Hells Angels Membership Requirements
We could start off this article by saying that the Hells Angels Membership Requirements included needing to do 12 drug deals, commit 1 murder and then bludgeon 4 baby harp seals …but then we would be lying, that’s not how to become a Hells Angel.
The membership requirements, at least officially, for the Hells Angels MC as well as almost all other one percenter motorcycle clubs are relatively straight forward. Below is what you want to know if you one day wish to be on the list of the famous Hells Angels members.
The Personality
We can safely start with saying that if you are interested in joining the Hells Angels MC, the Outlaws MC, the Bandidos MC or any other one percenter motorcycle club for that matter and you are really on Google to tell you how to do it, then you probably won’t be joining them any time soon. The first in the list of Hells Angels membership requirements is to have the right personality. You will have similar interests and therefore probably also friends in common. People with similar interests usually gravitate.
The Harley Davidson Motorcycle
An important step if you want to learn how to join the Hells Angels, then the next in the list of Hells Angels membership requirements is a motorcycle, but not just any motorcycle. It should be a Harley Davidson motorcycle, however some other makes including Buell motorcycle (which is owned by Harley Davidson) may also be acceptable. In general, any of the major one percenter motorcycle clubs will not allow non-American motorcycles. Some of the reasoning behind this links back to the period when many of the clubs were started, World War II was fresh on the mind and supporting the enemy nations was not high on the list of priorities. Riding American made bikes shows strong patriotism.
You Will Ride Often
Next in the list of Hells Angels membership requirements is that you will need to ride, a lot. Don’t even think about buying a Harley Davidson fresh from the showroom floor, parking it out the front of a clubhouse and thinking that means you are a biker. Clubs including the Hells Angels MC go pretty much everywhere by motorcycle, they aren’t just the toy that comes out on the weekend if the sun has come out.
You will be expected to live on your Harley Davidson, riding across cities and states on your way to meets and as your primary form of transport, if you want to know how to become a Hells Angel then you need to be a dedicated Harley Davidson rider.
Importantly though, this shouldn’t sound like a chore. This should be the only way that you want to travel. If you don’t love this idea, then this lifestyle is not for you.
The Club Comes First, This is Your New Life
A fully patched member will have voting rights, of which they are expected to utilise. The Hells Angels MC has a number of meets throughout the year and it is expected that all members should attend whenever possible. If you start missing several of these meets then questions will be ask about your dedication to the club.
It is easy enough to read this article about Hells Angels membership requirements and have an understanding of what is required, but actually following through and practically dedicating your life to the club is another thing completely. You must be absolutely passionate about the lifestyle, there will not be much free time for other activities outside of the club, so hold off on signing up at the yacht club.
How To Leave Hells Angels: You Don’t Leave
Once last point to close out this article about Hells Angels membership requirements, is that you can’t leave the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club easily. It’s much easier to complete the steps of how to join the Hells Angels than it is to leave without having major problems.
Committing to join the club should be thought of as a life commitment. If you do try and escape the club then you must hand your patches back, or they may be taken by force.
The exception to this rule is in the case where members have provided several loyal years of service with the club, they may be allowed a graceful exit and in some cases after enough time may even be allowed to keep some of their patches.
The Hells Angels MC shouldn’t be seen as a club you will try out for a while and see how it goes for you with the option to then drop out.
Hells Angels Race Requirements
Historically the Hells Angels race requirements have seen them as a predominantly whites only outlaw motorcycle club, however over the decades this stance has loosened slightly, especially for chapters outside of the USA.
Within the United States it is extremely unlikely that you will ever see a black American Hells Angels member, although within the USA there are patched members of others origins including Hispanic and Native Americans. Having said that, many chapters within America will still party with, and do business, with black Americans, it is just that they will not be patched as an Angel.
If you look internationally to some of the European Hells Angels Charters there are looser Hells Angels race requirements for entry and evidence of black members, as well as a mix of many races.
The Phases of Membership
- The Hang-around: Being a hang-around is the first stage, where you have probably been invited by other members of the club to an event, possibly at a Hells Angels clubhouse. This will provide you with an opportunity to meet some of the other members and get a feel for what this lifestyle may have to offer you. The other Hells Angels MC members will also be judging your character along the way.
- The Associate: The next step up from the Hang-around is the Associate, where you will spend up to a few more years attending some of the events and meeting other members. The members will continue to evaluate you as you learn the ropes of how to become a Hells Angel.
- The Prospect: Once you are made a prospect you are allowed to attend a lot more events, however you will not be able to place any votes on club matters and there may also be some meetings that you are not allowed to attend. It is over this period that the members will determine whether or not they believe that you will be a suitable fully patched member in the future.
- The Fully Patched Member: The final step in the process will see you made into a Fully Patched Member. You will only reach this stage after a vote, where you must receive a unanimous vote from the other Hells Angels MC members. It is the several years of evaluations during the recruitment process which will determine whether or not you receive the votes required. In addition to the voting there may also be other requirements made of the Prospect in order to become a fully patched member, however due to the secrecy of all of these clubs it can’t be confirmed.
Successfully complete all of the above steps and you are well on your way to becoming a one percenter, you now know how to become a Hells Angel.
Hells Angels Books
Hells Angels Book – Hells Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga by Hunter S. Thompson. This is a classic in the outlaw motorcycle club community and is a must read for anyone interested in finding out about early life in the club. Find out more on Amazon (link opens in a new tab).
Hells Angels Book – Hell’s Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club by Sonny Barger with Keith Zimmerman and Kent Zimmerman.
The book about one the most famous Hells Angels, Sonny Barger, who founded the Hells Angels Oakland chapter and has been the public face of the club for decades. Find out more on Amazon (link opens in a new tab).
Read More:
- Hells Angels Motorcycle Club
- List of Hells Angels Charters
- List of One Percenters Motorcycle Clubs
- What is a One Percenter Motorcycle Club?
- List of the most Famous Hells Angels
- Outlaws Motorcycle Club
- Pissed off Bastards of Bloomington
- Outlaw Motorcycle Club Books
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