Membership

 

Any man of age eighteen (18) years or over, who is a lineal descendant of an ancestor who supported the war for American independence is eligible for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. These ancestors are referred to as Revolutionary War Patriots and include those persons who fought in the military and/or militia, who provided supplies to the American cause, who served on political bodies supporting the Revolution, who signed oaths of support and similar acts.

 

 

Interested in Joining the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR)?

There are four steps in the application process

​Step 1 – Determine Eligibility

  • ​Any male is eligible for membership in the SAR, who is a citizen of a good reputation 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.​
  • Properly documenting a genealogical line to a patriot ancestor can often be accomplished with only modest effort, provided you know what to look for and where to find it. If you have an ancestor who lived in the United States prior to 1900, chances are you may be the descendant of a Revolutionary War patriot.

Read More at www.sar.org/how-to-apply

​Step 2 – Contact the appropriate SAR Registrar

  • It is important that you complete this step.  This will make the process much easier.
  • Contact either one of these OHSSAR members.  They will help you through the process, put you in contact with a SAR chapter close to you and answer any questions you have.

​Step 3 – Collect Your Data

  • This is where the most work is involved.
  • The SAR member who has been designated to help you, your application mentor, is not going to do the research for you.
  • They are there to assist you in your preparation.  Please note that they are working with several people and will not have that amount of time available.
  • This mentor is there to answer questions and provide guidance.  They have helped many like you, so please reach out to them for assistance.
  • A benefit of doing your own research you will discover things about your ancestors and heritage that you never knew before.  It is an adventure, made easier with the help of your mentor. Work closely with him.
  • Additional guidance is found HERE or copy link www.sar.org/how-to-apply/ – refer to Step 3, “Collect Your Data”.

​​Step 4 – Complete the Application​

You have two options when completing the application.

(a) Online – Click HERE or copy link www.sar.org/how-to-apply/ – and use the online form in Step 4, “Start Your Application.” You will start by creating an online account to save your work.                              or…

(b) Offline – PDF or Word – download either version of the application and save it locally on your device/desktop.

​If at any point you have questions, reach out to your mentor or send an email to the above SAR contact email address.

 

Q & A – Common Questions:

Q&A – How long will it take to complete the research?

That depends on many things. Some of the favorable situations are:  You have a blood relative that is already in the SAR or DAR or some other lineage society. Or, you, or one of your relatives, has already completed most of the research. These situations would only take a month or two, or less to complete.
On the other hand, if you are starting from scratch and need to research each relative as you go back in time, then the amount of time required could be substantial with multiple months of effort required.

 

​Q&A – What are the common sources of information?

Examples (but not limited to): birth certificates, baptismal records, Social Security application, military records, marriage records, obituaries/funeral home records, cemetery/burial administrative records, life insurance policies, school records.

​Q&A – What is the cost to apply?

The new member SAR application fee is approximately $145. You may need to purchase some “proofs,” usually $10/each.  Note these fees can change, so please use them as a guide.

Q&A – ​What if I find more than one Patriot?

Great! Pursue the first one to get your SAR membership started.  After your first Patriot is approved and you are an active member, you can add as many “Supplemental” Applications  (additional related Patriots) as you want.  This is totally up to you.  You follow the same process with each additional Patriot ancestor.  If the additional Patriot is part of the same family tree, much of work may be already completed.  If the ancestor is within a different ancestral tree, depending on the lineage it could require more work.  Some of our members have multiple documented Patriot Ancestors, however the first one is all that is required for your SAR membership.

 

Additional information regarding Membership

General Information and Application Requirements

(Form 0910, last revised October 2012, original on blue paper) This one page tri-fold pamphlet lists SAR objectives, acceptable service, transfer from the CAR, prospects with relatives in the SAR. DAR or SR, supplemental applications, and reinstatement. It also lists application fees and annual dues.

Pointers for Preparing a Perfect Application

Learned from the School of Trial & Error

  • Complete the application.  Note: (Pay very close attention to pages 6, 7 16, and 17) of the SAR Manual when filling our your application)
  • Type the applicants last name/Patriots last name/Chapter/State on the back of each proof. Recommended not required in case documents get separated.
  • With documentation provided:
    • Do underline, in RED, pertinent passages that contain names, dates, places, ages, locations, etc from old handwritten or lengthy documents to make it easier for the staff to review.
    • The red should be ball-point pen or pencil.
    • Do not make any annotations to the document since documents must be taken at face value as written.
    • To permit reference checking by the SAR reviewers, Do provide title pages showing the name and date of the publication for all source records.
  • Do not staple or paperclip on any of your proofs.
    • The application and proof documents should be held together with one big suitably sized paper clip or binder clip.
  • Do not use yellow highlighters or felt tip pens.
  • Do not use divider pages to separate generations.
  • Do not type N/A or unknown in name, date or place fields on the applications form. If the information is unknown, leave the field blank
  • Do not use post-it notes or any other similar products.
  • Do not use screen prints of SAR Record Copies from Ancestry.com.
  • Do not use Family Group Sheets printed from SAR Patriot Index or Ancestry.com.
  • Do not use Printed summaries of census records.
  • Large documents (i.e. 11 x 17) should be reduced to print on 8 1/2 by 11 paper.
  • Provide your registrar or sponsor two copies of all of your proofs.
  • Documentation showing each parent/child link in the bloodline to the patriot is required.
  • Documentation providing any other requested information regarding spouses who are not in the direct bloodline, and the applicants children IS NOT NEEDED NOR REQUESTED.
  • Do not include extraneous documents that restate facts already proven by other documents.

To Help Preserve a Precious Heritage

(Form 0911, last revised September 1999, original has color photos) This one page tri-fold pamphlet describes the SAR, tells why someone should become a member, and describes the many ways in which the SAR helps preserve our nation’s heritage of liberty and independence.

Requirements for Preparation of Applications

(Form 0912, last revised September 2008, original on green paper) This one page tri-fold pamphlet tells what to give the applicant, what sorts of documents are acceptable, how to write data on the application, and how to cite the sources used.  See the “Trial & Error” comments listed above.

What Are The Requirements For Membership?

(Form 0913, undated, original on white paper) This one page tri-fold pamphlet has two blank panels so that it may be folded, addressed, and mailed to prospects without using envelopes.

What If I Am Interested in Transferring My SAR Membership to the Cincinnati Chapter?  What do I need to do?

Ohio Chapter to Ohio Chapter (including Cincinnati) – use form NSSAR #0918 Application for Member Reinstatement or Transfer (Instate).  Link is:

Click to access 0918-RT-12-2021.pdf

Non-Ohio Chapter to Ohio Chapter – use form NSSAR #0919 Application for Transfer (Interstate)

Click to access 0919-Transfer-Form-11-2018.pdf

 

Helpful Links to Support information:

Membership Process

SAR Application Worksheet-PDF2017 format

New Member Orientation Manual

CCSAR Mentor Handbook

Record Copies and Research Services Available from NSSAR

State Registrars Information

NSSAR Presentation – Guide to Submission of Applications

National Ladies Auxiliary Sons of the American Revolution

Guide-to-Completing-SAR-Membership-Applications

Documenting-Difficult-Cases-Rev1-2020-03-30

SAR National Genealogical Resources

DAR – Intro to Genealogical Resources – paid course

5 Minute Overview of Application Process for SAR

Deeper Dive (30 Minutes) into SAR/DAR Applications:

Common Mistakes – Part 1 – 30 minutes

Common Mistakes – Part 2 – 30 minutes