20 Club Rules All Hells Angels Have To Obey

19. Strictly no women allowed

Hearing the name “Hells Angels” might encourage you to make a mental leap to the TV show Charlie’s Angels and lead you to assume that women are allowed to ride alongside the men. However, the group doesn’t allow females to join, and you won’t ever see them riding when a club chapter goes for a spin.

This doesn’t mean that there aren’t women close to the Hells Angels organization, though. Of course, many of its male members have women in their lives – and they’re expected to respect the lifestyle just as their beaus do. A loyal Hells Angels partner will probably learn the ropes and avoid breaking any of these rules, as well.

18. It’s tough to start your own Hells Angel chapter, but it’s possible

It takes time to set up a Hells Angels chapter – and the club’s website is careful to point out this fact. It reads, “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.” You can’t create that kind of closeness overnight.

Only after years of riding together by choice would a motorcycle community consider becoming an official arm of the Hells Angels. Perhaps that’s why the website doesn’t include instructions on how to join up: once you’re established enough, you don’t have to ask how or follow any steps. You’re just in.

17. Don’t question the formatting of Hells Angels

Any grammar guru will tell you that the name Hells Angels should have an apostrophe before the first “s”. After all, the club’s name implies that the motorcyclists belong to hell, so an apostrophe would make that connection clear by creating a possessive. However, the organization acknowledges only one proper spelling of its name, and there’s nary a punctuation mark in sight.

The Hells Angels adhere to their own rules, and that freedom extends to their grammatical choices. The website makes a point to shut down those who question their spelling. It reads, “Yes, we know there is an apostrophe missing, but it is you who miss it. We don’t.” So, if you want to format the club’s name properly, skip that particular piece of punctuation.

16. There is a dress code

Initiation and membership into the Hells Angels arms you with a coveted accessory: a vest emblazoned with the organization’s name and insignia on its back. That way, when you ride, everyone knows with whom you’re riding. But that’s not the only must-wear item for the motorcycle gang’s inductees.

There are different Hells Angels charters across the country, and each one has its own dress code. Some don’t allow riders to wear shorts, while others bar their ranks from wearing anything but the color black. In other local groupings, though, motorcyclists can wear denim and camouflage; these different stylings help neighboring chapters recognize one another on the road.

15. Hells Angels ride in a specific order

If you’ve ever seen a Hells Angels chapter cruising down the highway, you know there are a lot of them who ride together. The motorcyclists can take up the entire length of a street because so many of them go together. And yet, with so many bikes hurtling down the road, there’s order to the chaos you’re seeing from the outside.

At the front of the pack you’ll see the captain, as well as the president of the Hells Angels chapter who are riding. They lead the way, and the rest of the crew falls in line based on their personal rankings and seniority levels. New members hang near the back, and prospective signees bring up the rear.

14. You can’t join another biker club

In reading this list, you’re probably getting the feeling that joining the Hells Angels isn’t a decision to take lightly. The organization prides itself on the connections made between members, and their brotherhood is more than strong enough to last a lifetime. As such, there’s no need to join any other bike-related organization.

Not only that, but Hells Angels should steer clear of any other social clubs or membership-only groups. Its website explains, “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.” It’s best, then, to stick to one club – and especially one biker club.

13. Angels don’t speak to the media

There’s a reason why the Hells Angels are such a mysterious organization – its members make a point of keeping it that way. For starters, they don’t share their plans or scheduled activities with anyone. If you happen to catch them riding, then you’ve found out with the rest of the world that they had a cruise on the books.

The Hells Angels’ secrecy stems from a simple internal policy: don’t talk to the media. Riders use their silence as a way to protect their image and provide them with security. Only those inside the organization need to know what they’re up to and when they’re gathering, so they keep it that way.

12. The vests are considered sacred

We previously mentioned that Hells Angels members receive a vest once they’re officially inducted into the group. It’s more than just an accessory, though: it’s a sacred piece of clothing to the motorcyclists who make it into the exclusive club. And so all of them treat the garment as such.

You might think you have a sacred piece of clothing, too, but it probably pales in comparison to the care that the Hells Angels put into their vests. Some of them have refused to let medics cut them out of the garment in a medical emergency – that’s how much of an honor it is to don the famous embroidered gear.

11. Membership hinges on a vote

If you think you want to join Hells Angels, you should make absolutely sure before you start the process. A new prospect’s journey from enlistee to full-fledged member can take years, and there are several hoops through which you have to jump before you officially make it into the chapter.

And the culmination of all of those pre-membership rituals ends with a democratic vote among everyone in the charter. This step certainly speaks to the brotherhood mentality that the Hells Angels have: if the group likes you, then you’re in. But if enough guys don’t want you to join, then you’re out without question, we’d imagine.

10. Before you’re in, you’re a prospect – and you’re subject to hazing

You’ve heard of fraternities hazing those seeking to join, and the Hells Angels brotherhood is no different. Prospective members get stuck with the dirty work that full-fledged members don’t want to do. So, for example, the new guys might arrive early for the charter meeting to set it up before everyone else arrives.

