Lawyer direct-mail solicitation rules by state
Summary of published rules, checked on October 13, 2026. Rules change, and local rules or orders can differ. Read the linked rule before relying on it. Postmarkr is a mailing service, not a law firm; this is not legal advice.
Rules at a glance
What each rule says about letters mailed to prospective clients, for the federal air-carrier rule, Illinois, Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania: the label words and where they go, format, bar filing, record-keeping, waiting periods, who may not be targeted, delivery limits and required disclosures. More guides for law offices are on the law firm mailing page. Mailing Cook County owners during an appeal window? See the Cook County property-tax appeal calendar.
| Jurisdiction | Label words and where they go | Format | Bar filing | Record-keeping | Waiting period | Who may not be targeted | Delivery-method limits | Required disclosures | Current text in effect since |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: air-carrier accidents | None in the statute. | None in the statute. | None in the statute. | None in the statute. | After an accident involving an air carrier providing interstate or foreign air transportation (or a foreign air carrier accident within the United States), no unsolicited communication concerning a potential action for personal injury or wrongful death may be made before the 45th day following the date of the accident. | Applies to communications to an individual injured in the accident or a relative of an individual involved in the accident, by an attorney (including any associate, agent, employee, or other representative) or any potential party to the litigation. | Covers any unsolicited communication; no medium is excepted. | None in the statute. | Section added Oct. 9, 1996 (Pub. L. 104-264); the 45th-day period (previously 30th day), the foreign-air-carrier clause and the 'associate, agent, employee' wording were added by Pub. L. 106-181, sec. 401(a)(1), Apr. 5, 2000. |
| Illinois | "Advertising Material" on the outside envelope, if any (and at the beginning and ending of any recorded or electronic communication). The rule (RPC 7.3(c)) and its comment [8] say when the label applies and when it does not; the Illinois Supreme Court Rules compilation is the source. | None specified beyond the exact words "Advertising Material". | None in RPC 7.2/7.3. | None in RPC 7.2/7.3. | None in RPC 7.3. | No solicitation if the target has made known a desire not to be solicited; if it involves coercion, duress or harassment; or if it seeks to represent the respondent in an ex parte protective-order case before the respondent has been served with the order. | No in-person, live telephone or real-time electronic solicitation for pecuniary gain unless the person is a lawyer or has a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship with the lawyer. No limit on mail method. | Any communication must include the name and office address of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content. | RPC 7.3 last amended July 17, 2020, effective immediately; RPC 7.2 amended Apr. 1, 2025, effective July 1, 2025. |
| Texas | A solicitation communication must be plainly marked or clearly designated an "ADVERTISEMENT" unless the target is a lawyer, a person with a family, close personal, or prior business or professional relationship, or a known experienced business user of the services. Comment 10: a mailed letter is rebuttably presumed to satisfy 7.03(d)(2) if both the outside of the envelope and the first page of the letter, in bold face all-capital letters 3/8 inch high, state "ADVERTISEMENT". | Presumption (Comment 10): bold face, all-capital letters 3/8 inch high on an uncluttered background, on the envelope and the first page. Required statements must be understandable to an ordinary person and appear in each language used. | File with the Advertising Review Committee, State Bar of Texas, no later than 10 days after the date the solicitation is sent: a copy (including packaging), a completed application, and the fee. A representative sample of each form letter and its envelope is enough. The Bar's page lists a $100 application fee, and a $250 fine plus $100 review fee for a non-exempt ad that was not filed. Optional pre-approval at least 30 days before first dissemination. Exempt: solicitations to lawyers, relationship contacts, or known experienced business users. | None in TDRPC Part VII. | Texas sets a waiting period after an accident or disaster, and after a lawsuit is filed, before a written solicitation to the people involved; the statute is Tex. Penal Code 38.12(d)(2), linked here. | Penal Code: a person the attorney knows or reasonably should know is represented by a lawyer in the matter; an injured person or relative who has indicated a desire not to be contacted (presumed if an accident report reflects it). TDRPC: no communication involving coercion, duress, overreaching, intimidation or undue influence. | No solicitation by in-person contact or by live or interactive 'regulated telephone, social media, or other electronic contact' (lawyer / relationship / experienced-business-user exceptions). Targeted regular mail is a solicitation communication but is not prohibited by 7.03(b). | A solicitation must not be misleadingly designed to resemble a legal pleading or other legal document. The responsible-lawyer name and primary practice location requirement is in 7.02(a) for 'advertisements'; no separate requirement found in 7.03 for solicitation communications. | Part VII (7.01-7.06) rewrite effective July 1, 2021 (State Bar Advertising Review page); same Part VII text in the Jan. 31, 2022 and Mar. 7, 2025 compilations. Penal Code 38.12 last amended Acts 2025, 89th Leg., ch. 419 (H.B. 2733), effective Sept. 1, 2025. |
