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ESA Letter Colorado

Colorado ESA Laws: A Complete 2025 Guide (Housing, Travel & Workplace)

Erika Caturegli, PhDWritten by: Erika Caturegli, PhD - Updated:Feb 04, 2026
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An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) in Colorado is entitled to certain rights and restricted by limitations: support pets are strongly protected in housing, but are not covered under the ADA. You need a real relationship with a Colorado-licensed professional to get a legitimate ESA letter.

This guide walks you through Colorado ESA laws, so you can feel confident in making decisions when it comes to taking charge of your mental health.

Warning: Colorado makes it illegal to fake an ESA or service animal. Under C.R.S. 18-13-107.3 and 18-13-107.7, intentionally misrepresenting a pet as an assistance or service animal can bring fines of $25 for a first offense, $50–$200 for a second, and $100–$500 for later offenses. 

Key Takeaways for Colorado ESA Owners

  • Legitimate documentation is essential: get your ESA letter from a licensed Colorado mental health professional
  • ESAs benefit from strong housing protections through the Fair Housing Act, which means that landlords must accommodate legitimate ESAs in Colorado
  • No pet fees or deposits for properly documented Colorado ESAs in housing
  • Breed and size restrictions don’t apply to ESAs in Colorado when they present compliant documentation
  • No public access rights: ESAs in Colorado can’t go to restaurants, stores, or most public places
  • No free air travel: airlines treat ESAs in Colorado as regular pets since 2021
  • Workplace access is not guaranteed, it’s up to employers if to accommodate employees’ ESA requests

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What Is a Colorado Emotional Support Animal?

An emotional support animal (ESA) is a companion animal that helps with a mental or emotional disability (like anxiety, PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder) simply by being there. No special training is required, their companionship is enough to alleviate symptoms.

Under federal housing law and Colorado’s assistance-animal statutes, an ESA falls under the broader category of an “assistance animal” used as a reasonable accommodation in housing.

Colorado classifies service animals and ESA as follows:

  • Colorado ESA / assistance animal: Helps with symptoms of a disability in housing; no special training required. Strong protection in housing, but not treated like a service animal in most public places.
  • Colorado Service animal: In most cases, they are service dogs (or sometimes a miniature horse) that is individually trained to do specific tasks for a person with a disability. These have broad public-access rights under the ADA and Colorado law.

How to Get a Legitimate Colorado ESA Letter (Step-by-Step)

Your ESA rights come from one document: a properly written ESA letter from a licensed professional.

Colorado has cracked down hard on “instant ESA services” websites. Several state laws spell out what a provider has to do before they recommend an animal as an ESA.

Here’s how to do it the right way:

1. Work With a Qualified Colorado-Licensed Professional

Colorado requires that ESA documentation come from a licensed health or mental health professional who is allowed to practice in Colorado and who actually evaluates you.

Here are examples of licensed clinicians who can write a compliant Colorado ESA letter:

  • Physician or psychiatrist
  • Psychologist
  • Licensed professional counselor / clinical social worker
  • Psychiatric nurse or other licensed mental health provider

2. Get an ESA Letter That Actually Contains the Right Information

A valid Colorado ESA letter:

  • Confirms you have a mental or emotional disability (without oversharing details)
  • States that the animal helps with symptoms and is necessary for you as part of your treatment plan
  • Is written on professional letterhead, signed and dated
  • Identifies the provider’s name, license type, and license number
  • Confirms the provider is licensed in Colorado (or lawfully allowed to treat you here)

Under federal guidance and Colorado fair-housing law, housing providers can ask for reliable documentation of disability-related needs when it’s not obvious, but they cannot demand full medical records.

3. Watch Out for “Letter Mills” and Red Flags

Because of Colorado’s misrepresentation and licensee-duty laws, you should be very cautious about:

  • Sites that never connect you with a real clinician
  • Providers who don’t take a history, ask no meaningful questions, or never meet you (in person or via real telehealth)
  • “ESA Registries” or “ID cards” claiming to be legally required (they are not a substitute for a clinician’s letter in Colorado housing)

These red flags can cause headaches later if a landlord challenges your documentation, and in extreme cases, could help support a claim that someone intentionally misrepresented an assistance animal under C.R.S. 18-13-107.3. This statute makes it a petty offense to intentionally misrepresent an animal as an assistance or service animal, with fines up to $500 for repeat offenses.

