We can’t think of a more famous club for bikers than this one! Back in 1948, the story starts with a group of motorcycle riders in Fontana, California. With hundreds of characters now, the group has expanded its reach to other nations since then! While the law has been broken over the years by a few members, they have always stuck to their own code of conduct. Read on, from how they join the club to what they wear, to see their rules. You will soon learn that being a part of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is no joke.
The Group Has To Vote You In
The Hells Angels said on the website, if you need to ask how to be one of them, you’ll “probably won’t understand the answer.” The truth is that becoming a member can take a couple of years. This makes sense because if you succeed, you are in it for life. It is not easy to cultivate a bond with the other individuals in the charter right away, among other things. Before you can be an official member, the rest of the group also has to vote you in.
The Group Has To Vote You In
You Are A Prospect Before You Can Be A Full Member
Julian Sher, an investigative journalist, said that a person trying to join a charter starts as a “hang around.” This is a good name for this position because bikers who are asked to attend Hell Angels events are hanging around. They provide both parties with a good way to get a feel for each other. You are first considered a “prospect” before you become an official member of the club. This title is even stitched into the vest! As Sher has referred to it, these tentative members are asked to run errands or “gopher work.”
You Are A Prospect Before You Can Be A Full Member
The Vests Are Considered To Be Sacred Objects
If you want to know whether a person is a Hells Angels member, check if their vest comes with the insignia. The prospect receives a vest with the group’s name and logo on the back after becoming a suitable member. Julian Sher said that to the members, the vests are sacred objects. He has to hand it over to another member if a biker is arrested to avoid tainting it while in jail. He needs to avoid everything in his power to ensure that it won’t be torn or cut if he is hurt or needs to undergo an emergency procedure.
The Vests Are Considered To Be Sacred Objects
They Follow A Dress Code
There is some slight variation among the charters, in reality. The members all follow a general dress code, however. A Hell Angel shared that he was only allowed to wear black shirts, jeans, and vests upon joining the group. Even charters that do not allow shorts do exist. Although some charters wear all-black clothing, others allow for camouflage patterns and blue jeans. When it comes to distinguishing between the members of different charters, the design and color codes come in handy.
They Follow A Dress Code
They Do Not Just Ride In Any Order
A Hells Angels group can be quite big. As they cross the roads, they can take up an entire street! You might not know, however, that as they ride, they follow an order. The President of the Charter and the Road Captain remain in front. After that, depending on their rank and seniority, the rest of the group aligns. You will find the older members near the front, succeeded by the group’s newer members. Lastly, the prospects are the ones riding in the back.
They Do Not Just Ride In Any Order
When Cops Pull One Of Them Over
The team follows a certain order, so the entire group stops when a police officer pulls one of them over. Not only does this help maintain order, but it also demonstrates that they are all connected. They actually function just like a family. Even if you only mess with one member, you’ll have to deal with all of them. We doubt that many individuals are eager to start a fight with many bikers who are known to be tough.
When Cops Pull One Of Them Over
The Hells Angels Can’t Work For Prisons
If you know the Hells Angels and law enforcement history, you’d know why members are not permitted to work in jails. Besides that, since a conflict of interest will occur, members cannot become police officers. The Hells Angels have occasionally been involved in criminal activity. In the way they have to follow their own rules, the group is committed to freedom. You can see why such an outlook will not be viable precisely in these careers.
Hells Angels Can’t Work For Prisons
You Are Not Allowed To Talk About Other Members
Besides, the Hells Angels members are not permitted to join the force because they follow a discretionary policy. Every member who rats a brother will be expelled! On the website, Hells Angeles explained, “We do not answer questions about members.” This also applies to missing ones. To protect the embers, secrecy is put in place. Loyalty is something above everything that they value.
You Are Not Allowed To Talk About Other Members
Once A Member, Always A Member
Remember that you are a member for life once you are in it. Members do not retire. Only if they break a rule are, they ever kicked out. Essentially, the charter becomes your second family. The group members spend plenty of time with one another. It should help ensure that many members have known each other for a long time before becoming official members. When a Hells Angel passes away, the whole crew unites to honor their brother’s memory.
Once A Member, Always A Member
Not Allowed To Talk To The Media
The Hells Angels members are not allowed to talk to the media because they are secretive in their dealings. Not only does this protect the group, but it also enforces the rules that members don’t talk about one of their own to outsiders. Julian Sher explained that since it is part of their safety measures, members cannot talk about their codes. By keeping things between themselves, the group can reduce the risk of leaked information.
