Executive Secretariat
Forms of Address
General Guidelines
Address Blocks
Most high-level officials are referred to as The Honorable [not Honorable] in the address block for letters and envelopes.
Guideline | Salutation |
---|---|
In official correspondence, greetings are followed by a colon. | Dear Mr. President: Dear Judge Smith: |
For high-level officials, e.g., VicePresident, Cabinet Members, Judges, etc., use the person’s title in the salutation. | Dear Mr./Madam Secretary: Dear Mr./Madam Vice President: |
Most elected officials, e.g., Governors, Members of Congress, Judges, are greeted with Dear [Title]: | Dear Governor: Dear Senator: |
For lower-level officials, use Dear Mr./Ms. [not Mrs.] [Surname]: | Dear Ms. Smith: [e.g., state representative] Dear Mr. Jones: [e.g., Deputy Secretary] |
Use Dear Mrs.[Surname] only for the First Lady or when addressing the spouse of a deceased official (such as for a condolence note.) | Dear Mrs. Obama: Dear Mrs. Bush: |
Specific Examples
- The Senate
- House of Representatives
- Congressional Committees
- The White House and EOP Officials
- Cabinet-level Officials
- Federal Officials
- State Officials
- Diplomatic Officials
- Supreme Court and other Federal Courts
The Senate
Note: all U.S. Senators and Representatives have webpages with contact information.
Senate Official | Address Block and Salutation |
---|---|
Senator | The Honorable [Full Name] United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator [Surname]: |
President of the Senate | The Honorable [Full Name] President of the Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator [Surname]: |
Majority/Majority Leader of the Senate | The Honorable [Full Name] Majority/Minority Leader United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Majority/Minority Leader [Surname]: |
Former Senator | The Honorable [Full Name] [No Title] [Personal Address] Dear Senator [Surname]: |
Senator-elect | The Honorable [Full Name] United States Senator-elect [address, if given, or] Washington, DC 20510 Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
Office of a recently deceased Senator | Mr./Ms. [Full Name] Administrative Assistant Office of the Late [Full Name of Senator] Washington, DC 20510 Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
House of Representatives
House of Representatives Official | Address Block and Salutation |
---|---|
U.S. Representatives | The Honorable [Full Name] U.S. House of Representatives [Congressional District Address, or] Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative [Surname]: |
U.S. Delegates from DC and U.S. Territories | The Honorable [Full Name] Washington Delegate from [Name of Territory], or Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
Speaker of the House of Representatives | The Honorable [Full Name] Speaker of the House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Mr./Madam Speaker: |
Majority/Minority Leader of the House | The Honorable [Full Name] Majority/Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Majority/Minority Leader [Surname]: |
Former Representative | The Honorable [Full Name] [No Title] [Personal Address] Dear Mr./Ms.: [Surname] |
Representative-elect | The Honorable [Full Name] U.S. Representative-elect [address, if given, or] Washington, DC 20515 Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
Office of a recently deceased Representative | Mr./Ms. [Full Name] Administrative Assistant Office of the Late [Full Name of Representative] Washington, DC 20515 Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
Congressional Committees
Committee Official | Address Block and Salutation |
---|---|
Committee Chairperson | The Honorable [Full Name] Chair[wo]man, [Name of Committee] U.S. Senate/House of Representatives] Washington, DC 20510 [or 20515 for House Committees] Dear Mr. Chairman/Madam Chairwoman: |
Subcommittee Chairperson | The Honorable [Full Name] Chair[wo]man, [Name of Subcommittee] [Name of Parent Committee] U.S. Senate/House of Representatives] Washington, DC 20510 [or 20515 for House Committees] Dear Senator/Representative [Surname]: |
Joint Committee Chairperson | The Honorable [Full Name] Chair[wo]man, [Name of Joint Committee] Congress of the United State Washington, DC 20510 [Senate] Dear Mr. Chairman/Madam Chairwoman: [House] Dear Representative [Surname]: |
Chief Counsel of a Committee | Mr./Ms. [Full Name] Chief Counsel, [Name of Committee] U.S. Senate/House of Representatives] Washington, DC 20510 [or 20515 for House Committees] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
The White House and EOP Officials
White House Official | Address Block and Salutation |
---|---|
The President | The President The White House Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr./Madam President: |
The Spouse of the President | Mr./Mrs. [Full Name] The White House Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr./Mrs. [Surname]: |
The Vice President | The Vice President The White House Washington, DC 20501 Dear Mr./Madam Vice President: |
Heads of EOP Offices [OMB, OSTP, etc.] *specific addresses and zip codes should be verified by checking the office’s/council’s website. | The Honorable [Full Name] [Title] [Name of Office/Council] Washington, DC 20501* Dear Mr./Ms.: |
Cabinet-level Officials
Note: verify addresses/zip codes at the specific Department’s website.
