These Are The Secret Rules The Hells Angels Must Follow

That’s quite a list!

The Hells Angels have quite the reputation. Many people aren’t very surprised when in turns out that they have been involved in a riot with the police. But this doesn’t mean the Angels don’t follow any rules. There are thirty club rules that every member must stick to. Including Women.

Mysterious

Hells Angels aren’t exactly known for their candor. They don’t like to talk to outsiders about what’s going on in their club. It’s actually a secret. However, we managed to find some rules that they must adhere to. Curious about the thirty (!) commandments? You can read them on the next page.

You don’t just become a member

Would you like to join the Hells Angels? Then you may not ask for a membership. “If you have to ask, you probably won’t understand the answer,” reads the official Hells Angels website. “If you’re really interested, you should talk to a member near you. If you have to ask where they are… you’re not ready to join our motorcycle club.”

Do you know where to find someone nearby? Then you will be invited to “hang out” with other members present. This wat, the other members can judge whether you would fit in or not.

You have to show up

Do you want to become a member? Then you have to show absolute dedication. You cannot accept an invitation and then cancel it. Once you fail to show up, you can forget about attending another event later. And even once you’ve become a member, you can’t simply skip an event. The idea behind the Hells Angels is that it is a brotherhood. You don’t show up? Then that is regarded as a serious misstep that shows you don’t have respect.

Wear the clothes correctly

Only Hells Angels members are allowed to wear the official clothing. You can forget about joining the club if you’re seen wearing a fake Hells Angels shirt. Additionally, the club has a strict policy on the use of their logo. Only members can do that.

No discussion is allowed about members who suddenly aren’t members anymore

It sometimes happens that someone is suddenly no longer seen at the motorcycle club. Is it allowed to talk about that? Absolutely not. Privacy is also very important to the Angels. Club members’ affairs may therefore not be discussed with people who aren’t part of the Hells Angels.

Each Hells Angels charter marks its territory and other members have to respect that

Respect is of paramount importance to the Angels. Does one of the members claim a certain area that is close to yours? Then you have to respect those boundaries. Other Angels may drive through the area, but they are not allowed to stop and relax. Only the Angels who own that area are allowed to do that.

Hells Angels fight for their territory

Aside from the Hells Angels, there are several other motorcycle gangs in the world. From time to time they run into each other, and if they’re interested in the same area, this can result in a fight. Motor clubs never share territories. This is one of the reasons why huge fights can erupt between different motorcycle clubs.

You have to be willing to roll up your sleeves

Hells Angels come across as tough people, but that does not mean that they never do anything good. On the contrary, the brother not only help each other, but many charters (as a branch within the Hells Angels is called) participate in volunteer work. The Angels often give back to the community they live and ride in.

Hells Angels follow the golden rule

If there’s one thing that’s important to the Angles, it’s the golden rule. The golden rule, we can hear you think. It’s simple, yet important: treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. The code means that they treat others (inside and outside the club) with respect, as long as they receive it back.

Reportedly, journalists who interviewed them thought they were warm and welcoming. This view is shared by the members’ neighbors. However, if you don’t treat them with respect, you could be starting a riot….

Always protect the Hells Angels brand

The Hells Angels logo may not be worn by just anyone, as we already knew. Hells Angels are also expected to always protect the overall brand as well. This includes the way they behave in the media and the way they present themselves. They’ll do anything to protect their image.

You have to be prepared to ride a lot.

It should be clear that a motorcycle club is all about motorcycling. As a member of the motorcycle club, you have to be prepared to put in a lot of miles with your borthers, about 12,000 miles to be exact. That equates to 33 miles per day, which equated to 53 kilometers per day. The Angels don’t ride every day, of course, so there will be days when you do a lot of miles.

You can only ride a Harley Davidson

It should be clear by now: becoming a member of the Hells Angels is not easy. If you still wish to join the club, you should invest in the right motorcycle. Club members exclusively ride Harley Davidsons.

Don’t question their spelling

Hells Angels, that should actually be spelled differently. Still, you don’t have to point out to them that it should actualy be Hell’s Angels. After all, the club has its own rules, and language seems (not) to be part of it. The website even states that they are aware of this. “Yes, we know there’s an apostrophe missing, but it’s you who misses it. We don’t.”

There is a dress code

As a member of the motorcycle club you have to adhere to a certain dress code: you always wear a vest with the name and insignia of the club on your back. When you’re on the road, everyone knows you’re a member of the Hells Angels. In addition to that, it also depens on which dress code you have to comply with within a charter. For example, some do not allow their members to wear shorts or to wear color other than black.

Angels ride in a specific order

Hells Angels aren’t afraid to take up the entire road when they’re driving somewhere with their charter. To outsiders it looks like complete chaos, but there is a logic to it for the members. At the front, the captain drives together with the president of the relevant charter. They lead the rest. How the crew rides depends on their personal rank. New members often ride in the back.

