How to Address a Commissioner

Co-authored by Janice Tieperman Reviewed by Tami Claytor

Last Updated: April 28, 2023 References

Whether you're trying to contact a commissioner or you'll be seeing them in person, you're probably wondering how to properly address them. There’s no need to fear—most Commissioners, whether they're a county commissioner, state commissioner, or other type of commissioner, can be addressed with similar honorifics and prefixes. This guide will walk you through how to address both government and court commissioners.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Government Commissioner

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1
Call them “Commissioner” when you see them in person. Don’t worry about any special honorifics when you’re in the middle of a conversation, like “The Honorable.” Use the prefix “Commissioner” and the person’s surname when you speak with them.^{[1]
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- For instance, you can say something like, “Hello, Commissioner Brown! How are you today?”
- If you’re talking about them in conversation, you’d say something like, “Commissioner Hall will be here shortly.”
2
Fill out an envelope with “The Honorable” if they were elected. List out their full name, their position as Commissioner, and the organization or agency they preside over. Then, list out their full address.^{[2]
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- For instance, you can write something like:
  The Honorable Glenn Williams
  Commissioner
  Administration for Community Living
  300 Main Street
  New York, NY 12345
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3
Use “Mr./Ms./Dr.” if the Commissioner is appointed. Unless the person was appointed by a very powerful person, like a president, governor, or other well-established leader, you don’t need to use “The Honorable” when filling out their address. Instead, list them with regular, civilian prefixes, along with their position and the agency that they work for.^{[3]
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- For example, you’d write something like:
  Dr. Bailey Theo
  Commissioner
  Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
  300 Main Street
  New York, NY 12345
4
Write “Dear Commissioner” and their last name as a salutation. Don’t stress about sounding too formal or casual—with letter headers, “Dear” works perfectly fine as a salutation. Use “Commissioner” and their last name, and skip over their first name altogether.^{[4]
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- For instance, you could start a letter with: “Dear Commissioner Wolsek.”
5
List the Commissioner first and their spouse second on an envelope. Follow the same rules for addressing envelopes, but use a regular prefix for the Commissioner’s spouse. Then, write out the address as you normally would.^{[5]
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- For instance, you’d address an elected Commissioner and their spouse as:
  The Honorable Charlie Davenport and Mrs. Davenport
  20 Oak Lane
  Chicago, IL 12345
- The mailing address for an appointed Commissioner would look like:
  Mr. Anthony Baker and Mrs. Caitlin Baker
  2000 Axel Lane
  Washington, DC 12345

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Court Commissioner

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1
Call them “Judge” if they’re an elected or appointed official. Court Commissioners are essentially judges, and can be addressed as such. Just use the prefix “Judge” along with their last name whenever you speak to them.^{[6]
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- For example, you can say something like, “Hello, Judge Brooks! It’s great to see you today.”
2
Refer to them as “Your Honor” if you’re in court where they’re presiding. Play by the courtroom rules in a professional setting. Don’t worry about official titles—“Your Honor” works just fine, and is the usual protocol in a courtroom.^{[7]
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- If a Court Commissioner is only visiting a courtroom but not leading the court proceedings, you don’t need to call them “Your Honor.”
- Don’t use “sir” or “ma’am” in the courtroom—this is considered impolite.^{[8]
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Use “The Honorable” as a prefix when addressing an envelope. List out the Court Commissioner’s full name, along with the court they preside over. Then, finish with the address.^{[9]
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- For example, you could write something like:
  The Honorable Elizabeth A. Carnegie
  Stafford County Courthouse
  340 Main Street
  Stafford, VA 12345
4
Write “Commissioner” and their last name in a letter salutation. List out the person’s title and then their last name. Don’t worry about first names for your correspondence, since they aren’t necessary.^{[10]
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- For example, “Dear Commissioner Haverford” would be a good letter or email salutation.

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Tips

Members of a commission or sports commissioners don’t get any special prefixes. You can just call them “Commissioner” and write “Mr./Mrs./Mx./Dr.” and their last name along with their commission or agency on an envelope.^{[11]
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The chairperson of a commission is typically called “Chairperson” instead of “Commissioner.”^{[12]
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You can use different salutations for Police Commissioners, like “Mr./Madam Commissioner,” or “Commissioner Brown.” On an envelope, you’d write out their full name, along with a Mr./Ms. prefix, their official Commissioner title, their police department, and then the rest of their address.^{[13]
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