| Florida | "advertisement" on the face of the envelope and on each separate enclosure. Self-mailer: on the address panel, the inside, and each enclosure. Email: subject line begins with "Advertisement". Not required for communications between lawyers, to the lawyer's own current or former clients or family, or at the prospective client's request. | Clearly and conspicuously; sufficient if in larger and contrasting text relative to other text on the page, or any other way a reasonable consumer should notice it. Required words must be legible and appear in every language used. A sample contract must be marked "SAMPLE" in red ink one type size larger than the largest type in the contract, with "DO NOT SIGN" on the client signature line. | File each advertisement with The Florida Bar at least 20 days before first dissemination, in the manner posted on the Bar website, with a sample envelope, media statement, responsible lawyer's name and the fee. The Bar's page: from July 1, 2026, $250 per timely filed advertisement and $750 per late filed advertisement. Exempt: mail only to existing or former clients or other lawyers; communications requested by a prospective client. | Retain a copy for 3 years after last dissemination with a record of when and where it was used. For identical letters to 2 or more people: file one and retain one copy for 3 years with a list of the names and addresses of the recipients. | No written communication about personal injury or wrongful death, or otherwise relating to an accident or disaster involving the addressee or a relative, unless the accident or disaster occurred more than 30 days before the mailing. | A person the lawyer knows or reasonably should know is represented in the matter; a person who has made known they do not want such communications; a person whose physical, emotional or mental state makes reasonable judgment unlikely; an unserved respondent in an injunction-for-protection petition. Also bars coercion, duress, fraud, overreaching, harassment, intimidation or undue influence. | In-person solicitation (including telephone and real-time video) barred absent a family or prior professional relationship. No limit on mail method found. | Name of at least 1 responsible lawyer or firm and the city, town or county of a bona fide office; statement of the lawyer's or firm's background, training and experience; say if another lawyer will handle or the matter will be referred; disclose how the lawyer obtained the information prompting the letter; the envelope must not reveal the nature of the recipient's legal problem; must not resemble legal pleadings. | 4-7.18 last amended June 22, 2023, effective Aug. 21, 2023 (SC22-1294); 4-7.19 and 4-7.20 amended May 15, 2025, effective July 14, 2025 (SC2025-0018); filing fees changed July 1, 2026. |
| Ohio | "ADVERTISING MATERIAL" or "ADVERTISEMENT ONLY", conspicuously included in the text and on the outside envelope, if any (and at the beginning and ending of recorded or electronic communications). Applies to solicitations of anyone the lawyer reasonably believes needs legal services in a particular matter, unless the recipient is a lawyer or a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship. | "Conspicuously"; no size specified. | None in RPC 7.2/7.3. | None in RPC 7.2/7.3. | No waiting period. A letter sent within 30 days of an accident or disaster carries the "Understanding Your Rights" text that RPC 7.3(e) sets out (the rule is linked here); RPC 7.3(d) covers letters to a named defendant in a civil action. | A person who has made known a desire not to be solicited; solicitations involving coercion, duress or harassment; a minor or incompetent, or a person whose physical, emotional or mental state makes reasonable judgment unlikely; an unserved civil defendant (see 7.3(d)). | No in-person, live telephone or real-time electronic solicitation for pecuniary gain unless the person is a lawyer or has a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship. No limit on mail method found. | Disclose accurately and fully how the lawyer became aware of the addressee's identity and specific legal need; disclaim or refrain from any predetermined evaluation of the merits; include the name and office address of at least one responsible lawyer or firm. | Compiled rules are 'as amended effective January 1, 2026' (document-level date). Latest amendment of Rules 7.1-7.3 located: adopted 2015, effective April 1, 2015 (Court News Ohio, Mar. 16, 2015). Whether 7.3 changed after 2015 is not confirmed. |
| Pennsylvania | None. Rule 7.3(c): "A lawyer may utilize targeted, direct mail advertisements to solicit professional employment." No label wording in Rules 7.1-7.3. | None. | None in Rules 7.1-7.3. | None in Rules 7.1-7.3 (Rules 7.4-7.7 are reserved or rescinded). | No accident-based waiting period. A named defendant or respondent in a domestic relations action may not be solicited until proof of service appears on the docket. | A person whose physical, emotional or mental state prevents reasonable judgment; a person who has made known a desire not to receive communications from the lawyer; solicitations involving coercion, duress or harassment; unserved domestic relations defendants or respondents. | Live person-to-person solicitation (comment (2): includes text messages) barred for pecuniary gain unless the contact is a lawyer or a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship. Targeted direct mail expressly permitted. | Name and contact information of at least one responsible lawyer or firm; all advertisements and written communications must disclose the city or town (county if outside one) of the office where the lawyers who will perform the services principally practice; fee/expense disclosures if fees are mentioned. | Rules 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3 amended Oct. 15, 2024, effective in 30 days (54 Pa.B. 6696). |
Federal: air-carrier accidents
Source: United States Code, 2024 Edition, 49 U.S.C. 1136 (GPO govinfo)
- Label words and where they go
- None in the statute.
