How to Order Free White House Greetings

Receiving a White House greeting in the mail to celebrate a milestone birthday, anniversary, birth, or other occasions makes an important day even more special.

These White House greetings are completely free; you just need to send in a request following the guide below. Be sure to follow the directions exactly and double-check everything you're submitting. You won't get to fix anything later if you make a mistake.

Your White House greeting signed by the president will be a keepsake that will truly be cherished for many years to come.

What Special Occasions Will Get You Free White House Greetings

Free White House greetings will be sent to U.S. citizens celebrating any of the following events:

• Achievement
• Adoption
• Birth of a child
• Birthday
• Condolence
• Eagle Scout
• Girl Scout Gold Award
• Graduation
• New United States Citizen
• Retirement
• Spiritual achievement (baptism, bar mitzvah, etc.)
• Wedding or wedding anniversary

There's also an "other" category for other special events.

Where to Send White House Greetings Requests

The White House website includes an easy-to-use Presidential Greeting Request form you can fill out on their website.

If that doesn't work, try one of the following methods:

Mail Your Request to the White House. Send your request to the following address to get a greeting back:

The White House
Attn: Greetings Office
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Contact Your Senator or Representative. Get a hold of your Senator or House Representative and request a White House greeting. You may also request a greeting from them.

What to Include in White House Greetings Requests

The form through the link above will include all the necessary details you need to include in the request.

For example, to get a birthday greeting, you'll be told to include:

• Date of the birthday
• Age the person is turning
• Recipient's name and address
• Status if they've been in the military
• The sender's name, address, phone, and email

Other forms are different, such as the graduation greeting request. You need to specify the graduation type, like if it's for high school, a doctorate, or something else.

When to Send in White House Greetings Requests

Lots of people send in requests for White House greetings, and the White House is swamped in responding to as many of these as possible. It will take a while to receive your greeting, but here are some tips to help you decide when to send them in.

• Submit birthday and anniversary White House greeting requests 6-8 weeks before the event.
• Birth and wedding White House greetings should be sent after the event.

The White House tries to send out the greetings around 10 days prior to the event.

Checking on the Status of a White House Greeting Request

You can call the White House Comments line at 1-202-456-1111 to check on the status of your White House greetings request.

Tips to Make Sure You Receive Your White House Greeting

1. Don't Miss the Obvious. It may go without saying, but double-check all the information before you send it to the White House. Make sure that all details, addresses, and names are correct before you send them in.
2. Send a Clear Request. Be clear about what type of White House greeting you're wanting (birthday, anniversary, etc.) and when you want it by.
3. Be Nice. Using please and thank you's will get you far in this process. I also recommend leaving politics aside in your request.

When to Expect White House Greetings

You can expect to receive your White House greeting in 8-12 weeks, although it might take longer during popular request times.