods, Woodman’s, Sendik’s, Metcalf’s Market)
- Shopping malls (Mayfair Mall, Brookfield Square, East Towne Mall, West Towne Mall)
- Hotels and resorts unless they’re pet-friendly
- Hospitals and medical facilities (Froedtert Hospital, UW Health, Aurora Health Care, Marshfield Clinic)
- Government buildings (Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, courthouses, DMV offices)
- Schools and universities (except in your dorm room with proper housing accommodation)
- Movie theaters (Marcus Theatres)
- Sports venues (American Family Field, Fiserv Forum, Lambeau Field)
- Museums and attractions (Milwaukee Art Museum, Harley-Davidson Museum, House on the Rock)
- State parks and recreational areas (unless they have pet-friendly policies)
- Any other business or facility where pets aren’t normally allowed
ESA Laws in the Workplace in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has no state laws requiring employers to accommodate emotional support animals in the workplace. Workplace accommodations are governed by federal law, specifically the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act for federal employers.
The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, but this generally does NOT include allowing emotional support animals in the workplace. Employers have much more discretion to deny ESAs in work settings than landlords do in housing situations.
Employers can deny your request to bring your ESA to work without violating disability discrimination laws, even if you have a qualifying disability and a legitimate ESA letter for housing purposes.
Fraud and Misrepresentation Laws in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is currently does NOT have a law criminalizing service animal misrepresentation in public places. As of early 2026, there are no penalties for falsely representing your pet as a service animal in Wisconsin restaurants, stores, or businesses.
However, Wisconsin DOES have a housing-specific fraud provision with significant penalties.
Wisconsin’s Housing Fraud Provision: Wis. Stat. § 106.50
Under Wisconsin Statutes § 106.50 (part of Wisconsin’s Open Housing Law)
For Public Places: No penalties exist (yet—see proposed legislation below)
For Housing:
- Minimum $500 forfeiture for tenants who misrepresent a disability or ESA need to obtain housing
- Minimum $500 forfeiture for healthcare providers who fraudulently issue ESA documentation for housing purposes
- This is a civil forfeiture, not a criminal charge
- “Forfeit not less than $500” means $500 is the MINIMUM—penalties could be higher
Is Getting an ESA Letter Online Legal in Wisconsin?
Yes, getting an ESA letter online is legal in Wisconsin. Wisconsin allows residents to get ESA letters online.
The main condition for obtaining an ESA letter is going through an evaluation with a licensed professional. The consultation with the licensed practitioner can be done online (phone call, video call, telehealth platform) or in person.
A licensed professional issues the ESA letter if an emotional support animal is able to help with the person’s disability. Think of the letter as a prescription for an ESA.
Be careful when requesting ESA letters online. Many online ESA services are scams, and their ESA letters are fake. Read reviews from other clients and research carefully before working with a website.
Can you have Multiple Emotional Support Animals in Wisconsin?
Yes, you can have multiple emotional support animals in Wisconsin. Wisconsin does not limit the type or the number of ESAs per person.
Wisconsin residents are permitted to have as many emotional support animals as an LMHP prescribes and deems necessary. People with several disabilities can have multiple ESAs provided that each animal is recognized to alleviate specific symptoms.
The state does not restrict the number of ESAs, but some landlords do. Under the Fair Housing Act, landlords must provide reasonable accommodation to ESAs.
Having a very large number of ESAs, however, may not be reasonable. Landlords are allowed to deny accommodation if the ESAs pose a significant or undue financial or administrative burden.
How to Get an ESA Letter in Wisconsin?
The indicative steps on how to get an ESA Letter in Wisconsin are listed below. These are indactive steps.
- Consult a Licensed Professional. If an individual is already being treated by a licensed mental health professional, or other health care provider, they should consult with them about the possibility of adding an ESA as part of their treatment plan. If a person is not seeing a licensed professional, they can look for one. Search for a mental health practitioner, or other authorized healthcare provider (physician, physician assistant) licensed in Wisconsin. As a reminder, these professionals are the only individuals allowed to write an ESA Letter in Wisconsin. They can assess a patient’s mental health status and determine whether the applicant qualifies for an ESA.