- Format
- None in the statute.
- Bar filing
- None in the statute.
- Record-keeping
- None in the statute.
- Waiting period
- After an accident involving an air carrier providing interstate or foreign air transportation (or a foreign air carrier accident within the United States), no unsolicited communication concerning a potential action for personal injury or wrongful death may be made before the 45th day following the date of the accident.
- Who may not be targeted
- Applies to communications to an individual injured in the accident or a relative of an individual involved in the accident, by an attorney (including any associate, agent, employee, or other representative) or any potential party to the litigation.
- Delivery-method limits
- Covers any unsolicited communication; no medium is excepted.
- Required disclosures
- None in the statute.
- Current text in effect since
- Section added Oct. 9, 1996 (Pub. L. 104-264); the 45th-day period (previously 30th day), the foreign-air-carrier clause and the 'associate, agent, employee' wording were added by Pub. L. 106-181, sec. 401(a)(1), Apr. 5, 2000.
Illinois
Source: Illinois Supreme Court Rules, compiled, 'Current May 29, 2026' (digitally signed by the Reporter of Decisions)
- Label words and where they go
- "Advertising Material" on the outside envelope, if any (and at the beginning and ending of any recorded or electronic communication). The rule (RPC 7.3(c)) and its comment [8] say when the label applies and when it does not; the Illinois Supreme Court Rules compilation is the source.
- Format
- None specified beyond the exact words "Advertising Material".
- Bar filing
- None in RPC 7.2/7.3.
- Record-keeping
- None in RPC 7.2/7.3.
- Waiting period
- None in RPC 7.3.
- Who may not be targeted
- No solicitation if the target has made known a desire not to be solicited; if it involves coercion, duress or harassment; or if it seeks to represent the respondent in an ex parte protective-order case before the respondent has been served with the order.
- Delivery-method limits
- No in-person, live telephone or real-time electronic solicitation for pecuniary gain unless the person is a lawyer or has a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship with the lawyer. No limit on mail method.
- Required disclosures
- Any communication must include the name and office address of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content.
- Current text in effect since
- RPC 7.3 last amended July 17, 2020, effective immediately; RPC 7.2 amended Apr. 1, 2025, effective July 1, 2025.
Texas
Source: Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct (compilation 'Effective March 7, 2025'); Texas Penal Code ch. 38; State Bar of Texas Advertising Review page
- Label words and where they go
- A solicitation communication must be plainly marked or clearly designated an "ADVERTISEMENT" unless the target is a lawyer, a person with a family, close personal, or prior business or professional relationship, or a known experienced business user of the services. Comment 10: a mailed letter is rebuttably presumed to satisfy 7.03(d)(2) if both the outside of the envelope and the first page of the letter, in bold face all-capital letters 3/8 inch high, state "ADVERTISEMENT".
- Format
- Presumption (Comment 10): bold face, all-capital letters 3/8 inch high on an uncluttered background, on the envelope and the first page. Required statements must be understandable to an ordinary person and appear in each language used.
- Bar filing
- File with the Advertising Review Committee, State Bar of Texas, no later than 10 days after the date the solicitation is sent: a copy (including packaging), a completed application, and the fee. A representative sample of each form letter and its envelope is enough. The Bar's page lists a $100 application fee, and a $250 fine plus $100 review fee for a non-exempt ad that was not filed. Optional pre-approval at least 30 days before first dissemination. Exempt: solicitations to lawyers, relationship contacts, or known experienced business users.
- Record-keeping
- None in TDRPC Part VII.
