01
You start where you stand
Eleven at night, on a telephone, is a perfectly good hour to begin. Tell us the town you live in; nothing else is asked of you at this point.
Global directory · petition desk
The right lodge is often one careful introduction away.
Freemasonry is joined by petition, in the jurisdiction where you live or work. Tell us where you are, and we will show you the recognised grand lodge or provincial body that covers your area — then carry your enquiry to the secretary who can act on it.
Free to use. No account needed to enquire. Your details are shared only with the jurisdiction you choose, and only after you confirm.
Directory coverage
178
jurisdictions · 65 countries
178Recognised jurisdictions
65Countries covered
1Enquiries introduced
How it works
Four steps, and nothing to pay
You do not need to know a Mason, own anything, or explain yourself twice. This is the whole of it, from the first question to the first meeting.
02
We name the body that answers for it
A grand lodge, a province or a district — whichever is responsible for that ground, with the address its own office publishes for candidates.
03
A proper letter is written for you
In the form secretaries expect, addressed to the secretary by office and sent. You are copied, and so is our desk, so nothing is quietly lost.
04
You are told where it stands
You keep a reference and can follow the enquiry as it moves. If you change your mind, one line withdraws it and the record is erased.
No fee, ever to you, the lodge or the grand lodge
No account needed nothing to install, nothing to remember
Nothing sold your details go to one office, once
Withdrawal is free one line, and the record is erased
Where to begin
Start from the country you live in
Regular Freemasonry is organised by jurisdiction, not by a single worldwide body. Each entry below is a grand lodge in amity with the others, with its own rules, ritual and minimum age.
Argentina1Australia6Austria1Bahamas1Barbados1Belgium1Bermuda1Brazil1Canada10Chile1Colombia1Costa Rica1
United Grand Lodge of England
London, England, United Kingdom · details checked against the official source
Grand Lodge of Scotland
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom · details checked against the official source
Grand Lodge of Ireland
Dublin, Leinster, Ireland · details checked against the official source
Grand Lodge of New York
New York, New York, United States
Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Grand Lodge of New Zealand
Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand · details checked against the official source
Grand Lodge of South Africa
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa · details checked against the official source
Before you petition
What is asked of a candidate
Freemasonry asks less than people expect, and rather more than a club membership. The requirements below are the common core; your jurisdiction may add its own.
| Age | 18 or 21 depending on the constitution. The figure is shown on every jurisdiction page. |
|---|---|
| Belief | A belief in a Supreme Being is required by almost every regular constitution. It is not a test of religion, and no particular faith is required. |
| Free will | You must come of your own accord, without pressure from an employer, family member or lodge. |
| Reputation | Candidates are expected to be of good character. Every lodge makes its own enquiries and interviews. |
| Politics & religion | Not discussed in lodge. The craft is not a place to advance either. |
| Money | Annual subscription and dining fees, set locally. No grand lodge promises financial benefit from membership. |
The introduction, in plain terms
Why a directory is the missing piece
There are roughly two hundred sovereign grand lodges in the world, and beneath them thousands of lodges meeting in cities, towns and villages. None of them recruits. The result is a familiar dead end: a man decides he would like to join, searches for a telephone number, finds three conflicting addresses, and stops.
A jurisdiction is the body that can actually answer him. In England it is the United Grand Lodge of England, acting through the provincial grand lodge for his county. In Texas it is the Grand Lodge of Texas, which will point him to a lodge near his home. In Ontario it is the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario. The directory lists each of these with the public contact route that its own office publishes.
What happens after your enquiry
Once your introduction reaches the secretary, the process is human and unhurried. Expect an informal conversation first, then a meeting with a small committee, then a ballot of the lodge members. Some jurisdictions require a proposer or seconder; where that is the case, the lodge will explain how it is arranged locally. From first enquiry to initiation, three to twelve months is typical.
We do not decide anything. The lodge does. What this platform adds is a complete, correctly addressed, formally written introduction — and a record of where it went.
A note on recognition. Freemasonry has no single worldwide authority. Lodges working under a grand lodge that is not in amity with the one covering your area may not be able to welcome you as a visitor elsewhere. The directory is built from recognised jurisdictions, and each entry links to its official source so you can check it yourself.
Questions
The things candidates ask first
Do I have to be religious? Will anyone be told? How much does it cost? The short answers are below; the long ones are in the guide.
Do I need to know a Freemason to apply?
Not necessarily. Many jurisdictions accept direct enquiries and will introduce you to a lodge. Some, including parts of the United States, prefer a proposer; the secretary will explain how that works where you live.
Is Freemasonry a religion?
No. It requires a belief in a Supreme Being but does not teach a theology, offer salvation or replace your own faith. Men of many religions sit in the same lodge.
Will my employer or family be told?
No. Your details go only to the jurisdiction you select. The lodge may make discreet character enquiries of the references you provide, as every constitution allows.
Can I join if I have a criminal record?
That is decided case by case by the lodge, not by this platform. Declare anything relevant honestly; concealment is treated far more seriously than the original matter.
Begin
Tell us where you are. We will tell you who to write to.
The enquiry takes about six minutes. You will see the jurisdiction and its rules before anything is sent.