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Application Requirements

Summary: Physical and formatting requirements for SAR application forms and supporting documentation, including paper, printing, signatures, date format, and place format.

Sources: National Society, Sons of the American Revolution.md (GCP Sections 6.1000–6.1004), # Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).md (APG, Application Form Requirements; Application Package Presentation), raw/SAR-Application-Formatting-Guide.pdf

Last updated: 2026-04-20

Service Description vs. Proof of Service

The application has two distinct fields for service — these are frequently confused:

Field Location What to enter
"Capacity" field Front of application, near top Description of service: rank, commanding officers, regiment #, state(s), and specifics of patriotic/civil service
References field Back of application Citation proving service: book author/title/page, pension number, muster roll, pay card, etc.

Do not enter the proof source citation in the capacity field. Do not enter the service description in the references field.

Examples for the capacity field: - Private, Capt. John Smith, Col. Robert Thompson, 6th Dutchess Co., NY, Regt. - Signed Association Test, 1778 - Petit Juror, Hartford, CT, 1779 - Paid Supply Tax, 1781-1782, Bedford Co., VA

Do not enter abbreviated service designations in the capacity field. (source: raw/SAR-Application-Formatting-Guide.pdf)

Application Form

Applications not meeting the following requirements will be pended and returned to the State Point of Contact (POC). (source: National Society, Sons of the American Revolution.md, GCP 6.1000)

Paper and printing (GCP 6.1001)

  • Must use forms dated 2017 or later (Word or PDF dated March 2017 or later; do not use pre-2017 forms)
  • Accepted platforms: online application, Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat PDF, Cox software
  • Must be typed or computer-printed with black ink — handwritten applications are not accepted
  • Must be neat, not smudged, and free of loose toner
  • May contain no more than five very minor neat corrections in ink
  • Must be printed on both sides of official SAR legal-sized watermarked bond paper
  • Page 2 must be on the back of page 1, with both page tops on the same edge
  • Additional pages must also use SAR legal-sized watermarked bond paper
  • Page breaks must not occur within a generation (including references)
  • Font size: at least 10 point, 12 point preferred (for online application, print scale between 90–110%)
  • Nothing may be attached to the application form by staples, glue, tape, pins, thread, or other means
  • Application forms must not list children of the applicant; must include a certification the applicant meets basic membership requirements and a space for the Genealogist General's signature

What to list on the application

  • List only information for which proof is provided. Leave all unknown or unproven fields blank
  • Do not enter "unknown," "N/A," "??," or similar placeholder text
  • Do not bracket any data field
  • Include all proven information for persons in both the bloodline and non-bloodline to the patriot
  • Do not extend lineage information beyond the patriot's generation (source: National Society, Sons of the American Revolution.md, GCP 3.5001)

Signatures (GCP 6.1002)

Applicant signature (GCP 6.1002a)

  • New member (age 18+): Must sign; exceptions for incapacitated applicants (another adult may sign on their behalf)
  • Junior member (under 18): May sign, or a parent or guardian may sign on their behalf
  • Memorial application: An adult active SAR member signs in lieu of the deceased applicant

Officers and sponsors (GCP 6.1002b)

  • New member application: Must be signed by applicant, sponsor, co-sponsor (both in good standing), state registrar, and state secretary
  • Supplemental application: Must be signed by applicant and state registrar only — no sponsor, co-sponsor, or state secretary required
  • Approved applications must bear the signature of the Genealogist General or their designated staff member

NSSAR / NSDAR Number Field

This field is for listing any person in the lineage who is or was a member of SAR or DAR. It is not for listing the SAR/DAR application numbers upon which proof of lineage is based. (source: raw/SAR-Application-Formatting-Guide.pdf)

Record Copies — Bracketed Data

When using a prior SAR or DAR record copy as proof, data enclosed in parentheses was marked by the reviewing genealogist as incorrect or unproven. Omit that data. Incorporate all corrections noted on the prior application. (source: raw/SAR-Application-Formatting-Guide.pdf)

Dates (GCP 3.6002 / 6.1004)

The standard date format is day month year: 01 Jan 1900

  • Use only the first three letters of each month
  • One space between day, month, and year
  • No hyphens, slash marks, or periods
  • Preferred leading zero for days 1–9 (e.g., 09 Nov 1783)

When two secondary sources give conflicting dates and no primary source is available, use a slash to indicate "or": 20 Mar 1922/23 (source: raw/SAR-Application-Formatting-Guide.pdf)

Accepted approximation abbreviations: - abt for "about" (not "ca" or "circa") - aft for "after" (not "p" or "post") - bef for "before" (not "a" or "ante") - prob for "probably"

Place Names (GCP 3.6003)

Standard format: City / County / STATE

  • Use uppercase two-letter postal abbreviations for US states (e.g., VA, KY, NC)
  • Leave unknown fields blank — do not update town or county information; use only what appears on the source document
  • Do not spell out "County" — abbreviation "Co." is not necessary
  • "Township" abbreviated as "Twp."
  • Independent cities are not within a county — do not list a county for them
  • Spell out foreign country names unless space is insufficient (then use a clearly recognizable shortened form)
  • Add spaces before and after slashes for legibility