Together, these laws are Colorado’s “anti-letter-mill” framework: they’re designed to weed out quick, fake letters and protect tenants with legitimate needs.

You might be thinking, “Okay, but where do I actually find someone who won’t put my housing at risk?”

That’s exactly the gap a good ESA platform should fill.

  • You should be matched with a Colorado-licensed mental health professional
  • You should get a real evaluation (not a 60-second quiz)
  • Your letter should be written to line up with Colorado’s licensee-duty and misrepresentation laws, so it holds up if a landlord or HOA pushes back

Understanding Your Colorado ESA Housing Rights

Housing is where ESAs have the strongest legal protection.

Three layers work together:

  1. The federal Fair Housing Act (FHA)
  2. The Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act housing provisions (C.R.S. 24-34-502 & 24-34-502.2)
  3. Enforcement by the Colorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD) within the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) 

In most Colorado housing:

  • Landlords must consider “assistance animals” (including ESAs) as a disability accommodation, not as pets.
  • They cannot charge pet rent, pet deposits, or pet fees for a valid ESA. They can charge for actual damage beyond normal wear and tear. Moreover, Colorado housing providers cannot impose breed or size restrictions for legit ESAs.
  • They cannot enforce general “no pets” policies against tenants with legitimate support pets needs.
  • They may request reasonable documentation if:
    • Your disability is not obvious, and
    • The need for the animal is not obvious.

Colorado’s housing law makes it an unfair housing practice to discriminate in rental, terms, or conditions because of disability, mirroring FHA protections. 

Landlords can say no in certain situations, such as when:

  • The animal poses a direct threat to others 
  • The animal would likely cause substantial property damage
  • Allowing the animal would be an undue financial or administrative burden or fundamentally alter the housing provider’s operations. 

If a landlord refuses, delays endlessly, or retaliates, you can file a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division (usually within one year of the incident).

What This Means for You 

  • You can usually have a properly documented ESA in Colorado housing, even in “no-pets” buildings, without being charged pet rent or pet deposits.
  • Your landlord can’t reject you just because they “don’t believe in ESAs” or demand full medical records.
  • Housing providers can deny an ESA that is dangerous, extremely disruptive, or clearly unsuitable for the housing (for example, repeated aggression or major property damage).

Where Can You Take Your ESA in Colorado? (Rules, Risks & Limits)

This is where many people get confused regarding ESAs in Colorado. The law draws a sharp line between:

  • Service animals who have broad rights in public places and at work
  • ESAs / assistance animals who only benefit from housing rights 

Public Places and Businesses

Under the ADA and C.R.S. 24-34-803, service animals must be allowed in places open to the public: stores, restaurants, hotels, government buildings, public transit, etc.

ESAs, on the other hand:

  • Do not have automatic public-access rights under the ADA
  • Are normally treated as pets in hotels, stores, restaurants, and other public places
  • May be allowed by choice of the business, but the business can set conditions. 

In general, look for pet friendly establishments and always call ahead to confirm that pets (and by extension ESAs are permitted)

Some Colorado cities, counties, or park systems have their own rules for animals on trails or in facilities, but those local policies always keep the ADA’s service-animal protections in place and do not turn ESAs into service animals.

Air Travel

Federal air-travel rules changed in 2020. Under the Air Carrier Access Act, ESAs are now considered as regular pets by airlines. This means that most companies

  • Charge fees both ways 
  • Airline approved carriers,
  • Limit size or routes

So your ESA letter that works beautifully for housing will not guarantee free cabin access on flights. You’ll need to check each airline’s pet policy and budget for pet fees.

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Colorado ESA Rules for the Workplace

Work is a gray area for ESAs.

Two main laws apply:

  • Federal ADA (Title I), which requires reasonable accommodation of employees with disabilities
  • Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) – similar protections under C.R.S. 24-34-402, covering even very small employers 

Colorado has a specific workplace rule for service animals:

  • C.R.S. 24-34-803(3)(a) says an employer must allow an employee with a disability to keep a service animal with them at work, with limited exceptions.

