How to Address a Letter to a Congressman

Writing to your congressman is a simple way to get involved in government affairs and voice your objections or concerns. Before you send that letter, though, there are a few things you need to know about addressing a state representative.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• writing paper
• envelop
• writing utensil
• postage stamp

1. First, make sure you know the congressman’s full name and correct spelling. Not sure? Then go to the U.S. House of Representatives government website to search for the state representative you wish to write to. See the Resources area for a link to the website's member search.

2. On the envelope for your letter, write “U.S. REPRESENTATIVE” on the first line. Write “The Honorable [insert full name of state representative]” on the second line, followed by “United States Representative” on the third line. Then proceed to write the address portion on the last lines.

3. On the letter itself (at the top), rewrite the same information you wrote on the envelope (in step 2).

4. In addition to addressing the letter properly, you should also write a formal salutation for the letter. For the salutation, writing “Dear Representative [insert last name of state rep]:” is standard. At the end of your letter, be sure to include your full name and address (written legibly) so that the congressman can respond back.

Resources

• U.S. House of Representatives Member Search

[JulieMayfield]

on 12/31/2008 This is great information! More of us should take the time to correspond with our elected officials and let them know how we feel!