Not Allowed To Talk To The Media
The Hells Angels And Harley Davidson
If you want to be part of the Hells Angels, you can’t just be an ordinary old biker. No, there’s a certain kind of motorcyclist you need to be. As we mentioned earlier, since they need to screen members, the recruitment process can go on for years. A prospective member needs to own a Harley Davidson, among other things. This is one of the items that the group is best known for, apart from the vest. This is essential because it plays a huge role in the Hells Angels’ identity.
The Hells Angels And Harley Davidson
Thousands Of Miles Per Year With Each Other
The website says the Hells Angels members ride about 20,000 km per year together. Over 12,000 miles is equal to this. If they want to fit in, the members have to be real motorcycle fanatics. The bike has to be their primary mode of transportation, among other things. Even if they treated each other like brothers, their love of bikes would be based on their connection. Riding is the ultimate expression of freedom and liberation for these individuals. They don’t have any qualms about riding for hours on end!
Thousands Of Miles Per Year With Each Other
Attendance At Club Events Is Important
Someone fascinated with the Hells Angels will likely go crazy about the chance to attend their activities and events. Members who are not present at meetings and hangouts almost prove that they do not understand the brotherhood’s point. The biker club is strict when it comes to attendance. In their eyes, it is considered disrespectful to those who keep missing events. There is a good chance that those individuals will not survive the “hang around” part of the recruitment process!
Attendance At Club Events Is Important
Members Are Treated Just Like Family
Why are the Hells Angels interested in gatherings so much, anyway? Well, It allows them the chance to be more like a family. Not only do they get to ride motorcycles, but they also get to spend time with individuals who are passionate about the same thing. Mind you, the bond between them is not just about a shared thrill over bikes. The Hells Angels are, after all, following a belief system and a way of life of their own.
Members Are Treated Just Like Family
Not Allowed To Join A Different Biker Club
The group members share a deep connection that is supposed to last a whole lifetime. Besides the bond, they’re also committed. This indicates that it is not allowed for members to join a different biker club. They have to be mindful of those they associate with, along with this. “Never combine your support to Hells Angels with other clubs, street gangs, or others if you are unaware of the relationship between those others and the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club,” said the website. This implies that only if it fits with the group’s beliefs does a member have to support something.
Not Allowed To Join A Different Biker Club
It Is A Brotherhood First And Foremost
The Hells Angels are a brotherhood, which is why you will only see men wearing vests with symbols of the head of death. Even though they do not really accept women as members, they still play a role in the club. Many members have spouses and children, after all. The partner should understand and accept the lifestyle that comes with membership in this tough biker club if a man is on a charter.
It Is A Brotherhood First And Foremost
How To Start A New Charter
When it comes to charters, the creation of a new one overnight is impossible. Here is what it says on the website: “Motorcycle Clubs consist of people who have ridden together for years, live in the same area, are known by the community, have runs and parties, and are a brotherhood.” The club should have been around for years or even decades before starting a new charter. This is the only time you should consider turning it into a charter for the Hells Angels. You don’t need to ask how if you’re ready to do so.
How To Start A New Charter
What Happens When One Breaks The Rules
Members who break the club’s rules will likely regret their decision. The Hells Angels are a secret and loyal brotherhood, so betraying the group does not sound like a good idea. According to Julian Sher, there were instances when they burned off former members’ tattoos who somehow broke the rules. But expulsion from the club has to be the worst punishment. After all, this includes the total banishment of the rest of the members.
What Happens When One Breaks The Rules
Grammar Nerds Need Not Point Out The Missing Apostrophe
You have probably already noticed the missing apostrophe if you are pedantic about grammar. Let us explain if you just haven’t caught on to it yet. It should be “Hell’s” and not “Hells.” It makes perfect sense to us because the group does not really care much about the rules. “Yes, we know there is an apostrophe missing, but it is you who miss it. We don’t,” they say on the website. And a movie called Hell’s Angels was released before the biker club was launched.
