While the thought of writing a letter to the person who holds the highest elected office in the United States might seem a bit overwhelming at first thought, it's something that anyone can do. As a matter of fact, there is an Office of Presidential Correspondence that is responsible for receiving and replying to letters and other correspondence submitted to the president by constituents. You can use the printable template here to help you get started drafting a letter of your own.
Printable Template for Writing a Letter to the President
For a shortcut to formatting your letter to the president, download this customizable printable letter that's already addressed and formatted in a way that makes it easy for you to fill in your contact information and content. Just click the image below and the template will open as a PDF file that you can edit, save, and print. Adjust the text in the body of the message so that it's specific to the cause or issue that you want to share with the president.
Where to Send a Letter to the President
According to WhiteHouse.gov, letters to the president should be addressed as follows:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Formatting Your Letter to the President
When drafting a letter to the president, please keep these formatting guidelines in mind.
- Letters to the president should be submitted on standard 8.5" x 11" paper.
- Typing is preferred. If, for some reason, you opt to send a handwritten letter, be sure to use ink (rather than pencil or another writing instrument) and ensure that it is neat and legible.
- The greeting should specify either "Dear President [Last Name]," or "Dear [Mr. or Ms.] President,"
- As a letter to the president is a formal document, so it's best to use a standard business letter format.
- Write a draft of your letter, then proofread carefully to ensure that it conveys your intended meaning and is free from errors.
Other Options for Presidential Correspondence
Writing a letter isn't the only way to send correspondence to the president of the United States. It's also possible to submit an email or place a phone call, both of which will also be directed to the Office of Presidential Correspondence.
The White House has an email submission form that can be used for this purpose; you can find it at WhiteHouse.gov/contact. The body of the message in the printable letter above may be helpful to you for drafting the text of your email; just edit it as needed to convey your message and copy into the email form.
- You'll need to include your contact information along with the message you are sending.
- The form is pre-set to opt-in those who send messages to receive periodic updates from the White House via email. If you do not wish to receive such updates, you'll need to uncheck the box at the bottom of the form before submitting.
Telephone
If you'd prefer to call the Office of Presidential Correspondence, you may do so using the following telephone numbers.
- Comments: 202-456-1111 or for TTY/TTD, call 202-456-6213
- Switchboard: 202-456-1414
- Visitors Office: 202-456-6213 (TTY/TTD capable)
Sending Your Message to the President
If there is a cause or issue you are passionate about and you'd like to get information about it to the highest levels of the United States government, you may want to consider writing a letter to the president. Whether you start from a blank page or use the template above, you may also want to consider creating a version of your letter to submit to your congressional representatives as well. Visit Senate.gov and Congress.gov to identify your representatives and get their contact details.
