Forms of Address
How to address an Attorney General
The US Attorney General is addressed as "The Honorable [Full Name], Attorney General of the United States" on the envelope. The salutation is "Dear Mr./Madam Attorney General:" A state Attorney General follows the same pattern with "Attorney General of [State]" and the state capital address.
Checked September 10, 2026/6 min read
Written by Claire PostReviewed against USPS Publication 28
What is on this page6 sections
The Attorney General title covers more ground than it first appears: a federal office, fifty separate state offices, and a tier of deputy and assistant roles underneath the top job, each with its own exact wording even though the overall pattern stays consistent.
The Honorable and the office title do the same work here as everywhere else on this site, identifying the person and confirming which specific office they hold, federal or state, top job or deputy.
Step by step
Start with The Honorable and the full name
Then the specific office line: "Attorney General of the United States" for the federal office, or "Attorney General of [State]" for a state office. The two are separate roles with separate addresses.
THE HONORABLE PATRICIA M NGUYENATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATESUS DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE950 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NWWASHINGTON DC 20530CorrectStandard envelope format for the US Attorney General. Use the same office title in the salutation
"Dear Mr. Attorney General:" or "Dear Madam Attorney General:" for either the federal or a state Attorney General. Some formal correspondence uses "Dear Attorney General [Last Name]:" instead, which is also correct.
Use the same short form in conversation
"Mr./Madam Attorney General" or "Attorney General [Last Name]" both work in person, the same flexibility as the written salutation.
Address a deputy or assistant Attorney General by their specific title
A Deputy Attorney General or Assistant Attorney General is addressed as "The Honorable [Full Name], Deputy Attorney General" (or the relevant assistant title), not with the plain "Attorney General" form reserved for the head of the department.
Quick reference
| Who | Envelope (office line) | Salutation |
|---|---|---|
| US Attorney General | Attorney General of the United States | Dear Mr./Madam Attorney General: |
| State Attorney General | Attorney General of [State] | Dear Mr./Madam Attorney General: |
| Deputy Attorney General | Deputy Attorney General | Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name]: |
| US Attorney (federal prosecutor) | United States Attorney for the [District] | Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name]: |
Special cases
The rule above covers most people. Here is what changes for the rest.
Is a US Attorney the same office as the Attorney General?
No. A US Attorney is the chief federal prosecutor for a specific judicial district, appointed separately from the Attorney General, who heads the entire Department of Justice. Both use The Honorable, but the office line and salutation differ; a US Attorney is addressed by name in the salutation, not by the "Mr./Madam Attorney General" form.
How does a state Attorney General address differ from the federal one?
Only the office line and mailing address change, to "Attorney General of [State]" and the state capital rather than Washington, DC. The salutation form stays the same.
Key terms on this page
- The Honorable
- A courtesy title used before the full name of a current or former holder of a high government office, including an Attorney General.
- US Attorney
- The chief federal prosecutor for a specific judicial district, a distinct office from the Attorney General and addressed differently.