The official Alabama abbreviation for mail is AL, two capital letters with no period, assigned by the national mail service, the USPS. In ordinary writing, such as a newspaper article or a footnote, the older short form Ala. is still used; it ends in a period.
So the answer depends on where you are writing. On an envelope, a shipping label, an online checkout form or a spreadsheet column, use AL. In a sentence, style guides usually prefer the full word Alabama, and keep Ala. for tight spots like datelines, lists and tables.
Quick facts
Postal code
ALTraditional abbreviation
Ala.AP style
Spell out in text; Ala. in short spotsPeriod
None in AL; one in Ala.Capital
MontgomeryStatehood
1819, the 22nd stateNot to be confused with
AK (Alaska), AR (Arkansas), AZ (Arizona)
Every Alabama abbreviation in one table
| Form | Where it belongs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| AL | Mail, forms, databases, ID cards | Mobile, AL 36602 |
| Ala. | Traditional and news writing, citations, lists | Huntsville, Ala. |
| Alabama | Sentences in most style guides | Her cousin teaches in Alabama. |
Those three cover nearly every situation. Pick the form by the job: sorting equipment and postal workers read the code, while someone reading a paragraph usually gets the whole word.
AL state abbreviation on mail and forms
Two-letter codes arrived in the 1960s, not long after ZIP codes, to help mail move through automated sorting. AL is just the A and L that open the name Alabama, which makes it easy to remember.
Mailing label:
Marcus Hill
210 Oak Street
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Put AL right after the city name and its comma, add one space, then the ZIP code. No period after AL.
Drop down menus on websites, job applications and tax forms also use AL. If a form has a two-box "State" field, write AL, never Ala.
What is the abbreviation for Alabama in AP style?
News writers follow AP style, and AP wants the whole state name inside an article's text. "The plant will open in Alabama next spring" is the usual pattern. AP keeps the traditional Ala. for short placements, such as a dateline opening an article, or a list of cities with their states.
Other style guides lean the same way. Formal writing spells the name out, and the two-letter code is kept for addresses. For a class assignment, check what your teacher wants; when in doubt, write Alabama.
Do not swap AL with AK, AR or AZ
Four states start with A, and their codes trip people up:
- AL is Alabama.
- AK is Alaska, not Alabama, even though Alaska also starts with "Al."
- AR is Arkansas.
- AZ is Arizona.
The Alaska mix up is the most common. A package for Birmingham marked AK could be sent toward Alaska before a worker catches it, so a wrong code can mean a slow delivery.
A few quick facts about Alabama
Alabama joined the Union in 1819 as the 22nd state. Its capital is Montgomery, and its largest cities include Huntsville, Birmingham and Mobile. One of its nicknames is the Yellowhammer State, after the state bird. None of these change the abbreviation, but they come up often in school projects where students list a state's name, code and capital together.
You can find codes for every state on the state abbreviations hub.
Tips for writing the abbreviation for Alabama
- Use AL only with an address or in a form field.
- Use Ala. only where a guide calls for a traditional abbreviation.
- Use both capitals in AL. "Al" with a lowercase l reads like a first name.
- Never add a period to AL, and never leave the period off Ala.
- In a full sentence, the safest choice is the whole word.
The guide on how to abbreviate covers why Ala. keeps its dot while AL drops it.
Questions people ask
Which two letters stand for Alabama on mail?
It is AL. This is the US Postal Service code, written in capitals with no period.
Is Alabama AL or AB?
Alabama is AL. AB is not a US state code; it is used for the Canadian province of Alberta.
Is AK Alabama or Alaska?
AK is Alaska. Alabama is AL, so double check this pair whenever you address mail to either state.
What is the old abbreviation for Alabama?
The traditional abbreviation is Ala., with a period. It came before the postal codes and is still used in some news writing, citations and lists.
Should I write AL or Alabama in an essay?
Write Alabama in an essay. The postal code belongs in addresses and forms, not in normal sentences.