Cabinet Official | Address Block and Salutation |
---|---|
Members addressed as Secretary | The Honorable [Full Name] Secretary of [Department] Washington, DC [ZIP] Dear Mr./Madam Secretary: |
Attorney General (Head of the Department of Justice) | The Honorable [Full Name] Attorney General 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr./Madam Attorney General: |
Acting Secretary | The Honorable [Full Name] Acting Secretary of [Department] Washington, DC [ZIP] Dear Mr./Madam Secretary: |
Under Secretary | The Honorable [Full Name] Under Secretary of [Department] Washington, DC [ZIP] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
Former Secretary | The Honorable [Full Name] [Personal Address] Dear Secretary [Surname]: |
Federal Officials
Note: verify addresses/zip codes at the specific Agency’s website.
Federal Official | Address Block and Salutation |
---|---|
Head of a Federal Agency, Authority, or Board | The Honorable [Full Name] [Title] [Name of Agency] Washington, DC [ZIP] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
Chairperson of a Federal Commission or Board | The Honorable [Full Name] Chair[wo]man, [Name of Commission or Board] Washington, DC [ZIP] Dear Mr. Chairman/Madam Chairwoman: |
Member of a Federal Commission or Board | The Honorable [Full Name] Member [Name of Commission or Board] Washington, DC [ZIP] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
U.S. Attorney | The Honorable [Full Name] U.S. Attorney for the [Region] District of [State or Commonwealth] [Address] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
U.S. Marshal | The Honorable [Full Name] U.S. Marshal for the District of [State or Commonwealth] [Address] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
Postmaster General | The Honorable [Full Name] Postmaster General Washington DC 20260 Dear Mr./Madam Postmaster General: |
State Officials
Note: Spell out the name of the state inside the address block. But, use the two-letter abbreviation on the envelope.
State Official | Address Block and Salutation |
---|---|
Governor | The Honorable [Full Name] Governor of [Name of State or Commonwealth] [City, State ZIP] Dear Governor [Surname]: |
Acting Governor | The Honorable [Full Name] Acting Governor of [Name of State or Commonwealth] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
Former Governor | The Honorable [Full Name] [No Title] [Full Address] Dear Governor [Surname]: |
Lieutenant Governor | The Honorable [Full Name] Lieutenant Governor of [Name of State or Commonwealth] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
Attorney General | The Honorable [Full Name] Attorney General State* of [Name of State] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Madam Attorney General: |
Secretary of State | The Honorable [Full Name] Secretary of State State* of [Name of State] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Madam Secretary: |
Member of a State Senate | The Honorable [Full Name] State* of [Name of State] State Senate [City, State ZIP] Dear Senator [Surname]: |
Member of a [non-Senate] State Legislature [e.g., House of Delegates or State Assembly] | The Honorable [Full Name] Member of [Name of State Legislature] State* of [Name of State] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
State Supreme Court officials | The Honorable [Full Name] [Title] Supreme Court of the State * of [Name of State] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Madam [Title]: |
Other State Officials | The Honorable [Full Name] [Title] State* of [Name of State] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
*For Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, use Commonwealth instead of State, e.g., Commonwealth of Virginia.
Diplomatic Officials
Note: Letters to Diplomatic Officials who are out of the country should be sent to the Department of State, through its Executive Secretariat].
Diplomatic Official | Address Block and Salutation |
---|---|
Governor | The Honorable [Full Name] Governor of [Name of State or Commonwealth] [City, State ZIP] Dear Governor [Surname]: |
Acting Governor | The Honorable [Full Name] Acting Governor of [Name of State or Commonwealth] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
Former Governor | The Honorable [Full Name] [No Title] [Full Address] Dear Governor [Surname]: |
Lieutenant Governor | The Honorable [Full Name] Lieutenant Governor of [Name of State or Commonwealth] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
Attorney General | The Honorable [Full Name] Attorney General State* of [Name of State] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Madam Attorney General: |
Secretary of State | The Honorable [Full Name] Secretary of State State* of [Name of State] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Madam Secretary: |
Member of a State Senate | The Honorable [Full Name] State* of [Name of State] State Senate [City, State ZIP] Dear Senator [Surname]: |
Member of a [non-Senate] State Legislature [e.g., House of Delegates or State Assembly] | The Honorable [Full Name] Member of [Name of State Legislature] State* of [Name of State] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
State Supreme Court officials | The Honorable [Full Name] [Title] Supreme Court of the State * of [Name of State] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Madam [Title]: |
Other State Officials | The Honorable [Full Name] [Title] State* of [Name of State] [City, State ZIP] Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]: |
American Ambassador | The Honorable [Full Name] American Ambassador [City] [Country] Dear Mr./Madam Ambassador: |
Foreign Ambassador to the U.S. | His/Her Excellency [Full Name] Ambassador of [Name of Country] [Address] Dear Mr./Madam Ambassador: |
Foreign Minister | The Honorable [Full Name] Minister of [Name of Country] [Address] Dear Mr./Madam Minister: |
Supreme Court and other Federal Courts
Court Official | Address Block and Salutation |
---|---|
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court | The Chief Justice The Supreme Court of the United States 1 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20543 Dear Chief Justice: |
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court | Justice [Surname] The Supreme Court of the United States 1 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20543 Dear Justice [Surname]: |
Other Federal Courts | The Honorable [Full Name] [Title] U.S. Court of [Name of Court] [City, State, ZIP] Dear Judge [Surname]: |
This page last reviewed on April 14, 2017
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