That’s a pretty benign example of what Hells Angels hazing can be, though. Some say that the process can get violent, which triggers another rule. Apparently, prospects can’t lash out or retaliate against the senior members who haze them. If they do, then their journey to membership ends then and there.

9. You can’t even link to the website without permission

As an outsider, you probably don’t want to mess with Hells Angels, and you’d never do so purposefully. But you could be making a mistake that breaks their by-laws, one that has to do with their internet presence. Outsiders can’t link to the motorcycle organization’s website except in a very specific scenario.

The Hells Angels’ website explains, “You may not establish and/or operate links to this website without the prior written consent of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.” Even if you have permission, it may not last forever: members reserve the right to withdraw from the deal, at which point you’d be wise to unlink immediately.

8. Say goodbye to any other hobbies

Once you join a Hells Angels charter, your fellow members will expect you to put the organization first. Indeed, membership comes with a slew of perks: you have voting rights at meetings, for example. And you should take this honor seriously by making the gang your first priority.

Needless to say, then, is the fact that Hells Angels will become most members’ only hobby. They won’t have time to sign up for bowling leagues or take cooking classes. Even their wives and partners have to accept this: the motorcycle charter comes before everything else.

7. No one in law enforcement can join

You might think a cop would fit in well with the Hells Angels, especially one who patrols on a motorcycle. However, the group has a strict no-police rule when it comes to hopeful new members. The same goes for prison guards – any ties to law enforcement will prevent you from enlisting in the club.

The Hells Angels don’t have the best relationship with law enforcement, and some chapters supposedly engage in criminal activity. Even if they’re not breaking the law, though, the motorcyclists run by their own rules and value their freedom to do so. Having a cop among their ranks would certainly put a dampener on that.

6. Interrupting a meeting could cost you

You might imagine a Hells Angels meeting to be as raucous as riders’ engine-revving antics on the road. However, there are very specific rules as to the way that members should behave at their regular gatherings. The group follows Robert’s Rules of Order, written in 1876 to help businesses keep their meetings civilized.

Robert’s Rules of Order outline the ways in which a firm – or in this case the Hells Angels – can hold a democratic meeting. The group has to respect the written agenda, members can only interrupt when it’s necessary, and they can only raise their questions before it all begins. Breaking a rule supposedly costs $100 for the offending motorcyclist.

5. Never rat out a fellow Angel

They’re called Hells Angels for a reason: not all of the motorcyclists lead lives on the straight and narrow. Instead, some allegedly partake in illegal dealings, which puts them on the radar of the local authorities. But charter members know what to do when the police start poking around: say nothing.

Even if an angel is involved in an illicit activity, the group has a strict policy to keep mum. Talking to the cops or any other type of investigator could incriminate a brother or, worse yet, the entire chapter. So, it’s best to stay silent and ensure your mouth stays shut.

4. Substance abuse is strictly prohibited

On that note, you might expect that the Hells Angels’ illegal activity extends to drugs – but apparently that assumption would be incorrect. The organization has a no-tolerance policy for contact with or use of illegal substances. The Toronto-based chapter, for example, makes a point to prohibit needle-based pleasure as well.

In the end, substance abuse would negatively affect Hells Angels members’ reputation, so they steer clear of it. It might not be surprising, then, that they also have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual assault. If a rider commits such an act or uses drugs, then they’re out of the chapter for good.

3. When the cops pull one angel over, they all pull over

Police officers enforce the law, which applies to Hells Angels members whether they like it or not. So, when cops catch a motorcyclist riding or behaving illegally, they won’t hesitate to pull them over. And, when that happens, the rest of the chapter will act according to club rules.

When one angel gets pulled over, the rest do the same and sit on the side of the road in solidarity. They do this as a supportive symbol, for sure, but it might also serve as a bit of intimidation for the cop who has forced the bike to the shoulder.

2. You can’t retire

It takes a lot to become a full-fledged member of Hells Angels, but the length of membership warrants such an intensive interview process. Once you’re in, you’re in for life: there’s no such thing as retirement from the motorcycle club. You can, of course, get kicked out for breaking a rule, but that’s it.

A lifetime membership does have its benefits; Hells Angels enlistees become more like family than members of a motorcycle gang. They spend years cruising together and take that connection seriously. Indeed, they remain angels until the very end, at which point they provide one another a proper send-off.

1. Rule-breaking comes with serious consequences

By now, you’ve learned one thing: the Hells Angels don’t just make rules for the sake of it. It’s clear that members take their organization and its reputation very seriously. So, if someone gets into the group but fails to meet its standards or, worse yet, break its very specific rules, they’ll be in serious trouble.

Those who have investigated Hells Angels have heard horror stories of how remaining members will burn off the tattoos of those who haven’t obeyed the motorcyclists’ code. But the worst consequence of all for any rider would be removal and total banishment from the club – a total dishonor, especially considering membership is otherwise a lifelong commitment.