Ceremonial Documents

Proclamations and letters are ceremonial documents signed by the mayor and issued for public awareness, charitable events, arts and cultural celebrations and other special honors. The city reserves the right to accept, deny or revise requests for ceremonial documents as appropriate within the city’s sole discretion.

Proclamations

Individuals and organizations may request a mayoral proclamation, which is an official document issued by the mayor to commemorate a specific time period, such as a day, week or month. Proclamations issued by the Office of the Mayor provide an opportunity to recognize and honor occasions of significance to Charlotteans and increase public awareness of issues that contribute to the well-being of the people of this city. Please note that proclamations are strictly honorary and are not legally binding.

Letters

A letter of greeting or congratulations will be issued for conferences, conventions and seminars or a significant anniversary, birthday, reunion or event.

How to request ceremonial documents

All requests for ceremonial documents must be submitted in writing and go through a review and approval process. Requests can be submitted via email or U.S. mail. To ensure efficient processing, the Office of the Mayor also asks that requests be made at least four weeks in advance of the date the document is needed. Please allow up to 10 business days for a response.

All requests should include:

  • Contact person’s first and last name, address and telephone number.
  • A brief summary and/or background of the event or organization. 
  • A date when the document is needed. 
  • An indication of whether the document should be mailed or picked up and the date. 

When requesting a proclamation, also include:

  • The name and date(s) of the day, week or month of the event to be proclaimed. 
  • Draft text for the proclamation, including five “whereas” clauses. 
  • The date when the proclamation is needed. 

Proclamation criteria:

  • Proclamations will only be issued once per calendar year.
  • Proclamations will not be issued for individuals, birthdays, retirements, weddings, anniversaries, church events, conferences, meetings, reunions or businesses. For these occasions, constituents may request a letter of greeting or congratulations.
  • Proclamations may not be used for advertisement or commercial promotion.
  • Issuance of a proclamation does not indicate or imply a policy endorsement from the city or the Office of the Mayor.
  • Requested draft language may be edited or rewritten at the discretion of the City of Charlotte. All submitted language must be factually accurate and include up-to-date information.
  • Requests for proclamations are not renewed annually and must be submitted each year. Each renewal request will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
  • For national or international groups requesting proclamations, an in-city sponsor is required.

Submitting requests 

Office of the Mayor
mayor@charlottenc.gov
600 East Fourth Street, 15th Floor
Charlotte, NC 28202

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