Business letters: Return address

On this page

• How to format the return address
• Where to place the return address
  • No letterhead
  • Letterhead without a return address
• Additional information

How to format the return address

The return address is a standard part of any business letter that doesn’t already contain the sender’s address in a letterhead.

A return address includes the sender’s street address, city, province (or territory) and postal code. Note that the sender’s name is not included in the return address, since it appears in the signature.

The address should be single-spaced, with the street address on the first line and the city, province (or territory) and postal code on the second line:

For detailed information on how to format an address within a letter, see the article Addresses: Addresses in letters or other documents.

Where to place the return address

The return address begins at the left margin in full block style. (For the horizontal placement of the return address in modified block style, see the article Business letters: Letter styles.)

The line on which you place the return address depends on whether the letter contains a letterhead.

No letterhead

If you’re not using letterhead, place your return address on the first line of the first page of the letter (that is, at the top margin, which is usually 5 cm from the top edge of the page).

Letterhead without a return address

If you’re using letterhead that doesn’t contain a return address, place your return address on the third line below the letterhead:

Description of image

The company name, in large print, is centred at the top of the page. On the next line, the phone number appears on the left and the email address on the right:
Telephone: 123-456-8910 Email: companyname@company.com.

Three lines below is the return address, presented on two lines:
1234 Bonita Blvd., Suite 201
Anytown, NB  E2C 1Z9

Alternatively, you may place the return address immediately below the signature block, repeating the name of your organization in the address:

Additional information

• Correspondence and addresses – Guidelines and resources
• Business letters: Model letter in recommended format
• Addresses: Addresses in letters or other documents
• Business letters: Letter styles
• Business letters: Inside address
• Addresses: Addresses on envelopes and parcels
• Addresses: Translating Canadian addresses
• Abbreviations: Canadian provinces and territories
• Commas in geographical names and addresses
• Streets and buildings: Abbreviations and numbers