LEVEL 1 REFEREE REQUIREMENTS:
- Submit online Officiating Membership application and fee ($55.00)
- Complete a L1 officiating classroom seminar sanctioned by USA Hockey
- Complete L1 Online Education Module training
- Complete online L1 Playing Rules Exercise
- Complete SafeSport training (if 2008 Birth Year, or older)
- Complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned NCSI Background Screen if 18(+) years old on May 1, 2025.
LEVEL 2 REFEREE REQUIREMENTS:
- Must have complete Level 1 membership within the last two seasons
- Submit online L2 Officiating Membership application and fee ($110.00)
- Complete a L2 officiating classroom seminar sanctioned by USA Hockey
- Complete L2 Online Education Module training
- Complete online L2 Playing Rules Exercise
- Complete SafeSport training (if 2008 Birth Year, or older)
- Complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned NCSI Background Screen if 18(+) years old on May 1, 2025.
LEVEL 3 REFEREE REQUIREMENTS:
- Must have complete Level 2 (or higher) membership during previous season
- Submit online L3 Officiating Membership application and fee ($110.00)
- Complete a L3 officiating classroom seminar sanctioned by USA Hockey
- Complete L3 Online Education Module training
- Complete online L3 Playing Rules Exercise
- Complete SafeSport training (if 2008 Birth Year, or older)
- Complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned NCSI Background Screen if 18(+) years old on May 1, 2025.
LEVEL 4 REFEREE REQUIREMENTS:
- Must have complete Level 3 or Level 4 membership last season
- Submit online L4 Officiating Membership application and fee ($110.00)
- Complete a L4 officiating classroom seminar sanctioned by USA Hockey
- Complete L4 Online Education Module training
- Complete online L4 Playing Rules Exercise
- Complete SafeSport training (if 2008 Birth Year, or older).
- Complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned NCSI Background Screen if 18(+) years old on May 1, 2025.
AFFILIATED (NON-SKATING) MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS:
- Submit online L0 Non-Skating Affiliate Officiating Membership application and fee ($45.00)
- Complete SafeSport training (if 2008 Birth Year, or older)
- Complete and maintain a USA Hockey sanctioned NCSI Background Screen if 18(+) years old on May 1, 2025.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- An official may not change their membership level to a higher level once their online membership application is submitted.
- "Complete" membership registration means that an official has completed all education steps at the level for which they have applied.
- "Incomplete" means that an official has submitted a membership application but has not completed all the necessary steps to be complete at any level.
- A new incomplete official may not officiate any USA Hockey sanctioned games until they are completely registered and receive their current season referee card and sweater crest.
- Once complete, a membership is valid through November 30 of the following season (e.g. a 2024-25 membership is valid through November 30, 2025). If the member does not complete their current season membership prior to November 30, their membership expires and they become ineligible to work USA Hockey sanctioned games until they complete their current season membership registration.
- To be eligible to officiate in any State, District or National Tournaments, an official must be completely registered on or before December 31 of the current season.
USA Hockey Playing Rules Exercise
There will be a Playing Rule Exercise requirement for every membership level. Playing Rule Exercises consist of answering a series of questions using the current 2025-29 USA Hockey Playing Rules, and the exercise is completed when the game official answers the required number of questions correctly:
- Level 1 = 40 questions
- Level 2 = 60 questions
- Level 3 = 80 questions
- Level 4 = 80 questions
- Tenured (L3 or L4) = 40 questions
It is strongly recommended that your use your copy of the 2025-29 USA Hockey Playing Rules to answer the questions.