15.4: Forms of Address, Salutation and Complimentary Close
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The DoD Manual for Written Material provides "Forms of Address, Salutation, and Complimentary Close" tables as references for composing the address, salutation and complimentary closing elements of a personal letter. The tables provide examples for every branch of government, as well as many departments, agencies or groups of people from the White House to private citizens. These tables have long been staples of The Tongue and Quill and continue to be an important reference for all Airmen: using the proper address, salutation and complimentary close for correspondence makes a good first impression.
For this edition of The Tongue and Quill, The "Forms of Address, Salutation, and Complimentary Close" tables from the DoD manual were extracted, combined into a single table, and edited to conform to Air Force standards: the Air Force uses the open punctuation style and spells out the ranks of all military members in the addresses on personal letters (for the address on the envelope, refer to the Envelope section of this publication). Also, the standard to abbreviate "U.S." and "U.N." is to write them without the periods (i.e. "US" and "UN"). The tips below and the entries in the table are the standards useful to most Airmen in their daily work; however, always check to see if your command has additional or supplementary guidance.
- Name or Gender Unknown: Use professional or organizational title when the name or the gender of the receiver (or both) are not known (e.g., Dear Resource Manager).
- Responding to Jointly Written Letters: Respond to letters written jointly by more than three people by preparing single replies, or reply to the person signing the original letter and mentioning the others early in the letter.
- Titles: In the salutation for letters addressed to persons in formal positions such as "President," "Vice President," "Chairman," "Secretary," “Ambassador" or "Minister" that may be held by men or women, use the title "Mr." or "Madam." For example, use "Dear Mr. President" or "Dear Madam Secretary" if using the formal position in the salutation.
- The title "Ms.," "Miss" or "Mrs." is used when the last name rather than a formal title follows. (e.g., Ms. Smith, Miss Rice, Mrs. Gartner)
- "Ms." may be used when an incumbent or correspondent has indicated this preference or when a woman’s marital status is unknown.
- Spell out titles (except Dr., Mr. and Mrs.) but do not duplicate titles (Dr. Charles Norris or Charles Norris, MD; not Dr. Charles Norris, MD).
- Punctuation: The Air Force uses open punctuation in the salutation and complimentary close (no punctuation after the salutation or close). A period is used after "Mr.," "Mrs." or "Dr." and similar titles and a dash is used in the ZIP+4 code (e.g., 12345-6789).
- Spacing: Single space between lines.
- Readability: Readability of the addresses is essential. Use single spacing between lines. On the envelope, do not include punctuation except for the dash in the ZIP+4 to facilitate the optical character recognition (OCR) processing of correspondence.
| Addressee | Address on Letter | Salutation / Complimentary Close |
| The White House | ||
| The President | The President (Full Name) The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20500 |
Dear Mr./Madam President Respectfully yours |
| Spouse of the President | Mr./Mrs. (full name) The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20500 |
Dear Mr./Mrs. (last name) Sincerely |
| Assistant or Special ASsistant to the President | The Honorable (full name) Assistant (Special Assistant) to the President for (title) The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20500 |
Dear Mr./Mrs. (last name) Sincerely |
| The Vice President | The Vice President 276 Eisenhower Executive Office Building Washington DC 20501 |
Dear Mr./Madam Vice President Sincerely |
| The Vice President As President of the Senate |
The Honorable (full name) President of the Senate United States Senate S-212 Capitol Building Washington DC 20510 |
Dear Mr. President Sincerely |
| Director, Office of Management and Budget | The Honorable (full name) Director, Office of Management and Budget Washington DC 20503 |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
The Federal Judiciary
| The Chief Justice | The Chief Justice The Supreme Court Washington DC 20543 |
Dear Chief Justice Sincerely |
| Associate Justice | The Honorable (full name) The Supreme Court Washington DC 20543 |
Dear Justice (last name) Sincerely |
| Retired Justice | The Honorable (full name) Judge of the (name of court) (address) |
Dear Judge (last name) Sincerely |
| Judge of a Federal, State, or Local Court | The Honorable (full name) Judge of the (name of court) (address) |
Dear Judge (last name) sincerely |
| Clerk of a Court | Mr. (full name) Clerk of the (name of court) (address) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
The Congress
Use "+4+ codes if available. For congressional Member individual ZIP+4 Codes, see the Congressional Staff Director. Also see US Senate and US House websites at http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov.
