Samples & templates · 28 pages · Word & Google Docs · Free

Resignation Letter Samples & Templates

The letter that ends a job matters more than most people give it credit for — it sits in your file forever, and the people reading it will be your references for years. These templates carry a letter built for that reality: notice date in the first sentence, one line of genuine thanks, a concrete transition offer, and nothing you'd regret. Download the Word file, fill in the brackets, and resign like a professional.

Read first

Examples and the writing guide.

Twenty-six complete letters to read before you write one, and the short guide to the four sentences every resignation letter needs.

Samples

Resignation Letter Examples — 26 Letters in Full

Simple, formal, two weeks, immediate, personal reasons, health, relocation, new job, teacher, nurse, church, board — each printed whole, each a free template.

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The method

How to Write a Resignation Letter

The four sentences, the format, who to address it to, when to give it, whether to sign it, email versus paper.

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The whole library

Every resignation letter we make.

Start with the page that fits: the register you want, the timeline you're on, the work you do, or the situation you're in. Every page carries its own templates and guidance — or grab a general design just below.

By register

Simple Professional Formal Heartfelt

By timeline

Two Weeks’ Notice One Month Notice Effective Immediately

By occupation

Nursing Physician Teacher Police Officer Military Church Non-Profit Board

By reason

Personal Reasons New Job Relocation Health Reasons Stress & Burnout Hostile Work Environment Retirement

By situation & format

Part-Time Job Retirement Resignation Email Word (.docx)Google Docs

General templates

Eight letterheads, one well-mannered letter.

Every design carries the standard professional resignation letter — effective date up front, gratitude, transition help. Need a different register? The short version and the formal version have their own pages below.

$Classic Centered \u2014 Navy resignation letter template — the letter everyone recognizes: centered name, quiet navy rule, notice date in the first sentence$

Word Google Docs

Classic Centered — Navy

The letter everyone recognizes: centered name, quiet navy rule, notice date in the first sentence.

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$Contemporary \u2014 Teal resignation letter template — light, current, and quietly warm \u2014 a modern default that suits most offices$

Word Google Docs

Contemporary — Teal

Light, current, and quietly warm — a modern default that suits most offices.

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$Minimalist \u2014 Charcoal resignation letter template — no letterhead flourish at all$

Word Google Docs

Minimalist — Charcoal

No letterhead flourish at all. The kind of page an HR file was made for.

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$Formal Serif \u2014 Navy resignation letter template — serif letterhead over ruled lines \u2014 reads like it was typed with care$

Word Google Docs

Formal Serif — Navy

Serif letterhead over ruled lines — reads like it was typed with care.

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$Monogram \u2014 Navy resignation letter template — a single initial as the mark; the rest is clean business-letter bones$

Word Google Docs

Monogram — Navy

A single initial as the mark; the rest is clean business-letter bones.

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$Bold Name Banner \u2014 Forest resignation letter template — confident name banner up top \u2014 for leaving as visibly as you worked$

Word Google Docs

Bold Name Banner — Forest

Confident name banner up top — for leaving as visibly as you worked.

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$Two-Tone Split \u2014 Teal resignation letter template — a modern split header that stays professional on the printed page$

Word Google Docs

Two-Tone Split — Teal

A modern split header that stays professional on the printed page.

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$Classic Centered \u2014 Rust resignation letter template — same trusted layout in a warm rust \u2014 traditional without feeling cold$

Word Google Docs

Classic Centered — Rust

Same trusted layout in a warm rust — traditional without feeling cold.

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Sample · The standard letter

The resignation letter inside every general template, read in full.

Read it in full

Jordan A. Bennett

[City, State] · (000) 000-0000 · your.email@email.com · in/yourname

[Month Day, Year]

[Manager Name]
[Title]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]

Dear [Manager Name],

Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from my position as [Job Title] at [Company Name]. My last day of employment will be [Last Day — typically two weeks from today].

I am grateful for the opportunities I have had here — [one specific: a project you were proud of, a skill you built, a team you enjoyed working with]. I have learned a great deal during my time at [Company Name], and I do not take that for granted.

