Emotional Support Dog Laws Illinois

Department of housing and urban development fair housing act.

Emotional support dog laws illinois.

These laws help protect emotional support animals and their owners when attempting to rent a living space or travel by air. The law does not specify the number allowed or not allowed. Illinois residents are subject to the u s. Violation of the white cane law is a class a misdemeanor.

As long as the therapist has diagnosed these animals to help alleviate at least one of their patient s symptoms it is allowed. While typically dogs or cats emotional support animals may include other species. Other species of animals whether wild or domestic trained or untrained are not considered service animals either. An illinois emotional support animal means a pet that helps people with mental or emotional disabilities to feel better.

Although emotional support animals are not permitted in most public places the laws are different when it comes to rental units. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual s disability. Emotional support animals in illinois apartments and condos in chicago and all of illinos emotional support animals can live with their owners in rental units regardless of the pet policy. Although emotional support animals do not have the same rights as service dogs under ada they are protected under the fair housing amendment act fhaa and the air carrier access act acaa.

The emotional support animal laws in il protect from discrimination them. The illinois assistance animal integrity act helps clarify what is required to establish a disability and disability related need for an assistance animal. The tenant is allowed under federal law to have more than one emotional support animal. In illinois as with other states the fair housing act and the air carriers access act both cover the legal definitions of emotional support animals.

Violation of the service animal access act is a class c misdemeanor. An emotional support animal esa is a dog or other common domesticated animal that provides support to its disabled handler through companionship non judgmental regard affection and or being a distraction from the issues of daily life. Emotional support animals comfort animals and therapy dogs are not service animals under title ii and title iii of the ada. To have an emotional support animal people should prove their disability to a licensed mental health doctor that can write an esa letter.

Illinois law the service animal access act and white cane law are state criminal laws that guarantee the right of a person with a disability to be accompanied by a service animal in public. If you meet the criteria of these provisions you are entitled to an emotional support animal in the air and in your housing unit.