Don Petersen (August 8, 1927 – April 25, 1998) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Born in Davenport, Iowa, Petersen wrote the play Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?, which debuted on Broadway on February 25, 1969, and ran for only 39 performances after 19 previews. Though a failure at the box office, the play was a succès d'estime, garnering Al Pacino a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. Petersen's second Broadway play, The Enemy is Dead, was a flop, opening and closing after one performance on January 14, 1973.

Petersen was credited with the screenplays for Deadly Hero (1975), An Almost Perfect Affair (1979) and Target (1985).

He died on April 25, 1998, at the age of 70 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.