Although exact membership requirements may vary slightly from country to country and state to state, generally anyone meeting the following primary requirements may petition a Lodge for membership:

• You are an adult male 18 years old of good character and recommended by a Mason.
• You believe in a Supreme Being — no atheist can become a Mason — but we are not concerned with theological distinctions or your particular religious beliefs.
• You are interested in becoming a Mason because you hold a favorable opinion of our institution; and, your decision to apply is based on your own “free will and accord.” No one will compel you to join.

It is quite possible you know a Mason but you just don’t realize it. If your father, uncles, or grandfathers aren’t Masons, they probably know someone who is. You might also want to ask around your workplace or school, church, or gym — anywhere that you find a group of men, you might find a Mason. Masons tend to be very proud of their association with the Fraternity, but though many love to talk about Masonry, others are uncomfortable talking about it. Some find it difficult to speak with their friends or family members because they don’t want to push Masonry on them. They might very well be looking forward to the opportunity to speak with you if you show interest, however. More importantly, they would probably be honored to sponsor you for membership.

If you don’t know anyone who is a Mason and you are a complete stranger to all of the members of the Lodge,you can fill out the contact form and a member will contact you to meet at the lodge.

Becoming a Mason takes several months from the time you complete your petition until you have finished your degrees. Until you begin taking your degrees though, very little is asked of you. Once the degree work begins you will need to attend your Lodge’s monthly meeting. Different states may have additional requirements, such as attending a “Lodge of Instruction,” where you receive further explanation about the degree you just experienced. There is also some side work that you will need to complete that amounts to a little bit of homework. Every member of the Fraternity has gone through this process and your lodge will assign a Brother to help you.

Once you have completed your three degrees, we expect our members to attend their lodge’s “Stated Communication,” or monthly meeting, although it is not required. Sometimes there will be a special meeting on a second night in a month, and rarely, you may find some Lodges that have stated meetings twice a month. Beyond that, there are other activities going on: community service, family and social outings, etc. that take place throughout the year. We hope our members will participate in the events that their time and interest allows. Like many things, you get out of Freemasonry what you put into it; although we also recognize and understand the need for balance between family, work or school, and other interests and commitments.

Considering the cost to join many organizations these days, Freemasonry could be thought of as a bargain. But there are some costs involved, like initiation fees and dues.

Each Lodge has different fees for application and for during the degree process based on their individual budgets, operating costs, and programs. These do change even within the same Lodge, so it's best to check with the Lodge Secretary for the most up-to-date numbers.