| President pro tempore of the Senate | The Honorable (full name) President pro tempore United States Senate Washington DC 20510-(+4 Code) |
Dear Senator (last name) Sincerely |
| Majority Leader, Senate | The Honorable (full name) Majority Leader United States Senate Washington DC 20510-(+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Majority Leader Sincerely |
| Committee Chairman, Senate | The Honorable (full name) Chairman Committee on (name of committee) United States Senate Washington DC 20510-(+4 Code) |
Dear Senator (last name) Sincerely |
| Committee Ranking Member, Senate | The Honorable (full name) Ranking Member Committee on (name of committee) United States Senate Washington DC 20510-(+4 Code) |
Dear Senator (last name) Sincerely |
| Subcommittee Chairman, Senate | The Honorable (full name) Chairman Subcommittee on (name of committee) Committee on (name of full committee) United States Senate Washington DC 20510-(+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Chairman Sincerely |
| Senator (Washington office) | The Honorable (full name) Unites States Senate Washington DC 20510-(+4 Code) |
Dear Senator (last name) Sincerely |
| Senator (home state office) | The Honorable (full name) United States Senator (address) |
Dear Senator (last name) Sincerely |
| Senator-elect | Senator-elect (full name) ---or if applicable *--- The Honorable (full name) Senator-elect (address) |
Dear Senator-elect (last name) Sincerely |
| *A Senator-elect may be referred to as "The Honorable" if applicable to the individual's prior or current position. | ||
| Office of a deceased senator | Office of Senator (full name) United States Senate Washington DC 20510-(+4 Code) |
Sirs or Dear Mr./Ms. (name of contact) Sincerely |
| Speaker of the House of Representatives | The Honorable (full name) Speaker of the House US House of Representatives Washington DC 20515-(+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Speaker Sincerely |
| Majority Leader, House | The Honorable (full name) Majority Leader US House of Representatives Washington DC 20515-(+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Majority Leader Sincerely |
| Committee Chairman, House of Representatives | The Honorable (full name) Chairman Committee on (name of committee) US House of Representatives Washington DC 20515-(+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Chairman Sincerely |
| Committee Ranking Member, House of Representatives |
The Honorable (full name) Ranking Member Committee on (name of committee) US House of Representatives Washington DC 20515-(+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Chairman Sincerely |
| Representative (Washington office) | The Honorable (full name) US House of Representatives Washington DC 20515-(+4 Code) |
Dear Representative (last name) Sincerely |
| Representative (home state office) | The Honorable (full name) US Representative (address) |
Dear Representative (last name) Sincerely |
| Representative-elect | Representative-elect (full name) ---or if applicable*--- The Honorable (full name) Representative-elect (address) |
Dear Representative-elect (last name) Sincerely |
| *A Representative-elect may be referred to as "The Honorable" if applicable to the individual's prior or current position. | ||
| Office of a deceased representative | Office of the late Honorable (full name) ---or--- Office of the (name of) District of (State) US House of Representatives Washington DC 20515-(+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (name of contact) Sincerely |
| Resident Commisioner | The Honorable (full name) Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico US House of Representatives Washington DC 20515-(+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Delegate | The Honorable (full name) Delegate from (location) US House of Representatives Washington DC 20515-(+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
Legislative Agencies
| Comptroller General | The Honorable (full name) Comptroller General of the United States Washington DC 20548 |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Public Printer | The Honorable (full name) Public Printer US Government Printing Office Washington DC 20401 |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Librarian of Congress | The Honorable (full name) Librarian of Congress Washington DC 20540 |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
The Executive Departments
For Executive Department Zip+4 Codes, see the Federal Yellow Book.
