Addresses for Letters Tips

General Address Formatting

Addresses for officers and enlisted personnel should include title/rank and full name followed by a comma and the initials USA, USN, USAF, USMC, or USCG.

Board of Education Member

... (full name)
Member, ... (name of city) Board of Education
Address

Dear Mr. ...:

State Senator

The Honorable ... (full name)
The State Senate
State Capital, State ZIP Code

Dear Senator ... :

Proper Address to a Foreign Ambassador

The salutation for a letter to an Ambassador to the U.S (a foreign Ambassador) should read: Excellency or Dear Mr./Madam Ambassador.

The form of address for a foreign Ambassador should be: His/Her Excellency (full name), The Ambassador of (place name).

Also, the salutation for a letter to a U.S. Ambassador should read: Sir/Madam or Dear Mr./Madam Ambassador.

And the form of address for a U.S Ambassador should be: The Honorable (full name), The Ambassador of the United States.

Cabinet Member

The Honorable ... (full name)
Secretary of ... (department)
Washington, DC (ZIP code)

Dear Mr. (or Madam) Secretary:

Episcopal Dean

The Very Reverend ... (full name)
Dean of ... (place)
Address

Very Reverend Sir:

OR:

Dear Dean ...:

Navy and Coast Guard Officers

Rear Admiral ... (full name), USN (OR: USCG)
Address

Sir:
Madam:
Dear Admiral ...:

For officers below the rank of commander, use:

Dear Mr. ...:

Minister Without Doctorate

The Reverend ... (full name)
Address

Reverend Sir:
Reverend Madam:
Dear Mr. ...:
Dear Ms. (Mrs., Miss) ...:

Sister

Sister ... (name, followed by comma and initials of order)
Address

Dear Sister ...:
Dear Sister:

Teacher

... (Full name)
... (name of school)
Address

Mr. (or Dr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss) ...:

Minister With Doctorate

The Reverend Dr. ... (full name)
Address

Or:
The Reverend ... (full name), D.D.
Address

Dear Dr. ...:

Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

The Chief Justice of the United States
Washington, DC 20543

OR:

The Chief Justice
The Supreme Court
Washington, DC 20543

Dear Mr. (or Madam) Chief Justice:

Judge of Federal, State, or Local Court

The Honorable ... (full name)
Judge of the ... (name of court)
Address

Dear Judge ... (surname):

President of College or University

(Full name, followed by comma and highest degree)
President, (name of college)
Address

Dear President ...:
Dear Dr. ...:

Vice President of the United States

The Vice President
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

OR:

The Honorable ... (full name)
Vice President of the United States
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Mr. Vice President:

Secretary General of the United Nations

His (or "Her") Excellency ... (Full name)
Secretary General of the United Nations
United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017

Excellency:
Dear Mr. Secretary General:
Dear Madam Secretary General:

Former President of the United States

The Honorable ... (full name)
local address

Dear Mr. ....

Compass Points

James Smith
447 Bleeker Street, NW

Harriet Gibson
303 Canal Avenue South

John Kelly
343 SE 12th Street

U.S. House of Representatives Member

The Honorable ... (full name)
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

OR:

The Honorable ... (full name)
Representative in Congress
(Local Address)

Dear Representative ... (surname):

President of the United States

The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

Dean of College or University

... (Full name, followed by comma and highest degree)
Dean, ... (name of school or division)
... (name of college)
Address

Dear Dr. ...
Dear Dean ...

Writing to an Organization

When writing to an individual at an organization, the individual's name should be listed on the first line.
Kathy Baker
First Union Bank
avoid
First Union Bank
Kathy Baker

United States Senator

The Honorable ... (full name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

OR:

The Honorable ...(full name)
United States Senator
Local Address

Dear Senator ... (surname):

fort, mount, point, port, Saint, Sainte

For addresses, spell out the following:
Fort, Mount, Point, Port.

But abbreviate: St. (Saint) and Ste. (Sainte)

Governor

The Honorable ... (full name)
Governor of ... (state)
State Capital, State ZIP Code

Dear Governor ... :

Monsignor

The Reverend Monsignor ... (full name)
Address

Reverend Monsignor:
Dear Monsignor ...:

Professor

Professor ... (full name)
Department of ... (subject)
... (name of college)
Address

Dear Professor (or Dr. or Mr.)

Enlisted Personnel

Sergeant ... (full name), USA
Address

Dear Sergeant ...:

Seaman ... (full name), USN
Address

Dear Seaman ...:

Principal

... (full name)
Principal, ... (name of school)
Address

Dear Mr. (or Dr.) ...:

Mother Superior

The Reverend Mother Superior
Address

OR:

Reverend Mother:
Dear Reverend Mother:
Dear Mother ...:

Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

Mr. Justice ... (surname) (Or "Madam")
The Supreme Court
Washington, DC 20543

Dear Mr. (or Madam) Justice:

Writing to Doctors

In the address block, use:
John Smith, M.D.

In the salutation, use:
Dear Dr. Smith:

Don't use "Dr." and "M.D." together. Same rules apply for Ph.D.

Methodist Bishop

The Reverend ... (full name)
Bishop of .. (place)
Address

Reverend Sir:

OR:

Dear Bishop ...:

Priest

The Reverend ... (full name, followed by comma and initials of order)
Address

Reverend Father:
Dear Father ...:
Dear Father:

Pope

His Holiness the Pope
OR: His Holiness Pope ... (given name)
Vatican City
00187 Rome
ITALY

Your Holiness:
Most Holy Father:

Rabbi Without Doctorate

Rabbi ... (full name)
address

Dear Rabbi ...:

Cardinal

His Eminence ... (given name)
Cardinal of ... (surname)
Archbishop of ... (place)
Address

Your Eminence:
Dear Cardinal:

State Representative or Assembly Member

The Honorable ... (full name)
House of Representatives (OR: The State Assembly)
State Capital, State ZIP Code

Dear Mr. ...:

Episcopal Bishop

The Right Reverend ... (full name)
Bishop of ... (place)
Address

Right Reverend Sir:

OR:

Dear Bishop ...:

Two People

Individuals should be listed separately in the address.

John Smith
Sally Smith
Address

Avoid:
John and Sally Smith
Address

Archbishop and Bishop

The Most Reverend ... (full name)
Archbishop (OR: Bishop) of ... (place)
Address

Your Excellency:
Dear Archbishop (OR: Bishop) ...:

Superintendent of Schools

... (full name)
Superintendent of ... Schools
Address

Dear Mr. (or Dr.) ...:

Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps Officers

Lieutenant General ... (full name), USA (OR: USAF) (OR: USMC)
Address

Sir:
Madam:
Dear General ...: (NOT: Dear Lieutenant General ...:)

Rabbi With Doctorate

Rabbi ... (full name), D.D.
Address

Dear Rabbi ...:
Dear Dr. ...: