According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), employers cannot ask for documentation when (1) both the disability and the need for reasonable accommodation are obvious; or (2) the individual has already provided the employer with sufficient information to substantiate that the individual has a disability and needs the reasonable accommodation. When there is a valid reason to ask for documentation, employers may request that it come from an appropriate healthcare professional.

However, employers are not required to request medical documentation from a specific type of healthcare provider. In many cases, an employee’s primary care physician or licensed mental health provider is an appropriate healthcare professional to provide documentation. The purpose of documentation is to help employers better understand an employee’s disability-related limitations and how they currently affect the ability of the employee to do the job. A healthcare provider who is familiar with the employee may have much better insight into what the employee is experiencing at this time than a new provider. A licensed mental health provider (e.g., therapist, counselor, social worker), for the same reason, may be able to provide sufficient information about the employee’s limitations and accommodation needs based on the duration of time they have been engaged in a professional relationship.