Grammar Nerds Need Not Point Out The Missing Apostrophe
Fathers’ Need To Approve Who Their Daughters Marry
Before tying the knot, any member of the high-profile Québécois mafia group always needs to get approval. Especially if you are the daughter of one of Hell’s Angels’ most powerful members, here we can see one of the more recent marriages in downtown Quebec, attended by around 300 people. Even though the couple had been dating for more than a decade, nothing could be finalized without the official approval stamp.
Fathers’ Need To Approve Who Their Daughters Marry
You Can Buy Merch To Support Them
Members do not particularly like that despite not being a part of it, and people wear the Hells Angels insignia. However, to help them out, it is possible to buy their merchandise. A supported shop is run by the biker club that you can support to showcase your appreciation for their lifestyle. It is a good way to finance funnels to local charters. Bikers and members can hold more events when they sell more goods.
You Can Buy Merch To Support Them
Members Are Not Allowed To Use Illegal Substances
You may be shocked to hear this because it doesn’t seem to correspond to their tough reputation. The biker club requires members of the group to remain sober no matter what you might think. They are, in reality, strict when it comes to their use of illicit substances. ‘All’ contact or use of[substances] is strictly forbidden,’ as is the use of needles’ for pleasure,” says the club’s Toronto Charter.
Members Are Not Allowed To Use Illegal Substances
You Need Their Permission To Link To Their Website
This is another rule you may be surprised to hear about. Did you know that before you link to their website, you require express written consent? It just shows how protective Hells Angels members are. This is what the website has to say: “You may not establish and/ or operate links to this website without the prior written consent of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. Such consent may be withdrawn at any time at the Hells Angels MCs’ own discretion.”
You Need Their Permission To Link To Their Website
Prospects Are Not Allowed To Retaliate Against The Hazing Process
Once you enter the Hells Angels as a prospect, there is an important rule you need to follow. The hazing process does not allow you to retaliate against it. Since there is a chance that the process will be violent, this is a huge one. According to the club’s bylaws, this is done not to belittle prospective members but to test their character. It is considered unworthy for anyone who breaks this rule to be a member.
Prospects Are Not Allowed To Retaliate Against The Hazing Process
Outsiders Are Not Allowed To Wear Official Merch
Although the club supporters can buy merchandise, the club members are the only sports merch. This is a rule taken very seriously by the Hells Angels. In an attempt to imitate a biker club member, you should never wear a merch. You might as well expect retaliation from them if you are ever caught doing this. Supporting a biker club is possible, but only if you do it right.
Outsiders Are Not Allowed To Wear Official Merch
Their Patches Are Also Sacred
They receive patches as the members of the group grow and go through the ranks. Such items are often seen as sacred symbols that need to be treated with the utmost respect and care. When it comes to protecting these objects, the Hells Angels members have to follow strict rules. In fact, there are even rumors that doctors should not be allowed to cut through them, no matter what.
Their Patches Are Also Sacred
Consent Is Always Required
How nice is it to hear the Hells Angels expect their members to show restraint and respect at all times? It may have a tough reputation, but it enforces strict rules on how to interact with women. A member must always receive approval. Taking advantage of a woman is unacceptable. When it comes to this rule, the Hells Angels follow a policy of zero-tolerance. Any member who breaks it will regret that.
Consent Is Always Required
No Talking Even About Missing Members
It prefers to be secretive, even though the group is respectful. It is also super protective of the members, as we have mentioned previously. The protection applies to members of the club who have also gone missing. As we all know, the Hells Angels are not talking about one of their own to the media. On top of that, the members are not allowed to talk to people outside the club about fellow brothers! They follow this rule to shield their privacy and, if necessary, protect each other from law enforcement members.
No Talking Even About Missing Members
When It Comes To Driving Non-Harleys
When it comes to their bikes, it is believed that only Harley Davidsons are allowed and used by the Hells Angels members. We even told you that this is one of their rules. Although the majority of charters are American, some charters are fine with members riding other bikes. They allow Buell Motorcycles, a brand that began in Wisconsin in 1983, among many others.
When It Comes To Driving Non-Harleys
The Club Should Be Your First Priority
Anyone who joins the Hells Angels is considered to be a family immediately. This means that the club should be your priority, regardless of what happens. As a member, you will receive voting rights. The others expect you to put the group of bikers above all else. This is really a lifetime commitment, so you have to inform your wife or partner of your priorities. If you want to be a proper member of the club, all that comes with it must be embraced.
