Protocol for capitalization

  • Never use ALL CAPS, except for acronyms. See also: Abbreviations and Acronyms

  • In all headings and subheadings, capitalize only the first letter of each word, proper nouns, and other words that would normally be capitalized. Do not capitalize articles of speech (such as a and the) or prepositions (such as at, by, between, about, on, from and with). However, if a heading is more than one line, capitalize the first word of each new line no matter what the word is.

    Example:

    • Secretary of State to Offer New Option for Businesses

  • When writing about a specific person, capitalize the job title. When talking about the job or position more generically, do not capitalize the job title.

    Examples:

    • The call came from Chief Executive Officer John Doe.
    • The call came from John Doe, the Chief Executive Officer of the company.
    • The company’s Chief Executive Officer, John Doe, made the call.
    • The conference call included 52 chief executive officers.

  • In a bulleted list, capitalize only the first letter of the first word, proper nouns, and other words that would normally be capitalized. Do not capitalize the first letter of each word.

    Examples:

    • Campaigns
    • Lobbying activity
    • Fair Political Pratices Commission
    • Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D.

  • For possessive nouns, capitalize the modifier but not the noun.

    Examples:

    • Secretary of State’s office
    • Governor’s office
    • Attorney General’s building

  • When specifying a state or county and taking the place of a proper noun, capitalize State and County. When speaking of states or counties generically, do not capitalize.

    Examples:

    • The State of California has more registered voters than any other U.S. state.
    • Election laws vary by state.
    • The Los Angeles County budget was initially cut by three percent
    • but the County leaders expect the cuts will be bigger.
    • All counties may apply, but only one county will be selected