Examples of partially unknown locations: / Jefferson / KY, Louisville / / KY, / / KY

Marriage location split: If the marriage event occurred in one county but the license was obtained in a different county, list both with a notation indicating where the record will be found. Example: Shelbyville/Shelby/KY -- Jefferson Co. rec. (source: raw/SAR-Application-Formatting-Guide.pdf)

Names on the Application

  • Enter only names in name fields — no ranks, titles, or honorifics (Col., Dr., Rev., M.D.)
  • Include suffixes like "Jr." if they were part of the name
  • Use slashes for alternate spellings: Diebold/Dibold/Diebolt
  • Enter nicknames only if important for identification, in quotation marks: "Bud" — common nicknames (e.g., "Polly" for "Mary") are unnecessary
  • Women: List by birth/maiden name if known; do not show the husband's surname as her surname unless it is also her maiden name. If the maiden name is unknown, leave the surname blank
  • Previously married women: State a previously married woman's name as Mrs. First Middle Maiden Former-Married-Surname (e.g., Mrs. Mary Ann Smith Jones). Her name should reflect how she was known at the time of her marriage to the husband in that lineage generation. Do not include a subsequent married surname if she remarried after the death or divorce of her lineage husband. (It may be necessary to prove she is the same woman if a later document, such as a death certificate, shows the subsequent married surname.) (source: raw/SAR-Application-Formatting-Guide.pdf)
  • Do not place SAR Patriot Numbers or DAR Ancestor Numbers anywhere on the application
  • The patriot's name should reflect the spelling on the records of the day

Supporting Documentation (GCP 6.1003)

  • Must be submitted on paper: 8½ × 11 inch or 8½ × 14 inch white paper (8½ × 11 preferred)
  • Do not staple, glue, tape, or pin documentation
  • All documentation must be legible for the information being introduced as evidence
  • Submit only photocopies — do not send originals, as they will not be returned
  • Do not alter photocopies; submit a separate note of explanation if there is an error on a document
  • Each piece of documentation must contain the entire image of the document — no parts cut off
  • If a pertinent section is difficult to read, place a partial enlargement on the reverse side of the same page
  • Do not put enlargements or superimposed images on the same side as the original document
  • Do not use highlighters or markers on documentation (they can obliterate text when copied/scanned)
  • Do not make annotations or corrections to documents — they must be taken at face value
  • Do not use divider pages between generations; do not attach post-it notes, labels, or tabs
  • Do not submit documentation in binders or folders; use one appropriately sized paperclip or binder clip for the entire set
  • Obscure all Social Security Numbers on documentation before submission (source: raw/SAR-Application-Formatting-Guide.pdf)
  • Transcriptions may be included alongside the full-sized original (e.g., for handwritten wills); the original must still be submitted
  • It is not recommended to enlarge already-readable images of small original documents (e.g., a 4"×6" original does not need enlargement)

Underlining (GCP 3.9004)

Underline relevant passages with a fine-tip red pen (aided by a ruler) or computer equivalent. Write the generation number to which the passage applies in the margin. Place generation numbers at the top of the document in red. Vertical red margin lines are an acceptable alternative. Do not underline tombstone inscriptions or information in DAR/SAR record copies.

Multiple generations per document

If a document supports multiple generations, place it with the most recent generation it applies to. Reference it in each corresponding generation's reference section, noting where the document appears: e.g., b/c – Tom Jones (gen 1).

Do not submit duplicate copies of the same document.

Multiple Applications for the Same Patriot

If multiple family members are applying simultaneously on the same patriot, submit only one set of shared documentation. Attach it to the primary family member (usually the oldest). All family members applying together must appear on a single transmittal sheet. (source: raw/SAR-Application-Formatting-Guide.pdf)

Membership Certificate Spelling

If the applicant's birth certificate spells his name differently from how he currently spells it, include an explanation. Otherwise the membership certificate will reflect the spelling on the birth certificate. (source: raw/SAR-Application-Formatting-Guide.pdf)

DAR Record Copy — Completeness Requirement

When submitting a DAR application as proof, it must: (1) be a record copy, and (2) include all four pages printed in their entirety. Printer settings may need adjustment to print a legal-sized DAR application on standard-sized paper. (source: raw/SAR-Application-Formatting-Guide.pdf)

Organization of the Application Package

Contents in order: 1. Check 2. Transmittal form (completed by state society representative) 3. Application form 4. Supporting documentation in generational order, beginning with the applicant's birth certificate

If a source document covers multiple generations, place it with the most recent generation to which it applies. (source: # Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).md, APG Organization of the Application Package)

  • [[application-types]]
  • [[source-citation-format]]
  • [[lineage-proof]]
  • [[appeals-and-pended]]
  • [[SAR-Application-Formatting-Guide]]