Ceremonials & Honorariums

All ceremonial items from the Office of the City Clerk are prepared on behalf of the Mayor.

Guidelines for Requests

• Requests must meet category requirements as determined by the City Clerk.
• If the request does not match the criteria for the selected ceremonial item, the requestor will be notified.
• Requests must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the event date. If less than 30 days, they will be denied.
• Requests must be complete. Incomplete requests will not be considered.
• For each ceremonial approved, one copy is provided free of charge. Each additional copy is $5.
• Ceremonial items associated with the election of or for official visit of fraternal, auxiliary, or other like organizations will not be considered.

Request a Ceremonial Item

Ceremonial Options

Certificates

Certificates of Commendation, Appreciation, and Congratulations are for public events, such as business grand openings and business or nonprofit milestone anniversaries. Anniversary certificates for marriages are available every five years, such as 10th, 15th, 20th etc.

Birthday Certificates are available for San Antonio residents beginning at age 80 and every five years after that. Military retirement certificates are also available but cannot be requested by the retiree.

Proclamations

Proclamations are ceremonial only, and recognize a specific day, week, or month, such as "Cancer Awareness Month" or "Crime Prevention Week". They are issued for nonprofit organizations or charitable causes. Proclamations are not issued to recognize individuals.

Citations

Citation certificates recognize individuals or groups whose achievement bring state, national, or international recognition to San Antonio. Examples include winning a state championship or receiving national or international honors. Teams receive one Team Citation Certificate.

Alcalde

An Alcalde certificate names a visiting dignitary as the honorary Mayor of a La Villita, the original San Antonio. It is reserved for mayors, elected officials, ambassadors and other government leaders. Current or former San Antonio residents are not eligible.

Honorary Citizen

The Honorary Citizen certificate recognizes an individual for distinguished achievements or contributions in their field. This recognition is more flexible than an Alcalde and is not limited to government officials. San Antonio residents are not eligible.

Emissary of the Muses

The Emissary of the Muses certificate honors visiting individuals or groups in the arts and entertainment fields. San Antonio residents are not eligible.

Certificate of Heroism

The Certificate of Heroism is rarely presented and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary courage, often by risking their lives to save others. In the past five years, the City has presented only three Heroism Awards, each honoring actions taken under exceptional and life-threatening circumstances.

Corporate Award

The Corporate Award recognizes a business or organization that has made long-term contributions to the City of San Antonio and its residents. It is not intended for organizations or businesses that make one-time or occasional contributions.