Privilege of membership is extended to all whose descent from their immigrant Carter ancestor has been established, or whose ancestry in Virginia prior to 1776 is known. Further, the By-Laws state that to be eligible for membership in the Society, an individual must be able to establish, to the satisfaction of the Society, his or her lineage as a descendant of:

In addition, a special membership category --

Friends of the Society

has been established to recognize those who bring honor to their Carter heritage by their significant contributions in furtherance of the mission of The Carter Society, or by their extraordinary accomplishments in society at-large; individuals, organizations or corporate interests who provide notable financial or material support of the goals of The Carter Society; Carter descendants who have not as yet established their Virginia heritage in the Colonial period [prior to 1776]; and non-descendants, such as spouses of members and other interested parties who wish to participate and benefit from Society membership.

Children of the Society

Children or other descendants of members who are under eighteen years of age will receive special recognition at events they may attend with the Society member. Upon request by any Society member, a special invitation to membership will be extended to their child, grandchild, or other descendant upon reaching their eighteenth birthday.