The titles for Cabinet Secretaries are Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary of the Interior, Attorney General (Department of Justice), Secretary of Labor, Secretary of State, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of the Treasury, and Secretary of Veteran Affairs.
| Members of the Cabinet addressed as Secretary | The Honorable (full name) Secretary of (Department) Washington DC (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Secretary Sincerely |
| Attorney General | The Honorable (full name) Attorney General Washington DC 20530 |
Dear Mr./Madam Attorney General Sincerely |
| Deputy Secretary of a Department | The Honorable (full name) Deputy Secretary of (Department) Washington DC (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Under Secretary of a Department | The Honorable (full name) Under Secretary of (Department) Washington DC (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Assistant Secretary of a Department | The Honorable (full name) Assistant Secretary of (Department) Washington DC (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Deputy Under Secretary of a Department who is Senate-confirmed | The Honorable (full name) Deputy Under Secretary of (Department) Washington DC (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
The Military Departments
| The Secretaries of the Military Departments | The Honorable (full name) Secretary of (Department) Washington DC (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Secretary Sincerely |
| Under Secretary of the Military Department | The Honorable (full name) Under Secretary of (Department) Washington DC (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps Officers
| General, Lieutenant General, Major General, Brigadier General |
(full rank) (full name), (Service abbreviation) (address) |
Dear General (last name) Sincerely |
| Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel |
(same as above) | Dear Colonel (last name) Sincerely |
| Major | (same as above) | Dear Major (last name) Sincerely |
| Captain | (same as above) | Dear Captain (last name) Sincerely |
| First Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant |
(same as above) | Dear Lieutenant (last name) Sincerely |
| Chief Warrant Officer | (same as above) | Dear Mr./Miss/Ms./Mrs. (last name) Sincerely |
Navy Officers
| Admiral; Vice Admiral; Rear Admiral; Rear Admiral (lower half) |
(full rank) (full name), (Service abbreviation) (address) |
Dear Admiral (last name) Sincerely |
| Captain | (same as above) | Dear Captain (last name) Sincerely |
| Commander, Lieutenant Commander |
(same as above) | Dear Commander (last name) Sincerely |
| Lieutenant, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) |
(same as above) | Dear Lieutenant (last name) Sincerely |
| Ensign | (same as above) | Dear Ensign (last name) Sincerely |
| Chief Warrant Officer (Number) | (same as above) | Dear Chief Warrant Officer (last name) Sincerely |
| Warrant Officer | (same as above) | Dear Warrant Officer (last name) Sincerely |
Army Enlisted Personnel
| Sergeant Major of the Army | Sergeant Major of the Army (full name, USA (address) |
Dear Sergeant Major (last name) Sincerely |
| Command Sergeant Major | Command Sergeant Major (full name), USA (address) |
Dear Sergeant Major (last name) Sincerely |
| Sergeant Major | Sergeant Major (full name), USA (address) |
Dear Sergeant Major (last name) Sincerely |
| First Sergeant | First Sergeant (full name), USA (address) |
Dear First Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Master Sergeant | Master Sergeant (full name), USA (address) |
Dear Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Sergeant First Class | Sergeant First Class (full name), USA (address) |
Dear Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Staff Sergeant | Staff Sergeant (full name), USA (address) |
Dear Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Sergeant | Sergeant (full name), USA (address) |
Dear Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Corporal | Corporal (full name), USA (address) |
Dear Corporal (last name) Sincerely |
| Specialists (all grades) | Specialist (full name), USA (address) |
Dear Specialist (last name) Sincerely |
| Private First Class | Private First Class (full name), USA (address) |
Dear Private (last name) Sincerely |
| Private | Private (full name), USA (address) |
Dear Private (last name) Sincerely |
Navy Enlisted Personnel
| Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy | Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Master Chief (last name) Sincerely |
| Master Chief Petty Officer | Master Chief Petty Officer (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Master Chief (last name) Sincerely |
| Senior Chief Petty Officer | Senior Chief Petty Officer (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Senior Chief (last name) Sincerely |
| Chief Petty Officer | Chief Petty Officer (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Chief (last name) Sincerely |
| Petty Officer First Class | Petty Officer First Class (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Petty Officer (last name) Sincerely |
| Petty Officer Second Class | Petty Officer Second Class (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Petty Officer (last name) Sincerely |
