United States Heraldic Registry

How to register

Registration is the recording of a description of a heraldic design with the armiger's (owner's) name and supporting information. Simply complete and submit the appropriate on-line application below. Registration is free.

Each application requires a "blazon," which is the concise, technical description of the arms in traditional heraldic terms. If you need assistance with the blazon or completing the application, please contact us.

The registration of a new heraldic design requires a design rationale, which is a statement about the symbolism and meaning of the design. The registration of ancestral arms -- arms passed down through the generations -- requires a list of ancestors in unbroken descent from the earliest known armiger. Commercially available "surname coats of arms" are ineligible.

Before registering your arms, please read the Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the Registry and to avoid common application and design errors.

After review of your application, applicants will receive an email which indicates acceptance or rejection of the application. Accepted arms receive a unique registration number and are entered into the database. The registration text in the database will reflect the type of registration.

Choose a registration form

• Register a new, personal heraldic design
  Fill out this form if you wish to register an original design for a personal coat of arms. Use this form for memorial registrations of original designs. Do not use this form if you inherited arms (differenced or undifferenced) or if you want to provide genealogical information; instead, use the next form.
• Register a personal heraldic design with genealogy
  Fill out this form if you inherited a heraldic design (differenced or undifferenced) or if you want to record your ancestor's arms and provide genealogy.
• Register an organization's heraldic design
  Fill out this form if you want to register the arms of a private, military, corporate, church, school, club, civic, and government organization or entity.
  
• More help
  For more help with choosing the appropriate registration form, consult the table of registration certificate preambles and find the text that best meets your needs.

Image policy

The Registry sells certificates to individuals containing only the heraldic images owned by that individual. We do not sell, in any form, any images to persons or entities that do not own the images. Nor do we display or store any images unless they are conveyed to us with permission to display them by the owner of the images. Armigers must purchase a certificate or commission artwork from the Registry in order to have their images displayed on this website or in its publications.