Steps to Join

A performer becomes eligible for Screen Actors Guild membership under one of the following two conditions: (1) proof of SAG employment or (2) employment under an affiliated performers’ union.

1. Proof of Employment
   • Principal Performer Employment
     Performers may join SAG upon proof of employment. Employment must be in a principal or speaking role in a SAG film, videotape, television program or commercial. Proof of such employment may be in the form of a signed contract, or original pay stubs. The document proving employment must provide the following information:
     • applicant’s name
     • applicant’s Social Security number
     • name of the production or name of the commercial (product name)
     • the salary paid (in dollar amount)
     • the specific date(s) worked.
   • Background Actors may join SAG upon proof of employment as a SAG–covered background player at full SAG rates and conditions for a MINIMUM of three work days subsequent to March 25, 1990. Employment must be by a company signed to a SAG Agreement under which the Producer is required to cover background actors. Proof of employment must be in the form of original paystubs or a payroll printout faxed from the payroll house. Such documents must provide the same information (name, Social Security number, etc.) as listed above.
2. Employment Under an Affiliated Performers' Union
   Performers may join SAG if the applicant is a paid-up member of an affiliated performers' union (ACTRA, AEA, AFTRA, AGMA or AGVA) for a period of one year and has worked and been paid for at least once as a principal performer in that union’s jurisdiction.

Legitimacy of Application

• Your application and proof of employment will be fully investigated by the Guild for validity. Your application for SAG membership will be denied if you have falsified your credentials, or if your qualifying employment is not bona fide.
• While it is your responsibility to ascertain the validity of your qualifying employment, the Guild will be the sole arbiter in determining whether the employer was legitimate or bogus, and whether the qualifying employment which you performed was actual production work or work created solely to enable you to gain Guild membership. Please be aware that false representation or deception on your part will jeopardize your chances to join the Guild.
• Further, if after your application has been granted the Guild discovers such misconduct on your part, you may find yourself subject to disciplinary proceedings, which could result in your being fined, suspended and/or expelled from the Guild.

Appointments for Admission

If you are eligible under the conditions stated above, please contact your nearest SAG office BEFORE COMING IN so we can advise you of the amount of your joining fee and arrange an appointment.

Submitting Proof of SAG Eligibility

You may contact the Guild about your eligibility status. If your file is not on record or incomplete, you may submit one of the following documents as proof of eligibility:

• Original paycheck stubs.
• Original activity print-out or report from the payroll company that states your name, social security number, the name of the production company, the title of the production, the salary paid in dollar amount, and the specific date(s) worked. The payroll company must submit this document directly to the SAG Membership Services Department.

Background vouchers and copies of paycheck stubs are not acceptable as proof of work. Submitting these types of documents will only delay verifying your Screen Actors guild eligibility.

If you provide the Guild with your original paycheck stubs, please make copies for your records before submitting them to our office.

In addition to enclosing proper eligibility documentation, you will need to include a separate piece of paper with your name, current address, current telephone number, and date of birth. A self-addressed stamped envelope must also be included so that we may return your documents to you. We ask that you print clearly to avoid input errors. Once verification is completed, you will receive a letter of eligibility from the Guild.

Please mail your document to:

Screen Actors Guild
Membership Services Department – Proof of Eligibility
5757 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

You may also deliver your documents in person to the 1st Floor receptionist at the above address.

Once you have submitted your eligibility documents, please wait until you receive your original documents back in the mail before contacting us at (323) 549-6769 to schedule an appointment to join.

If You Move During the Joining Process

In order for Screen Actors guild to mail notifications out in a timely manner, we encourage all eligible performers to keep their mailing addresses current with the guild Notify us of your new address by phone (323) 549-6791, by fax (323) 549-6775 or by post. Your eligibility letter will list a SAG ID number, which should be written on all correspondence submitted to SAG.

We thank you for your interest in joining Screen Actors Guild.