You cannot join another motorcycle club

It may have already become clear to you: you don’t just join the Hells Angels and if you do: you cannot join another club. Fraternity is of paramount importance to the organization and for that reason you simply cannot join anywhere else. Hells Angels only!

Angels don’t talk to the media

Journalists have approached the Angels in the past, but the question is how much information they can actually obtain from the members. For example, members of the club are not allowed to just share information with the media. Plans and activities may not be shared under any circumstances. By keeping as many secrets as possible, they protect their image and that of their brothers.

The Hells Angels jacket is sacred

On the day you join the club, you receive the vest sporting the Hells Angels logo. The item must be cared for with utmost respect and is more than an accessory. It’s so sacred that members reportedly don’t want medics to cut it open after an accident.

Whether you can become a member depends on a vote

We now know that becoming a member is not easy. Aside from that, we don’t know much, but we do know that it can be a time-consuming procedure. Going from potential member to actual member can take years. Apparently there are quite a few things that you have to comply with. What exactly? Unfortunately, that remains unclear.

Have you fulfilled all their wishes? Then the members vote democratically. Again, brotherhood plays a major role. If they don’t like you, you won’t get in no matter how hard you try.

As a potential member you will be subject to hazing

Did you think that hazing rituals were limited to student associations? Then you would be wrong. The Angels do it as well. It’s nothing too bad though. For example, when the Hells Angels have a meeting, they expect you to be there earlier to get everything ready. You basically do the chores that no one within the charter feels like doing.

Additionally, things can sometimes get a bit more difficult than that. According to insiders (who we can’t name), the process can also turn violent. However, potential members cannot fight back when someone hits them.

You may not refer to their website

Even if you don’t want to become a member of the Hells Angels and have never been one, you can easily get in trouble with the gang without even realizing it. Outsiders are not allowed to refer to the Hells Angels website. For example, you can read on the website (which we are not allowed to refer to) that it is forbidden to place urls on other websites that link to those of the motorcycle club without permission. And even if you did get permission, a member can tell you to remove it at any time.

You have to prioritize the club

Being a member of the Hells Angels is a privilege. You’d better take this seriously and this is what your brothers will expect from you. The Angels come first. Other hobbies have to make way for brotherhood, because from then on the Angels are your only hobby.

Police officers are not allowed to join

Certain rules cannot be circumvented. Are you with the police? Then you can’t get in. The Hells Angels have a strict no police policy when it comes to new members. The same goes for prison guards and people who have strong connections to them.Sometimes Hells Angels break the law. The motorcycle club is seen as a 1%MC, also called a 1% motorcycle club or OMG, which is short for Outlaw Motorcycle Gang. This means that members do not feel bound by the law and they therefore have their own ‘laws’. With a police officer in their middle, things could take a wrong turn for everyone involved.

Interrupting a meeting can cost you dearly

The Angels do not always have much respect for the law, but they certainly respect the rules within their charter. Hells Angels meetings should therefore not be disturbed by members. The club reportedly follows the so-called Robert’s Rules of Order, which were drawn up in 1876.

This rules describe what a democratic meeting of the Angels should look like. For example, members must respect the agenda and interruptions are only allowed if there really is no other option. Unnecessarily asking a question will cost you $100.

Never rat out a fellow Angel

By now it must have become clear to you that brotherhood is one of the most important commandments within the Hells Angels. As a club member, it’s possible that you see one of your brothers doing something unacceptable. Any illegal activities should never be reported. If the police ever question you, you should be silent as those in the grave.

Drug abuse is strictly forbidden

A misconception that still circulates is that Hells Angels regularly turn to drugs. The opposite is true. The club has a no-tolerance policy for involvement with illegal narcotics. For example, the Toronto charter strictly forbids the use of needles.

Everyone stops when the police arrest a member

If a member is stopped on the side of the road by the police, the whole charter stops as well. They do this out of solidarity, but there is also another reason behind it: the charter hopes to come across as intimidating to the police officer in question.

You can’t retire

You don’t just become a member and you don’t just stop. As Hells Angels you cannot just decide to call it quits. You are a member for life. You can get kicked out of the club, but in that case you probably didn’t abide by the rules.

Failure to follow rules has its consequences

Members should take the rules and the organization very seriously. You can get kicked out of the club if you don’t follow the Hells Angels code. To outsiders this may sound mild, but for an Angel this is the absolute worst-case scenario. Oh, and then there are these stories of the Hells Angels logo tattoos being burned off in the most gruesome ways. So, it’s better to adhere to the rules when you join the club.

Women are not allowed

It’s anything but emancipated, but women aren’t allowed to join the Hells Angels. This doesn’t mean that the men have anything against women in general. Many are married or have girlfriends, but they will never become members of the club. However, the ladies are expected to stick to certain rules. Her partner will often demonstrate to her what she can and cannot do.

Source: Maternity Week