This is a list of people who have served as lord lieutenant for Staffordshire. Since 1828, all lord lieutenants have also been custos rotulorum of Staffordshire.

• Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford 1559
• George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury 3 July 1585 – 18 November 1590
• vacant
• Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex 29 February 1612 – 17 July 1627
• Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth 17 July 1627 – 3 February 1629
• Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex 3 February 1629 – 1642
• Interregnum
• Robert Greville, 4th Baron Brooke 13 August 1660 – 17 February 1677
• James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth 24 March 1677 – 12 December 1679
• Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland 12 December 1679 – 2 September 1681
• Charles Talbot, 12th Earl of Shrewsbury 2 September 1681 – 2 September 1687
• Robert Shirley, 1st Earl Ferrers 2 September 1687 – 19 November 1687
• Walter Aston, 3rd Lord Aston of Forfar 19 November 1687 – 21 March 1689
• William Paget, 6th Baron Paget 21 March 1689 – 26 February 1713
• Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge March 1713 – 28 October 1715
• Henry Newport, 3rd Earl of Bradford 28 October 1715 – 27 April 1725
• Washington Shirley, 2nd Earl Ferrers 27 April 1725 – 14 April 1729
• vacant
• Henry Shirley, 3rd Earl Ferrers May 1731 – 16 July 1742^[1]
• John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower 23 July 1742 – 25 December 1754
• Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford 22 January 1755 – 21 October 1799
• George Leveson-Gower, Earl Gower 21 October 1799 – 6 June 1801
• Henry Bayly Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge 6 June 1801 – 13 March 1812
• Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 2nd Earl Talbot 13 April 1812 – 13 January 1849
• Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey 3 February 1849 – 29 April 1854
• Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Hatherton 18 May 1854 – 4 May 1863
• Thomas Anson, 2nd Earl of Lichfield 19 June 1863 – 14 July 1871
• Arthur Wrottesley, 3rd Baron Wrottesley 14 July 1871 – 18 March 1887
• William Legge, 5th Earl of Dartmouth 18 March 1887 – 4 August 1891
• William Legge, 6th Earl of Dartmouth 19 October 1891 – 6 May 1927
• John Ryder, 5th Earl of Harrowby 6 May 1927 – 18 January 1948
• Harold Wallace-Copeland 18 January 1948 – 16 August 1968
• Sir Arthur Bryan 16 August 1968 – 6 September 1993
• Sir James Appleton Hawley 6 September 1993 – 29 March 2012^[2]
• Ian Dudson 29 March 2012 – present ^[3]

A deputy lieutenant of Staffordshire is commissioned by the Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire. Deputy lieutenants support the work of the lord-lieutenant. There can be several deputy lieutenants at any time, depending on the population of the county. Their appointment does not terminate with the changing of the lord-lieutenant, but they usually retire at age 75.

• 28 July 1834: James Bateman^[4]

• 2023: Joan Walley^[5]

• J.C. Sainty (1970). "Lieutenancies of Counties, 1585–1642". Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research (Special Supplement No. 8): 31–32.
• J.C. Sainty (1979). List of Lieutenants of Counties of England and Wales 1660-1974. London: Swift Printers (Sales) Ltd.
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages ^{[self-published source] [better source needed]}