| Petty Officer Third Class | Petty Officer Third Class (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Petty Officer (last name) Sincerely |
| Airman (includes Apprentice and Recruit) | Airman (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Airman (last name) Sincerely |
| Constructionman (includes Apprentice and Recruit) | Constructionman (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Constructionman (last name) Sincerely |
| Dentalman (includes Apprentice and Recruit) | Dentalman (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Dentalman (last name) Sincerely |
| Fireman (includes Apprentice and Recruit) | Fireman (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Fireman (last name) Sincerely |
| Hospital Corpsman (includes Apprentice and Recruit) | Hospital Corpsman (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Hospital Corpsman (last name) Sincerely |
| Seaman (includes Apprentice and Recruit) | Seaman (full name), USN (address) |
Dear Seaman (last name) Sincerely |
Marine Corps Enlisted Personnel
| Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps | Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear Sergeant Major (last name) Sincerely |
| Sergeant Major | Sergeant Major (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear Sergeant Major (last name) Sincerely |
| Master Gunnery Sergeant | Master Gunnery Sergeant (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear Master Gunnery Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| First Sergeant | First Sergeant (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear First Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Master SErgeant | Master Sergeant (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear Master Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Gunnery Sergeant | Gunnery Sergeant (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear Gunnery Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Staff Sergeant | Staff Sergeant (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear Staff Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Sergeant | Sergeant (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Corporal | Corporal (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear Corporal (last name) Sincerely |
| Lance Corporal | Lance Corporal (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear Corporal (last name) Sincerely |
| Private First Class | Private First Class (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear Private First Class (last name) Sincerely |
| Private | Private (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear Private (last name) Sincerely |
Air Force Enlisted Personnel
| Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force | Chief Master SErgeant of the Air Force (full name), USAF (address) |
Dear Chief (last name) Sincerely |
| Chief Master Sergeant | Chief Master Sergeant (full name), USAF (address) |
Dear Chief (last name) Sincerely |
| Senior Master Sergeant | Senior Master Sergeant (full name), USAF (address) |
Dear Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Master Sergeant | Master Sergeant (full name), USAF (address) |
Dear Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Technical Sergeant | Technical Sergeant (full name), USAF (address) |
Dear Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Staff Sergeant | Staff Sergeant (full name), USAF (address) |
Dear Sergeant (last name) Sincerely |
| Senior Airman | Senior Airman (full name), USAF (address) |
Dear Airman (last name) Sincerely |
| Airman First Class | Airman First Class (full name), USAF (address) |
Dear Airman (last name) Sincerely |
| Airman | Airman (full name), USAF (address) |
Dear Airman (last name) Sincerely |
| Airman Basic | Airman Basic (full name), USAF (address) |
Dear Airman (last name) Sincerely |
Other Military Personnel
| All retired military personnel | (rank) (full name), (Service abbreviation) (Ret) (address) |
Dear (rank) (last name) Sincerely |
| Cadet | Cadet (full name) (address) |
Dear Cadet (last name) Sincerely |
| Midshipman | Midshipman (full name) (address) |
Dear Midshipman (last name) Sincerely |
| Air Cadet | Air Cadet (full name) (address) |
Dear Air Cadet (last name) Sincerely |
Independent Agencies
A Military head of a Federal agency, authority, or board shall be addressed by military rank.
| Head of a Federal Agency, Authority, or Board | The Honorable (full name) (title) (agency) Washington DC (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| President of a Commission or board | The Honorable (full name) President, (name of commission) Washington DC (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Chairman of a Commission or Board | The Honorable (full name) Chairman, (name of commission) Washington DC (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Chairman Sincerely |
| Postmaster General | The Honorable (full name) Postmaster General 475 L'Enfant Plaza West SW Washington DC 20260 |
Dear Mr./Madam Chairman Sincerely |
American Missions
| American Ambassador | The Honorable (full name) American Ambassador (city), (country) (address) |
Dear Mr./Madam Ambassador Sincerely |
| American Ambassador (with military rank) | (Full rank) (full name) American Ambassador (city), (country) (address) |
Dear (rank) (last name) Sincerely |
