The White House Greetings Office will send greeting cards signed by the President of the United States to commemorate special events, accomplishments, or milestones. It is free of charge to U.S. citizens.

While the existence and basic function of the White House Greetings Office have remained largely the same over the years, each individual presidential administration may deal with greeting requests differently. However, the basic guidelines are rarely changed.

To request a greeting card from the president, just follow these instructions from the White House Greetings Office.

How to Submit Requests

There are currently two ways to request a presidential greeting:

Requests may be submitted through the "Constituent Services" function of the offices of one of your state's senators or representatives.

Requests can also be mailed directly to the White House: White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20500.

Guidelines for Submitting Requests

U.S. citizens only: The White House will only send greetings to United States citizens.

Advance action required: Your request should be received at least six weeks in advance of the event date. (Greetings are generally not sent after the event date, except for wedding congratulations and newborn acknowledgments.)

Required information: Include the following in your request:

Name and home address of honoree(s)

Couple's name (for weddings)

Form of address for honoree(s) (Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., Miss, etc.)

Exact date of occasion (month, day, year)

Age (for birthdays) or number of years of marriage (for anniversaries)

Requestor's name and daytime phone number

Any specific mailing instructions if other than to honoree's address

Why Can You Request a Greeting?

You can only request a greeting for specific special occasions and under certain circumstances. They include:

Anniversary greetings: Anniversary greetings will be sent only to couples who are celebrating a 50th, 60th, 70th, or greater wedding anniversary.

Birthday greetings: Birthday greetings will be sent only to people turning 80 or older or veterans turning 70 or older.

Retirement greetings: Retirement greetings will be sent to retiring employees who have spent at least 30 years at the same job.

Other greetings: For the following greeting-worthy special occasions, there are fewer specific qualifications beyond being a United States citizen:

Wedding (Do not send your request until after the wedding.)

Baby's birth or adoption of a child

Eagle Scout Award

Girl Scout Gold Award

Bar/Bat Mitzvah or equivalent religious occasion

How Long Will It Take?

Typically, signed greeting cards should arrive within six weeks after being requested. This is why the White House Greetings Office requires that requests be made at least six weeks before the date of the event to be commemorated. However, actual delivery times can vary greatly, so requests should always be submitted as far in advance as possible.

For example, at one point during the first term of the Obama administration, the White House Greetings Office announced it was “swamped” with requests and stated that it could take several months for requests to be mailed out.

So, in all cases, the best advice is to plan ahead and order early.

Trump Administration

As part of the 2017 presidential transition, the White House website team has, at least temporarily, removed pages referencing the White House Greetings Office, including the online greeting card request form and instructions.

However, you can still make requests through the offices of your state senators or representatives.