The Club Should Be Your First Priority
Cultural Diversity Is Not Yet Widely Accepted
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has always been based on its own history and rules. Only in recent years has it started to be more culturally diverse. In the past, the club’s members were primarily of Caucasian descent. There are a lot of people with Hispanic heritage in the mix as well. The group’s cultural diversity differs from charter to charter. It is worth noting that there are still some charters as strict as ever.
Cultural Diversity Is Not Yet Widely Accepted
Strict Rules They Follow During Club Meetings
They must follow certain rules when club members meet for meetings. The guidelines are now known as Robert’s Rules of Order. They were invented in 1876. Initially, they were meant to be used in business meetings. The Hells Angels were introduced later, though. Such rules make meetings democratic. They must stick to the agenda, ask questions, and interrupt when necessary, among others. Anyone who breaks the rules pays a $100 fine.
Strict Rules They Follow During Club Meetings
Prospects Are Tasked To Do The Dirty Work
Would you like to join Hells Angels? If so, hang around the group first. If you’re noticed, you’ll be a prospect. These people then go on a trial run, working with participants until they’re considered worthy of a vest. They’re probably a prospect if you see a Hells Angels member without the insignia or color on the vest. They’re often tasked with running participants’ errands. They set up meeting rooms, among others, before members arrive. They only become full members once they receive the vest logo!
Prospects Are Tasked To Do The Dirty Work
Only One Group To Rule An Area
Did you know that there are only certain groups that can ride through certain areas? If a group “claimed” an area, the others must respect this. Unless they are driving through it or are members of the Hells Angels, the other gangs cannot stay in that spot. Like the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, the group has rival motorcycle clubs. Other clubs do not claim the territory if a Hells Angels charter hangs around a certain area. To avoid each other, there are also places where the groups visit separate hospitals!
Only One Group To Rule An Area
They Also Run Charities
Are you surprised to hear that now and then, the group runs charities? You might think they are dangerous, but every year they hold toy drives for Toys for Tots. There was a period when they gave the Poverello House 200 bikes. It is a nonprofit organization that helps the homeless. The motorcycle club also rides for charity frequently! At any rate, the Hells Angels members know that people have no idea that they do these things. They said, “When we do right, nobody remembers. When we do wrong, nobody forgets.”
They Also Run Charities
Respect Them And They Will Respect You
When you talk to a member, there is no need to be frightened. Respect is fundamental to them, after all. Treat them well, and they’re going to do you the same. Journalists have said in the past that they are “incredibly welcoming” and “inviting.” In their neighborhood, the Hells Angels members also help out and even extend a hand to strangers. With them, you should not expect any problems as long as you remain respectful. We do not recommend behaving otherwise.
Respect Them And They Will Respect You
They Do Security For Concerts Too
Do you ever see Hells Angels on concert grounds? Don’t worry. The truth, in these events, they usually work as security. It started in 1961. George Harrison had some members from a San Francisco chapter working for the Beatles during a London concert. Rock band continued to respect bikers. Several bands hired the group for security! Going to concerts and getting paid must be awesome. It’s also a great opportunity to show their club’s pride.
They Do Security For Concerts Too
Honoring A Late Member
The Hells Angels focus on motorcycling, so accidents are sure to happen. Members do their best to keep their memory alive if a member dies. The brothers ride their pictures, tell stories at meetings, and hang up posters. In 2019, on his 21st birthday, a young member named Clay Hubbard died. His mother shared the club’s news. Though intimidated at first, they comforted her and prayed through her. She gave them a bracelet to “ride along with them on their rides,” to show her gratitude.
Honoring A Late Member
They Are Big On Community Involvement
Not just within their group, Hells Angels members operate. They actually value community participation, so members attend local events and charities. They also like to support local shops and bars. There was a time when Hells Angels’ charter learned that the local bar was trying to raise funds for SELF School, a non-profit donating educational material to cancer patients and disabled children. The Hells Angels got to work, raising money for this initiative immediately. This is one of many things they do for their communities.
They Are Big On Community Involvement
The Brand Is Very Important To Them
The members of the Hells Angels take their brand very seriously, as you can tell by now. They are prepared to do all they can to protect their name. While you’re likely to find their rules a bit too violent, the club still follows the law. Actually, to protect their own brand, the club has even sued a couple of big companies. Disney is included in the list! After the release of Wild Hogs, this happened.