| Personal/Special Representative of the President | The Honorable (full name) Personal Representative of the Persident of the United States of America to (country) (address) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| American Foreign Service Officer with personal rank of Minister | The Honorable (full name) (rank: Minister Counselor or Counselor) American Embassy (address) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| American Minister (with military rank) | (full rank) (full name) (title) American Embassy (address) |
Dear (rank) (last name) Sincerely |
| American Consul General, consul, or Vice Consul | Mr./Ms. (full name) American Consul General (or Consul or Vice Consul) (address) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| US Political Advisor | The Honorable (full name) United States Political Advisor for (country) (address) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
Foreign Diplomatic Missions to the United States
| Foreign Ambassador in the United States | His/Her Excellency (full name) Ambassador of (country) Washington DC (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Ambassador Sincerely |
| Foreign Minister in the United States (head of a delegation) |
The Honorable (full name) Minister of (country) Washington DC (ZIP +4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Minister Sincerely |
| Foreign Minister Counselor in the United States | The Honorable (full name) Minister Counselor Embassy of (country) Washington DC (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Minister Sincerely |
| Foreign Chargé d'Affaires in the United States | Mr./Madam (full name) Chargé d'Affaires of (country) (address) |
Dear Mr./Madam Chargé d'Affaires Sincerely |
International Organizations
| Organization with no US Representative* | The (title of officer) of the (organization name) (address) |
Dear Sir/Madam Sincerely |
| *Address communications to the ranking officer of an international organization that has no full-time US representative. | ||
| Secretary General of the Organization of American States | The Honorable (full name)* Secretary General of the Organization of American States Washington DC 20006 |
Dear Mr./Madam Secretary General Sincerely |
| *Address officials as "The Honorable" unless otherwise entitled to "His [or] Her Excellency." | ||
| Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States | The Honorable (full name) Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States Washington DC 20006 |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| United States Representative on the Council of the oRganization of American States | The Honorable (full name), US Representative on the Council of the Organization of American States Washington DC 20520 |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
United Nations
Address communications for the United Nations to the US Representative to the United Nations, through the Department of State. Direct communication with the United Nations is inappropriate. Send all notes for the United Nations through the US Representative with a cover note with appropriate instruction. Address officials as “The Honorable” unless otherwise entitled to “His [or] Her Excellency.”
| Secretary General of the United Nations | The Honorable (full name) Secretary General of the United Nations New York NY 10017 |
Dear Mr./Madam Secretary General Sincerely |
| US Representative to the United Nations | The Honorable (full name) United States Representative to the United Nations New York NY 10017 |
Dear Mr./Ms. Ambassador (last name) Sincerely |
| Chairman, US Delegation to the UN Military Staff Committee | The Honorable (full name) Chairman, United States Delegation United Nations Military Staff Committee United States Mission to the United Nations New York NY 10017 |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| US Senior Representative to the UN General Assembly | The Honorable (full name) Senior Representative of the United STates to the General ASsembly of the United Nations New York NY 10017 |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Senior Military Adviser to the US Delegation to the UN General Assembly | (Full rank) (full name) Senior Military Adviser to the United States Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly New York NY 10017 |
Dear (rank) (last name) Sincerely |
| US Representative on the UN Economic and Social Council | The Honorable (full name) United STates Representative to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations New York NY 10017 |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| US Representative on the UN Disarmament Commission | The Honorable (full name) United States Representative on the Disarmament Commission of the United Nations New York NY 10017 |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| US Representative to the UN Trusteeship Council | The Honorable (full name) United STates Representative on the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations New York NY 10017 |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
State and Local Government
| State Governor | The Honorable (full name) Governor of (State) City ST (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Governor (last name) Sincerely |
