Any man who is eighteen years of age or older, of good moral character and sound mind, who comes well-recommended, and who believes in a Supreme Being and a life after death may petition to become a Freemason.

From the Grand Lodge of the State of New York:
Some men are surprised that no one has ever asked them to become a Mason. They may even feel that the Masons in their town don't think they are "good enough" to join. But it doesn't work that way. For hundreds of years, Masons have been forbidden to ask others to join the fraternity. We can talk to friends about Masonry, we can tell them about what Masonry does. We can tell them why we enjoy it. But we can't ask, much less pressure anyone to join.

There's a good reason for that. It isn't that we're trying to be exclusive. But becoming a Mason is a very serious thing. Joining Masonry is making a permanent life commitment to live in certain ways: to live with honor and integrity, to be willing to share and care about others, to trust each other, and to place ultimate trust in God. No one should be "talked into" making such a decision. Read more...

How to join a Lodge

There are many lodges in our district that you can join, and we encourage you to join a lodge close enough to you that you can regularly attend its meetings. Provided that you meet the necessary qualifications, as described above, and have an interest in joining a lodge, your first step is to contact the Master or Secretary of the lodge and communicate your intent.