How to Become a Freemason

The core qualifications are consistent across regular Freemasonry, though the details vary by jurisdiction. A candidate must be a man, of lawful age, who believes in a Supreme Being, is of good moral character and reputation, and seeks membership of his own free will.

Most lodges also ask that a candidate be recommended by one or more current members, who vouch for his character. An older requirement, that a man be “free-born,” survives in a few jurisdictions as a matter of heritage from the era of bondage; in practice it means a man is his own master.

The route to membership is deliberately patient. It is built so that the candidate and the lodge can each be sure of the fit before any commitment is made.

Membership unfolds through three ceremonies, called degrees, which use allegory and symbolism to teach moral lessons. They are sometimes likened to the stages of life: youth, manhood, and age.

In much of the United States, a man has two regular paths into Freemasonry. Where the mainstream and Prince Hall grand lodges are in mutual recognition, both are equally regular, and the choice is yours.

Regular Freemasonry, the kind recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England, admits men only. Women who wish to take part in Masonic life have their own established organizations.

Separate women-only and mixed grand lodges exist and have their own history, though they are not recognized by the mainstream grand lodges this site covers. The Order of the Eastern Star is open to Master Masons and their female relatives, and is the most widely available path for women and families connected to the fraternity. Masonic youth organizations, including DeMolay for young men and Job’s Daughters and the Rainbow for Girls for young women, welcome the children of Masonic families.

From first contact to becoming a Master Mason usually takes several months, and sometimes a year or more, because most lodges meet monthly and each step has its own meeting. There are costs: a one-time initiation fee and annual dues that keep the lodge running. These vary by lodge, so the figure to trust is the one your local lodge gives you. Along the way you are assigned a mentor to guide your learning.

Men come to Freemasonry for fellowship, for the chance to serve their communities through Masonic charity, and for a structured path of self-improvement grounded in the values of brotherly love, relief, and truth. What unites Masons is not background or profession, but a shared commitment to those principles.