Between now and my last day, I will do everything I can to make the transition smooth: [finishing current work, documenting my responsibilities, helping train a replacement]. I am glad to help however is most useful in the time remaining.

Thank you for the support and opportunities during my time here. I hope we stay in touch, and I wish you and the team continued success.

Sincerely,

Jordan A. Bennett

The professional letter carried by all eight designs above — the statement and date, one line of thanks, the transition, a civil close. Every [bracketed prompt] is a spot you replace. Twenty-five more samples, by reason and job, are on the examples page.

From the owner

Why these letters read the way they do.

“I’ve resigned from good jobs and rough ones, and the letter I was glad I wrote was always the same letter: short, dated, grateful, and clean. Every template here is that letter — because the version you write angry is the one that follows you.”
— David, Apollo’s Templates

What belongs in a resignation letter is settled etiquette, and it’s a short list:

The statement and the date. “I resign from [role], effective [date].” This is the sentence HR actually files.
One line of thanks. Specific beats effusive — a project, a skill, a team.
A transition offer. Documentation, handoff, training a successor. Concrete, bounded, genuine.
A civil close. You are two sentences from done. Sign it.

And the equally settled list of what stays out: grievances, the new employer’s name, negotiating demands, apologies beyond one, and anything sarcastic. The letter is a record, not a conversation — have the conversation in person, and let the page stay boring.

Five minutes to done

How to use these templates.

Download a template and open the .docx in Word, LibreOffice, or Google Docs.
Fill in the [brackets]: date, manager, role, last day — typically two weeks out.
Keep it to one page; the pre-written letter is already the right length.
Export a PDF (File → Save As → PDF) — that’s the copy HR files.
Tell your manager in person first, then hand over or email the letter the same day.

Common questions

Resignation letter FAQ

How much notice should I give?

Two weeks is the professional norm in the U.S. for most roles, counted from the day you hand over the letter — not the day you start thinking about it. Check your offer letter or employee handbook first, though: some contracts specify 30 days or more, and senior or hard-to-backfill roles often warrant extra. Give more when you reasonably can; give the contractual minimum when you can't. The letter itself only needs the resulting date.

Do I have to give a reason for resigning?

No — and the strongest letters usually don't. A resignation letter is a notice document, not an explanation: position, effective date, thanks, transition offer, signature. Reasons belong in the conversation with your manager if you choose to share them, or in an exit interview. Anything written lives in your personnel file permanently, so keep grievances, comparisons to the new job, and long justifications out of it.

Should I resign by email or with a printed letter?

Tell your manager face to face (or on a call) first, then follow up with the written letter the same day — that's the sequence that keeps relationships intact. The letter itself can be a printed page you hand over or a PDF attached to a short email; most workplaces today accept either. What matters is that a dated, written record exists: HR needs it for your file, and you want the notice date documented.

What if my employer asks me to leave immediately?

It happens, especially in roles with client lists or sensitive systems — you offer two weeks and they walk you out the same day. That's their call to make, and your letter still did its job: you gave proper notice in writing, which is what future reference checks care about. Whether the remaining days are paid depends on company policy and your state; asking HR directly, politely, in writing, is reasonable.

Can I take back a resignation letter?

Only if your employer agrees — once delivered, the resignation is theirs to accept, and most companies act on it quickly. If you're resigning to force a counteroffer, be honest with yourself about the odds: accepted counteroffers have a famously poor track record, because the reasons you looked elsewhere rarely change. Resign when you're sure, and treat the letter as final the moment it leaves your hand.

Where can I read resignation letter examples?

The examples page prints twenty-six complete letters — simple, formal, two weeks' notice, effective immediately, personal reasons, health, relocation, a new job, stress, a hostile workplace, retirement, and the letters for teachers, nurses, physicians, police, military, church, and boards. Every collection page on this site also prints its letter in full below the templates.

Is a letter of resignation the same as a resignation letter?

Yes — two word orders for one document. Handbooks and contracts use both. Every template and sample here is correct under either name; if your contract says 'letter of resignation,' the formal collection uses that wording in the letter itself.

Free resignation letter templates · Updated September 2026

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