Forms of Address
How to address a commissioner
A commissioner is addressed as "The Honorable [Full Name], [specific type] Commissioner" on the envelope. The salutation is "Dear Commissioner [Last Name]:" and the same short form is used in conversation, regardless of whether the role is a court, state, or resident commissioner.
Checked September 10, 2026/5 min read
Written by Claire PostReviewed against USPS Publication 28
What is on this page6 sections
Commissioner is one title that covers three genuinely different jobs, a judicial officer, a state agency head, and a federal legislative delegate, which makes the office line the part that actually does the identifying work here.
The Honorable and the salutation, “Commissioner [Last Name],” stay consistent across all three. What changes, and what actually matters for getting the envelope right, is which specific office line follows the name.
Step by step
Start with The Honorable and the full name
Then the specific type of commissioner on the next line, since "Commissioner" alone does not identify the office. A court commissioner, a state commissioner, and a resident commissioner are three genuinely different roles.
THE HONORABLE MARCUS T HOLLOWAYCOURT COMMISSIONERSUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA111 N HILL STLOS ANGELES CA 90012CorrectStandard envelope format for a court commissioner. Use Commissioner plus last name in the salutation
"Dear Commissioner [Last Name]:" is the standard formal salutation across all three types.
Use the same short form in conversation
"Commissioner [Last Name]" on first address, "Commissioner" afterward, the same pattern used across other titled offices on this site.
Know that a Resident Commissioner has a distinct federal role
Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner is a non-voting member of the US House of Representatives. The envelope uses "Resident Commissioner" as the office line with the House of Representatives address, rather than a state or court address.
Quick reference
| Type | Envelope (office line) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Court Commissioner | Court Commissioner | A judicial officer, typically handling a specific category of cases within a court |
| State Commissioner | Commissioner of [Agency/Department] | Heads a specific state agency or department |
| Resident Commissioner | Resident Commissioner | Puerto Rico non-voting delegate to the US House of Representatives |
Special cases
The rule above covers most people. Here is what changes for the rest.
Is a court commissioner addressed like a judge?
The Honorable applies to both, but a court commissioner is a distinct judicial officer role, generally with narrower authority than a full judge. Use "Commissioner [Last Name]" rather than "Judge [Last Name]" in the salutation, since the two are different positions even within the same courthouse.
Does every state have the same commissioner titles?
No. Which state agencies are headed by a "Commissioner" versus a "Secretary" or "Director" varies by state. Confirm the exact title used in the specific state before addressing correspondence formally.
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 a commissioner.
- Resident Commissioner
- Puerto Rico non-voting delegate to the US House of Representatives, a distinct federal office from a court or state commissioner.