Etiquette
How to address an envelope to an elected official
Write The Honorable followed by their full name on the first line, their title and office on the second line, then the official office address. The Honorable Jane Smith, United States Senate, Washington DC 20510. Federal and state elected officials, plus mayors, all get The Honorable. Most other city and county officials do not.
Checked July 30, 2026/7 min read
Written by Claire PostReviewed against USPS Publication 28
What is on this page6 sections
Writing to an elected official comes with a title most people rarely use anywhere else: The Honorable. It spans an unusually wide range of offices, a senator, a mayor, a judge, a governor, all get the same opening word, even though almost nothing else about their envelope format is identical.
The genuinely tricky part is not the current officeholder, where the rules are consistent and well documented. It is the former officeholder, where etiquette sources actually disagree with each other about whether the title sticks around after someone leaves office.
Step by step
Start with The Honorable and the full name
This is the standard opening line for any current federal or state elected official, and for mayors.
THE HONORABLE JANE SMITHUNITED STATES SENATEWASHINGTON DC 20510CorrectA US Senator, standard format. Use the correct office name on the second line
United States Senate for a senator, United States House of Representatives for a representative, with a room and building name added if you know it.
THE HONORABLE JORDAN REYES1234 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDINGWASHINGTON DC 20515CorrectA US Representative, with office building. Address a mayor with their office and city
The Honorable, full name, then Mayor of the city, then City Hall and the city address.
THE HONORABLE ALICE CHENMAYOR OF RIVERVIEWCITY HALLRIVERVIEW VT 05401CorrectA mayor, addressed at City Hall. Know which officials do not use The Honorable
Most city council members, county officials, and other local roles below mayor are addressed with a standard Mr., Ms., or their professional title instead, not The Honorable.
Address a judge with The Honorable and their court
The same The Honorable opening, followed by the judge full name and the specific court they sit on.
THE HONORABLE SARAH HALEUNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT100 COURTHOUSE WAYDENVER CO 80202CorrectA federal judge.
Quick reference
| Office | Opening | Office line |
|---|---|---|
| US Senator | The Honorable [Full Name] | United States Senate |
| US Representative | The Honorable [Full Name] | United States House of Representatives |
| State Governor | The Honorable [Full Name] | Governor of [State] |
| Mayor | The Honorable [Full Name] | Mayor of [City], City Hall |
| Judge | The Honorable [Full Name] | [Specific Court Name] |
| Most city/county officials | [Title] [Full Name] | No "The Honorable" typically used |
Special cases
The rule above covers most people. Here is what changes for the rest.
Does a former elected official still get addressed as The Honorable?
Sources genuinely disagree on this, and it is worth knowing both positions rather than assuming one settled rule. Some etiquette references hold that "The Honorable" continues in writing for a former Senator, Representative, or similar high office, permanently. Others hold that it should be dropped once someone leaves office, while the underlying courtesy title, Senator Smith or Governor Chen, is kept. Given the disagreement, the safer default for a former high federal official is to keep using their earned title, Senator or Governor, without necessarily adding The Honorable in front of it, unless you know their personal preference or the specific institution you are writing to has its own house style.
Does a state representative get addressed the same way as a US Representative?
Similarly, but not identically. Both typically get The Honorable, but the office line differs: a state representative uses the state legislature name and state capitol address rather than United States House of Representatives and Washington DC.
What about addressing an ambassador?
An ambassador gets The Honorable followed by their full name, with "Ambassador of the United States" or the specific country they represent noted on the next line, depending on whether they are a US ambassador abroad or a foreign ambassador in the US.
Key terms on this page
- The Honorable
- A courtesy title used in writing for current (and, per some sources, former) holders of significant elected or appointed office, placed before the full name.
- Courtesy title
- A title, such as Senator or Governor, tied to an office someone holds or has held, distinct from a personal title like Mr. or Dr.
- Office address
- The official government address for an elected official, such as the US Capitol or a state capitol building, distinct from any personal or campaign address.