—-–Envelope:

—-–—-–The Honorable (Full name)

—-–—-–—-–(Office held)

—-–—-–—-–—-–(Address)

—-–Introduction:

—-–—-–The Honorable (Full Name), (Office held)



—-–Conversation or salutation:

—-–—-–Senator (Surname)

—-–—-–Representative (Surname)

—-–—-–Mayor (Surname)

—-–—-–Judge (Surname)

—-–—-–Mr./Ms./Dr./etc. (Surname)

U.S. Officials Addressed as The Honorable

In the United States the Honorable is a courtesy title used with the names of current and retired high-ranking federal and state officials and judges, and with some local officials. It is not used with the names of the deceased. As a general rule, anyone elected to public office in a general election is entitled to be addressed as the Honorable for life. This same pattern of “elected in a general election” is also typical at the state level. At a city/municipal/county/etc. level a mayor and sheriff are always the Honorable, but whether or not other local officials (e.g. members of elected city councils and boards) are the Honorable is by local tradition.

Some appointed officials are also addressed as the Honorable. At the Federal level those appointed by the President of the United States and individually confirmed by the United States Senate are addressed as the Honorable. At the state level the pattern is the same.

The Honorable is always used before a full name. As a courtesy title the Honorable describes an individual: This person is honorable. As such it never precedes the just the name of an office.

Honorable (Full Name) or Hon. (Full Name) are informal forms and used in some jurisdictions.

—-#1) The Honorable is acceptable in environments where Honorable is favored.

—-#2) But Honorable is not acceptable in environments where the Honorable is favored.

Formula: The Honorable (Full Name), (Office Held)

—-Correct: The Honorable Ahmed Henderson, Mayor of Springfield

—-Incorrect: The Honorable (Office Held)

It is the person who is the Honorable, not the office.

—-Incorrect: The Honorable Mayor

—-Incorrect: The Honorable Mayor of Springfield

—-Not formally correct: Honorable Ahmed Henderson

—-Not formally correct: Hon. Ahmed Henderson