The Sons of the American Revolution is the largest male lineage organization in the United States, with over 37,000 members in 590 local chapters as well as international chapters.
Mission Statement
The Sons of the American Revolution honors our Revolutionary War patriot ancestors by:
- Promoting patriotism
- Serving our communities
- Educating and inspiring future generations about the founding principles of our Country
SAR Membership Eligibility
Any male shall be eligible for membership in the SAR who is a citizen of good repute in the community; and a lineal descendant of an ancestor who was at all times unfailing in loyalty to and rendered acceptable service in the cause of American Independence.
Identify Your Patriot Ancestor
The first step in your journey to joining the SAR is identifying your patriot ancestor. You may begin by checking the SAR and DAR databases to see if your ancestor’s service has already been proven.
If your ancestor isn’t listed in the above systems, that doesn’t mean that they do not qualify. It could just mean that they have not been proven yet! Any of the following service qualifies as patriotic service:
- Been a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Mecklenburg Declaration of 1775, the Albemarle Declaration of 1779, or the Cumberland Compact of 1780;
- Been a member of any of the Continental Congresses;
- Rendered material aid, such as: Furnishing supplies with or without remuneration; lending money to the Colonies, munitions makers, and gunsmiths; or any other material aid which furthered the Cause;
- Served in the military or navy, including: Service during the dates falling on or between 19 April 1775 and 26 November 1783, service at the Battle of Point Pleasant on 10 October 1774 (this location and date only), or furnishing a substitute for military service;
- Been a participant in the Boston Tea Party, Kaskaskia Campaign, Galvez Expedition, Cherokee Expedition, or the Edenton Tea Party;
- Been a defender of forts and frontiers or a ranger;
- Been a prisoner of war, including those on the British ship Old Jersey or other prison ships;
- Been a physician, surgeon, nurse, or otherwise rendered aid to the wounded;
- Rendered civil service under the Colonies during the dates falling on or between 19 April 1775 and 26 November 1783;
- Been a member of committees made necessary by the violation of colonial rights by England or the War, such as committees of safety, observation, inspection, and correspondence;
- Pledged to support the cause of the Colonies, such as: the Oath of Fidelity and Support, the Oath of Allegiance or the Articles of Association, or the Association Test;
- Been a signer of petitions addressed to and recognizing the authority of the provisional and new state governments;
- Accepted obligations or acted under direction of the provisional and new state governments, such as persons directed to hold elections, to oversee road construction, to collect provisions, or similar responsibilities;
- Been a clergy member or other recognized leader of any religion who performed overt acts of resistance to the authority of Great Britain which could only be performed by religious leaders.
What Is Required?
Besides proving service of your ancestor, we require genealogical proof of each parent-child relationship between you and your patriot ancestor. This includes birth, marriage, and death certificates or records, 1850 and later census records, wills, probate court records, etc.
Our State Registrar will be happy to work with you to identify what has already been proven, thereby limiting the amount of research needed on your part.
Begin the Application Process
We encourage you to begin the application process by creating an account and starting an application online. You do not need to have all of your proof documentation acquired to start the process. Once you have started your application, we will see it and our State Registrar will be able to reach out to help guide you along the way.
(Not comfortable with the online form? Use this PDF form to begin drafting your lineage.)
Application Fees
For 2024, the following fees apply for new Regular Member (18+) applicants in Iowa:
- Joining the National Society – $100
- Annual National membership dues – $50
- Joining the Central Iowa chapter – $20
- Annual Central Iowa membership dues – $15
- Total – $185 written to IASSAR as one check.
(Note that these fees are not due until your application is ready for submission to National. For pricing on your specific situation, including family plans, junior memberships, conversion from C.A.R., Memorial or Supplemental applications, etc. – please contact us.)
Contact the Iowa State Registrar
Still have questions or not sure if you have an eligible ancestor? Use our contact registrar form to send a message to the Iowa State Registrar. We are happy to answer any questions you may have and help guide you through the application process.
Iowa SAR 