| Acting State Governor | The Honorable (full name) Acting Governor of (State) City ST (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| State Lieutenant Governor | The Honorable (full name) Lieutenant Governor of (State) City St (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| State Secretary of State | The Honorable (full name) Secretary of State of (State) City ST (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam (last name) Sincerely |
| Chief Justice of a State Supreme Court | The Honorable (full name) Chief Justice Supreme Court of the State of (State) City ST (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Chief Justice Sincerely |
| State Attorney General | The Honorable (full name) Attorney General State of (State) City ST (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Madam Attorney General Sincerely |
| State Treasureer, Comptroller, or Auditor | The Honorable (full name) State (Treasurer, Comptroller, or Auditor) State of (State) City ST (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| President, State Senate | The Honorable (full name) President of the Senate of the State of (State) City ST (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| State Senator | The Honorable (full name) (State) Senate City ST (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Speaker, State House of Representatives, Assembly or House of Delegates* | The Honorable (full name) Speaker of the (Legislature's name*) of the State of (State) City ST (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| State Representative, Assembly man, or Delegate* | The Honorable (full name) (State) (Legislature's name*) City ST (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| *In most States, the lower branch of the legislature is the House of Representatives. In some States, such as California and New York, the lower house is known as the Assembly. In others, such as Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, it is known as the House of Delegates. Nebraska has a one-house legislature; its members are classed as senators. | ||
| Mayo | The Honorable (full name) Mayor of (city) City ST (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mayor (last name) Sincerely |
| President of a Board of Commissioners | The Honorable (full name) President, Board of Commissioners of (city) City ST (ZIP+4 Code) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
Ecclesiastical Organizations
| Catholic Cardinal | His Eminence (first name) Cardinal (last name) (address) |
Dear Cardinal (last name) Sincerely |
| Catholic Archbishop | The Most Reverend (full name) Archbishop of (archdiocese) (address) |
Dear Archbishop (last name) Sincerely |
| Catholic Bishop | The Most Reverend (full name) Bishop of (place) (address) |
Dear Bishop (last name) Sincerely |
| Catholic Monsignor | The Reverend Monsignor (full name) (address) |
Dear Monsignor (last name) Sincerely |
| Catholic Priest | The Reverend (full name), (initials of order) (address) |
Dear Father (last name) (informal) Sincerely |
| Catholic Mother Superior of an Institution | Reverend Mother (full name), (initials of order) (name of institution) (address) |
Dear Reverend Mother Sincerely |
| Catholic Sister | Sister (full name), (initials of order) (name of organization) (address) |
Dear Sister (first name) Sincerely |
| Catholic Brother | Brother (full name), (initials of order) (organization) (address) |
Dear Brother (first name) Sincerely |
| Episcopal Archdeacon | The Venerable (full name) Archdeacon of (place) (address) |
Dear Archdeacon (last name) Sincerely |
| Episcopal Dean | The Very REverend (full name), (initials of degree) Dean of (place) (address) |
Dear Dean (last name) Sincerely |
| Methodist Bishop | The Reverend (full name) Bishop of (place) (address) |
Dear Bishop (last name) Sincerely |
| Mormon Bishop | Mr. (full name) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (address) |
Dear Mr. (last name) Sincerely |
| Army Chaplain | Chaplain (rank in parenthesis) (full name), USA (address) |
Dear Chaplain (last name) Sincerely |
| Navy Chaplain | Rank (full name) CHC, USN (address) |
Dear Chaplain (last name) Sincerely |
| Air Force Chaplain | Chaplain (rank) (full name), USAF (address) |
Dear Chaplain (last name) Sincerely |
| Marine Corps Chaplain | Chaplain (rank) (full name), USMC (address) |
Dear Chaplain (last name) Sincerely |
| Minister, Pastor, or Rector (with doctoral degree) | The Reverend Dr. (full name) (address) |
Dear Dr. (last name) Sincerely |
| Minister, Pastor, Rector (without doctoral degree) | The Reverend (full name) (address) |
Dear Reverent (last name) Sincerely |
| Rabbi (with doctoral degree) | Rabbi (full name), (initials of degree) (address) |
Dear Dr. (last name) Sincerely |
| Rabbi (without doctoral degree) | Rabbi (full name) (address) |
Dear Rabbi (last name) Sincerely |
Private Citizens
| University or college president (with doctoral degree) | Dr. (full name) President, (name of institution) (address) |
Dear Dr. (last name) Sincerely |
| University or college president (without a doctoral degree) | Mr. (full name) President, (name of institution) (address) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Dean of a school (with doctoral degree) | Dr. (full name) Dean, School of (name) (name of institution) (address) |
Dear Dr. (last name) Sincerely |
| Dean of a school (without doctoral degree) | Dean (full name), School of (name) (name of institution) (address) |
Dear Dean (last name) Sincerely |
| Professor* (with doctoral degree) | Dr. (or Professor) (full name) Department of (name) (name of institution) (address) |
