Higher classification of the planthopper family Fulgoridae is primarily based on characters associated with the unusual head morphology shown by many species. We present results of phylogenetic reconstructions based on DNA nucleotide sequence data from five genetic loci (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, histone 3, wingless, and cytochrome oxidase I), and use these phylogenies to test the classification of Fulgoridae at the family, subfamily, and tribal levels. Analyses include 69 fulgorid taxa in 46 genera, representing all 8 recognized Fulgoridae subfamilies, and 9 of 10 tribes. In addition to testing classification, these results are used to examine the evolution of the elongated fulgorid head process, as well as biogeographic patterns in fulgorid distribution. Results of a preliminary phylogenetic reconstruction of endosymbiotic bacteria based on sequence data from 16S rDNA are also presented, and examined in light of the evolution of their fulgorid hosts.