- Request an ESA letter. Approval for an ESA letter depends on the licensed professional’s assessment of a patient’s mental health status and whether an ESA is the right fit for the person’s treatment plan. Personal pets are allowed to become ESAs when recognized as a part of an individual’s therapeutic plan.
- Receive the ESA Letter. Once approved, receive the ESA letter in a hard copy or a printable PDF version. The hard copy is available upon request and delivered within a few days, while the electronic version is immediately accessible.
Get an emotional support animal letter in Wisconsin from a legal online platform like CertaPet.
What are the Advantages of Getting an ESA Letter in Wisconsin through CertaPet?
The advantages of getting an ESA letter in Wisconsin through CertaPet are listed below.
- Simple Procedure: Screening, talking to an LMHP, and getting the letter are the three simple steps for getting an ESA letter through CertaPet.
- Fast Turnaround: The phone consultation is scheduled within two business days, and the ESA letter will be received immediately if the candidate is approved.
- Valid Documents: ESA letters obtained through CertaPet are legitimate. Mental health professionals licensed in Wisconsin write and sign the letters.
- Peace of Mind: Get an ESA letter online via CertaPet and enjoy the perks, like choosing a housing option with a no-pet policy and being exempt from pet fees, rent, or deposits.
Do ESA Letters in Wisconsin need to be Renewed Annually?
Yes, ESA letters in Wisconsin need to be renewed annually. ESA letters do not expire in the standard way, but regular renewal is important.
Updated ESA letters are essential for keeping the medical records accurate and protecting the ESAs’ rights under federal and state laws.
For example, many landlords require currently valid ESA documents. The renewal of the ESA letter is simple and is done one month before the expiration date.
Contact the LMHP who issued the letter or schedule an appointment with a new one. Online platforms allow electronic ESA renewal through the telehealth platform.
What are the Requirements for Getting an ESA Letter in Wisconsin?
The requirements for getting an ESA letter in Wisconsin are having a mental or emotional disability and going through an evaluation with a licensed professional.
Various mental and emotional disabilities, such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, ADHD, schizophrenia, autism, age-related cognitive decline, and phobias, qualify for an ESA.
Talking to an LMHP is critical to getting an ESA approval. The professional evaluates the mental or emotional disability and recommends an emotional support animal if beneficial.
Are ESA Letters Valid in Wisconsin only if Issued by a Licensed Professional within the State?
Yes, ESA letters are valid in Wisconsin only if issued by a licensed professional within the state. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric mental health nurses licensed in the state are able to issue ESA letters, as well as physicians, and physician assistants.
Contact the mental health professional to ensure they are based and licensed in Wisconsin. The LMHP’s contact information is stated in the ESA letter.
The ESA letter of a person who just moved to Wisconsin is valid until it expires, which is within 12 months of being issued. Once the letter has expired, it must be renewed in Wisconsin.
Are there Online Wisconsin ESA Letters Scams?
Yes, there are scams when it comes to ESA letters in Wisconsin. Fake ESA websites and companies exist in all states. Careful research before using an ESA service is recommended.
The instructions on how to avoid scams in ESA letters in Wisconsin are given below.
- Consider the Price. Building a strong network of LMHP in different states takes time and money. An ESA service offering letters at very low prices is likely to be a scam, using professionals who are not licensed in the states or falsifying information.
- Read the ESA Letter. A valid ESA letter confirms the ESA need without disclosing the person’s disability. The letter must be written and signed by an LMHP whose credentials and contact information are clearly stated.
- Check the Letterhead. A legitimate ESA letter must always be written on the LMHP’s official letterhead. The letterhead contains basic information about the clinician.
- Confirm the LMHP’s Credentials. Contact the licensed mental health professional via email or phone to confirm the authenticity of the letter. A valid ESA letter displays the LMHP’s contact information on the letterhead.
- Set Reasonable Expectations. Fake companies offer unreasonable services such as instant turnaround, getting approved without talking to an LMHP, lifetime-lasting letters, or gifts like official registration, free certification, and ESA paraphernalia (ID tags, vests).
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