Dear Dr. (last name) Sincerely |
| Professor* (with doctoral degree) | Professor (full name) Department of (name) (name of institution) (address) |
Dear Professor (last name) Sincerely |
| Associate Professor* or Assistant Professor* (with doctoral degree) | Dr. (or Professor) (full name) Associate (or Assistant) Professor Department of (name) (name of institution) (address) |
Dear Professor (last name) Sincerely |
| Associate Professor* or Assistant Professor* (without doctoral degree) | Mr./Ms. (full name) Associate (or Assistant) Professor Department of (name) (name of institution) (address) |
Dear Professor (last name) Sincerely |
| *Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistnat Professor are academic ranks that may be held with or without a doctoral degreee, depending on the position and university policies. "Dr." denotes the award of a doctoral degree and is usually the preferred title by those holding a doctoral degree | ||
| Physician | (Full name), MD (address) |
Dear Dr. (last name) Sincerely |
| Lawyer | Mr./Ms. (full name) Attorney at Laaw (address) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| One individual | Mr. (full name) Mrs. (full name) Miss (full name) Ms. (full name) (address) |
Dear Mr. (last name) Dear Mrs. (last name) Dear Miss (last name) Dear Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Two individuals: Married, no special title | Mr. and Mrs. (full name) (address) |
Dear Mr. and Mrs. (last name) Sincerely |
| Two individuals (men): No relationship specified | Mr. (full name) and Mr. (full name) (address) |
Dear Mr. (last name) and Mr. (last name) Sincerely |
| Two individuals (women): No relationship specified | Mrs. (full name) and Miss (full name) (address) |
Dear Mrs. (last name) and Miss (last name) Sincerely |
| Two individuals: Marital status and relationship not specified | Ms. (full name) and Mr. (full name) (address) |
Dear Ms. (last name) and Mr. (last name) Sincerely |
| Two individuals (women): Marital status and relationship not specified | Ms. (full name) and Ms. (full name) (address) |
Dear Ms. (last name) and Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Three or more individuals: Men | Messieurs (full name) and (full name) and (full name) (address) |
Gentlemen ---or--- Sirs ---or--- Dear Messieurs (last name) and (last name) and (last name) Sincerely |
| Three or more individuals: Married Women | Mesdames (full name) and (full name) and (full name) (address) |
Dear Mesdames (last name) and (last name) and (last name) Sincerely |
| Three or more individuals: Unmarried Women | Misses (full name) and (full name) and (full name) ---or--- The Misses (last name), (last name), and (last name) (address) |
Dear Misses (last name) and (last name) and (last name) Sincerely |
| Three or more individuals: Same last name | Messieurs (given names), Mesdames (given names), and Misses (given names) (last name) (address) |
Dear Messieurs, Mesdames, and Misses (last name) Sincerely |
| Married couple, same last name: husband has special title | Dr. and Mrs. (husband's full name) (address) |
Dear Dr. and Mrs. (husband's last name) Sincerely |
| Married couple, same last name: wife has special title | Senator (wife's full name) Mr. (husband's full name) (address) |
Dear Senator and Mr. (last name) Sincerely |
| Married couple, same last name: both have special titles | Captain (husband's full name) Professor (wife's full name) (address) |
Dear Captain and Professor (last name) Sincerely |
| Married couple, different last names | Ms. (wife's full name) Mr. (husband's full name) (address) |
Dear Ms. (wife's last name) and Mr. (husband's last name) Sincerely |
| Married couple, hyphenated last name | Mr. and Mrs. (husband's first name and middle initial, plus wife's original last name followed by hyphen and husband's last name) (address) |
Dear Mr. and Mrs. (wife's original last name followed by hyphen and husband's last name) Sincerely |
| Organizations | Members (organization name) (address) |
Dear Members Sincerely |
| Informal Groups | Mr. (full name) First Grade Jefferson Elementary School (address) |
Dear Students Sincerely |
Former Government Officials
| Former President (no title used in address) | The Honorable (full name) (address) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Respectfully yours, |
| Former Vice President (no title used in address) | The Honorable (full name) (address) |
Dear Mr. (last name) Sincerely |
| Former Member of the Cabinet addressed as "Secretary" | The Honorable (full name) (address) |
Dear Mr./Madam Secretary Sincerely |
| Former Attorney General | The Honorable (full name) (address) |
Dear Mr./Madam Attorney General Sincerely |
| Former Secretary of a Military Department | The Honorable (full name) (address) |
Dear Mr./Ms. (last name) Sincerely |
| Former Postmaster General | The Honorable (full name) (address) |
Dear Mr./Madam Postmaster General Sincerely |
| Former Senator | The Honorable (full name) (address) |
Dear Senator (last name) Sincerely |
| Former Representative | The Honorable (full name) (address) |
Dear Representative (last name) Sincerely |
| Former Justice | The Honorable (full name) (address) |
Dear Mr./Madam Justice Sincerely |
| Former Judge | The Honorable (full name) (address) |
Dear Judge (last name) Sincerely |