The Brand Is Very Important To Them
Following Rules Of Their Own
This may be their most important rule: they follow their own rules. They’re not concerned with the rules created by society. You’ll do the same thing if you join the Hells Angels. Here’s an excerpt from a motorcycle club publication: “They, of course, didn’t have jobs, they despised everything that most Americans pursue – stability, security. They rode their bikes, hung out in bars for days at a time, fought with anyone who messed with them. They were self-contained, with their own set of rules, their own code of behavior. It was extraordinary.”
Following Rules Of Their Own
Where And When It All Began
The Hells Angels were formed officially on 17 March 1948 in Fontana, California, are generally widely accepted. The Bishop family and a few other World War II veterans founded it. Before that, they had been members of various post-war motorbike clubs. Despite criminal reports, the group claims it started with young men missing the soldiers’ camaraderie and feeling stagnant. Bikes were also affordable thanks to the military surplus.
Where And When It All Began
Named After A Squadron Nickname
But where did the club’s name even come from? It is thought that it came from Arvid Olson’s suggestion, someone whom the founding members knew. He served in the Flying Tigers’ Hell’s Angels squadron, which was active during China’s war. During the First and Second World Wars, American soldiers were not uncommon to give their squadrons interesting and fierce nicknames.
Named After A Squadron Nickname
More Charters Popped Up Across California
Hells Angels rapidly expanded throughout California during their early years. Oakland Charter founder Ralph “Sonny,” Barger said the state’s earliest charters were founded in Oakland, San Francisco, Fontana, Gardena, and several lesser-known areas. The charters then didn’t concern the others and didn’t even know about the other charters! Finally, in the ’50s, different groups came together to create a huge organization. This was also when an admission criteria and internal codes system was implemented.
More Charters Popped Up Across California
An Important Part Of Counterculture
The Hells Angels went on to be a huge part of the counterculture movement in the ’60s, in California and other states. In the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, where they often attended social and music events, they were great. Several members, such as Allen Ginsberg, Ken Kesey, Jerry Garcia, the Rolling Stones, the Merry Pranksters, the Grateful Dead, and more, we’re also associated with leading figures in art and music.
An Important Part Of Counterculture
They Do Not Enjoy The Bad Reputation
The Hells Angels and some other motorcycle clubs regard themselves as a one-percent biker club. The phrase went all the way back 50 years ago. It operates on the saying that one percent of troublemakers give all the other bikers a bad name. This must separate them from the negative stereotypes surrounding motorcycle gangs and the Hells Angels, in particular. Over the years, however, several members have been convicted of various charges such as selling drugs and even murder.
They Do Not Enjoy The Bad Reputation
International Charters Continue To Open
Initially, the Hells Angels were based in California. Its international expansion began in 1961. That was the year when the first international charter was established in New Zealand’s Auckland. It paved the way for an overseas motorcycle club. In 1969, with the opening of their London charter, the club had its first charter in Europe. There are currently more than 275 charters on the European continent alone. Charters in South Africa, Brazil, Australia, and more have been established since the ’70s. To this day, the group continues to expand to new parts of the globe.
International Charters Continue To Open
What The Hells Angels Wear
There’s a way for Hells Angels members to inform others who they are. They almost always wear denim or leather “cut” Slang for a motorcycle jacket. The cut carries various patches on the back, like Hells Angels, with the charter name at its bottom. The “death head” logo, number 81, and HAMC letters will also have a full member. Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is the initials, while the number is the eighth and first letters of the alphabet, the letters H and A. They also get more patches for certain milestones, as a person stays in the club.
What The Hells Angels Wear
How To Become One Of Them
It’s no bad feat to be a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club if you need us to spell it out for you. The process of applying can be as long as a couple of years. Moreover, you need a valid motorcycle license, a more than 750 CC Harley Davidson bike, and a personality that jives with the rest of the members. If you have applied to be a prison guard or a police officer in the past, you can’t join them. People with accusations of child molestation are also banned. These are the guidelines known to the public.
How To Become One Of Them
When You Are A Hang-Around
You can now start the process as a “hang-around” once you are considered eligible. It serves as the first part of the process. A candidate will then be invited to certain meetings of the club or other events held at open gathering locations. You will get the chance to meet the rest of the members, get a feel for the lifestyle, and make connections with the motorcycle club’s official members as a hang-around.
When You Are A Hang-Around