- Waiting period
- Texas sets a waiting period after an accident or disaster, and after a lawsuit is filed, before a written solicitation to the people involved; the statute is Tex. Penal Code 38.12(d)(2), linked here.
- Who may not be targeted
- Penal Code: a person the attorney knows or reasonably should know is represented by a lawyer in the matter; an injured person or relative who has indicated a desire not to be contacted (presumed if an accident report reflects it). TDRPC: no communication involving coercion, duress, overreaching, intimidation or undue influence.
- Delivery-method limits
- No solicitation by in-person contact or by live or interactive 'regulated telephone, social media, or other electronic contact' (lawyer / relationship / experienced-business-user exceptions). Targeted regular mail is a solicitation communication but is not prohibited by 7.03(b).
- Required disclosures
- A solicitation must not be misleadingly designed to resemble a legal pleading or other legal document. The responsible-lawyer name and primary practice location requirement is in 7.02(a) for 'advertisements'; no separate requirement found in 7.03 for solicitation communications.
- Current text in effect since
- Part VII (7.01-7.06) rewrite effective July 1, 2021 (State Bar Advertising Review page); same Part VII text in the Jan. 31, 2022 and Mar. 7, 2025 compilations. Penal Code 38.12 last amended Acts 2025, 89th Leg., ch. 419 (H.B. 2733), effective Sept. 1, 2025.
Florida
Source: Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, Chapter 4 (RRTFB October 1, 2026 edition); Florida Bar Advertising Regulation page
- Label words and where they go
- "advertisement" on the face of the envelope and on each separate enclosure. Self-mailer: on the address panel, the inside, and each enclosure. Email: subject line begins with "Advertisement". Not required for communications between lawyers, to the lawyer's own current or former clients or family, or at the prospective client's request.
- Format
- Clearly and conspicuously; sufficient if in larger and contrasting text relative to other text on the page, or any other way a reasonable consumer should notice it. Required words must be legible and appear in every language used. A sample contract must be marked "SAMPLE" in red ink one type size larger than the largest type in the contract, with "DO NOT SIGN" on the client signature line.
- Bar filing
- File each advertisement with The Florida Bar at least 20 days before first dissemination, in the manner posted on the Bar website, with a sample envelope, media statement, responsible lawyer's name and the fee. The Bar's page: from July 1, 2026, $250 per timely filed advertisement and $750 per late filed advertisement. Exempt: mail only to existing or former clients or other lawyers; communications requested by a prospective client.
- Record-keeping
- Retain a copy for 3 years after last dissemination with a record of when and where it was used. For identical letters to 2 or more people: file one and retain one copy for 3 years with a list of the names and addresses of the recipients.
- Waiting period
- No written communication about personal injury or wrongful death, or otherwise relating to an accident or disaster involving the addressee or a relative, unless the accident or disaster occurred more than 30 days before the mailing.
- Who may not be targeted
- A person the lawyer knows or reasonably should know is represented in the matter; a person who has made known they do not want such communications; a person whose physical, emotional or mental state makes reasonable judgment unlikely; an unserved respondent in an injunction-for-protection petition. Also bars coercion, duress, fraud, overreaching, harassment, intimidation or undue influence.
- Delivery-method limits
- In-person solicitation (including telephone and real-time video) barred absent a family or prior professional relationship. No limit on mail method found.
- Required disclosures
- Name of at least 1 responsible lawyer or firm and the city, town or county of a bona fide office; statement of the lawyer's or firm's background, training and experience; say if another lawyer will handle or the matter will be referred; disclose how the lawyer obtained the information prompting the letter; the envelope must not reveal the nature of the recipient's legal problem; must not resemble legal pleadings.
- Current text in effect since
- 4-7.18 last amended June 22, 2023, effective Aug. 21, 2023 (SC22-1294); 4-7.19 and 4-7.20 amended May 15, 2025, effective July 14, 2025 (SC2025-0018); filing fees changed July 1, 2026.
Ohio
Source: Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct (effective Feb. 1, 2007; as amended effective Jan. 1, 2026)
- Label words and where they go
- "ADVERTISING MATERIAL" or "ADVERTISEMENT ONLY", conspicuously included in the text and on the outside envelope, if any (and at the beginning and ending of recorded or electronic communications). Applies to solicitations of anyone the lawyer reasonably believes needs legal services in a particular matter, unless the recipient is a lawyer or a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship.
- Format
- "Conspicuously"; no size specified.
