Basic Requirements

• You must believe in a Supreme Being.
• You must be joining of your own free will.
• You must be a man.
• You must be free-born. ***
• You must be of lawful age; in North Dakota you must be 18.
• You must come recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you’re petitioning.

*** The term “free-born” is a holdover from the days when slavery, indentured servitude, and bonding were common. It means that a man must be his own master, and not be bound to another man. That’s not a problem these days, but the language is retained because of its antiquity and a desire to retain the heritage of the fraternity.