For ESAs, there’s no automatic right like that. But:

  • If your ESA is part of managing your disability, you can ask for it as a reasonable accommodation.
  • The employer must engage in an “interactive process”, basically a back-and-forth conversation about:
    • Your limitations,
    • How the ESA would help, and
    • Whether there’s an alternative accommodation that’s less burdensome.

An employer might:

  • Approve the ESA at work (with conditions like staying at your desk, being house-trained, not disruptive)
  • Offer alternatives: flexible scheduling, remote work, quiet workspace, extra breaks, or therapy coverage instead

To summarize, employers are not legally required to allow ESAs in the workplace, but if you are in possession of a legitimate Colorado ESA letter, you can request accommodations. 

Colorado ESA Resources for Students 

College & University Housing

For campus housing, ESAs are usually treated under housing law rather than general campus-access rules.

Many Colorado schools (like Colorado State University, Colorado College, and institutions in the Colorado Community College System) have detailed policies that:

  • Allow ESAs in dorms or campus apartments as a housing accommodation
  • Require registration and approval through the campus Disability / Accessibility office
  • Expect vaccinations, good behavior, and someone designated to care for the animal (especially in emergencies).

If you’re a student:

  • Your first stop is your campus Accessibility or Disability Services office, not the housing office directly.

Expect to provide valid Colorado ESA documentation similar to off-campus housing, plus proof of vaccinations and basic behavior standards.

Frequently Asked Questions
Can my landlord deny my ESA in Colorado?

Sometimes, but not just because they “don’t allow pets.”

They can only deny if:

  • You don’t meet the disability + disability-related need standard,
  • You refuse to provide any documentation when it’s legitimately requested, or
  • The animal is dangerous, extremely disruptive, or would cause unreasonable damage or burden.
Can my landlord charge pet rent or a pet deposit for my ESA in Colorado?

No, Under the FHA and HUD guidance, housing providers cannot charge extra rent or fees for ESAs with compliant Colorado ESA letters. However, they can charge for actual damage beyond normal wear and tear.

Are there breed or weight limits on ESAs in Colorado housing?

Landlords usually can’t deny an ESA just because of breed or size, unless they can show a specific safety or property risk. A blanket “no pit bulls” rule is not a valid reason to reject a properly documented ESA by itself.

Do I have to register my ESA with Colorado or get a special ID?

No. There is no official Colorado ESA registry.

Can I have more than one ESA in Colorado?

Yes, under specific conditions. HUD recognizes that some people may need more than one support pet, but:
Your clinician’s documentation should explain the distinct disability-related need for each animal. Landlords can consider whether multiple animals would create an undue burden or significant property issues.

Does my Colorado ESA need special training?

No specific training is legally required for an ESA in Colorado housing.

But your ESA must:

  • Be under your control,
  • Not be aggressive
  • Be reasonably house-trained and non-destructive.
Do I have to use the Colorado state ESA form my landlord gave me?

Colorado law allows CCRD to create a standard form landlords can offer for assistance-animal documentation, but it explicitly says tenants are not required to use it. Your provider’s letter can still be valid as long as it contains the necessary information.

Can an HOA in Colorado refuse my ESA?

HOAs are generally treated like other housing providers under the Colorado fair housing laws and FHA.

They must consider requests for ESAs as reasonable accommodations, and they can’t simply hide behind CC&Rs that say “no pets.”

Can my landlord ask what my disability is?

They can ask for enough information to verify:

  • That you have a qualifying disability
  • That the animal helps with symptoms or functioning.

They can’t demand a full diagnosis, full records, or intrusive details that go beyond what’s needed to verify the need.

Are ESAs allowed in Colorado workplaces?

Not automatically. The ADA and CADA require reasonable accommodations for disabilities, but they don’t explicitly guarantee ESA access at work.

Can my college in Colorado refuse my ESA in the dorms?

Colleges must follow FHA-style housing rules in campus housing, but they can require:

  • Prior approval through the disability office
  • Documentation from a qualified provider
  • Compliance with behavior and care rules

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