- Bar filing
- None in RPC 7.2/7.3.
- Record-keeping
- None in RPC 7.2/7.3.
- Waiting period
- No waiting period. A letter sent within 30 days of an accident or disaster carries the "Understanding Your Rights" text that RPC 7.3(e) sets out (the rule is linked here); RPC 7.3(d) covers letters to a named defendant in a civil action.
- Who may not be targeted
- A person who has made known a desire not to be solicited; solicitations involving coercion, duress or harassment; a minor or incompetent, or a person whose physical, emotional or mental state makes reasonable judgment unlikely; an unserved civil defendant (see 7.3(d)).
- Delivery-method limits
- No in-person, live telephone or real-time electronic solicitation for pecuniary gain unless the person is a lawyer or has a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship. No limit on mail method found.
- Required disclosures
- Disclose accurately and fully how the lawyer became aware of the addressee's identity and specific legal need; disclaim or refrain from any predetermined evaluation of the merits; include the name and office address of at least one responsible lawyer or firm.
- Current text in effect since
- Compiled rules are 'as amended effective January 1, 2026' (document-level date). Latest amendment of Rules 7.1-7.3 located: adopted 2015, effective April 1, 2015 (Court News Ohio, Mar. 16, 2015). Whether 7.3 changed after 2015 is not confirmed.
Pennsylvania
Source: Pennsylvania Code, 204 Pa. Code Rules 7.2 and 7.3 (site current through 56 Pa.B. 5370, Aug. 8, 2026)
- Label words and where they go
- None. Rule 7.3(c): "A lawyer may utilize targeted, direct mail advertisements to solicit professional employment." No label wording in Rules 7.1-7.3.
- Format
- None.
- Bar filing
- None in Rules 7.1-7.3.
- Record-keeping
- None in Rules 7.1-7.3 (Rules 7.4-7.7 are reserved or rescinded).
- Waiting period
- No accident-based waiting period. A named defendant or respondent in a domestic relations action may not be solicited until proof of service appears on the docket.
- Who may not be targeted
- A person whose physical, emotional or mental state prevents reasonable judgment; a person who has made known a desire not to receive communications from the lawyer; solicitations involving coercion, duress or harassment; unserved domestic relations defendants or respondents.
- Delivery-method limits
- Live person-to-person solicitation (comment (2): includes text messages) barred for pecuniary gain unless the contact is a lawyer or a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship. Targeted direct mail expressly permitted.
- Required disclosures
- Name and contact information of at least one responsible lawyer or firm; all advertisements and written communications must disclose the city or town (county if outside one) of the office where the lawyers who will perform the services principally practice; fee/expense disclosures if fees are mentioned.
- Current text in effect since
- Rules 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3 amended Oct. 15, 2024, effective in 30 days (54 Pa.B. 6696).
How this works with Postmarkr
When you upload a PDF, we print it as uploaded, behind an address page we add. The envelope's top window shows the return address from that page, in capital letters. A return address can carry a company line of up to 40 characters, printed on its own line under the name, so the words a rule names can show in the window.
The address form has no company field. To add a company line, import your return address on the Addresses page from a spreadsheet with a company column, then choose it as your return address.
The words each rule names, and where
- Illinois: "Advertising Material", on the outside envelope, if any (RPC 7.3(c); cmt. [8] (opens in new tab)).
- Texas: "ADVERTISEMENT", plainly marked or clearly designated (TDRPC 7.03(d)(2); cmt. 10 (opens in new tab)). Presumed to satisfy the rule when on both the outside of the envelope and the first page of the letter, in bold face all-capital letters 3/8 inch high.
- Florida: "advertisement", on the face of the envelope and on each separate enclosure (4-7.18(b)(2)(B), (b)(3) (opens in new tab)).
- Ohio: "ADVERTISING MATERIAL" or "ADVERTISEMENT ONLY", conspicuously included in the text and on the outside envelope, if any (RPC 7.3(c)(3) (opens in new tab)).
Words a rule puts on the letter or its enclosures belong in the PDF you upload.
You decide whether window display meets your state's rule.
What the envelope may show
The windows show the sender's and the recipient's addresses from the address page we add. These rules limit what an envelope may carry:
- Florida: the envelope must not reveal the nature of the recipient's legal problem (R. Regulating Fla. Bar 4-7.18(b)(2)(H) (opens in new tab)).
Download the data
The same 54 rule summaries, one per jurisdiction and field, each with its source URL, where in the source it is and the date we checked it: CSV or JSON.