Heraldic Submissions Process

The process for registering names and armoury in the SMA is relatively simple, but requires some knowledge of the governing documents of the SMA College of Arms. We recommend consulting a herald to ensure that submissions meet both the administrative rules and the style guidelines in use by our organization.

Forms for submitting names and armoury are available for download in the links in our College of Arms Menu, and are also available for members in the Forms Library after login. These forms should be filled out according to the criteria in the Rules for Submission and the Administrative Handbook of the College of Arms, and may be mailed in or scanned and sent via electronic means.

All submissions require documentation. For names, the documentation requirements are fairly stringent, requiring evidence that a name was used by humans within our time period and geographical area of study. Names that can not be directly documented may be constructed using the grammatical rules for the chosen language as outlined in the Rules for Submission. For armoury, the styles and charges used must have been used in heraldry within our time period and geographical area of study, although we do allow items not appearing in period heraldry on a case by case basis.

Civic submissions (names and armoury for local groups, guilds, castles, etc.) require the signature of the responsible person. For example, submissions for a local group would require the seneschal’s signature. Local group submissions must also include a petition signed by a majority of paid members of that group.

Completed submission packages can be scanned and sent to the Muskatour office at sma.heraldic.submissions@gmail.com or snail-mailed to Christopher Miller, 137 Shoshone Trail, Mercer, PA 16137.

At this time, there is no charge for submissions.

For those who have names and armoury registered with other organizations, you may be able to use the same elements within the SMA. There are some limitations on this sort of migration. The elements must have been registered in the other organization prior to July 2022. They cannot contain any restricted or reserved charges or name elements. They cannot conflict with anything in the SMA Armorial registry. Their registration in the other organization must be verifiable through a registry within that organization that the Muskatour office may view.

At this time, the College of Arms has a one-month commenting period for every submission. The decision meetings are held on the third or fourth Thursday of every month to consider submissions from the previous month. This means that a submission reaching the Muskatour office in January will be adjudicated at the February meeting. Once adjudicated, all submissions will appear on a Letter of Registrations and Returns published on this website and the submitters will be notified via email.

Any questions regarding the submissions process may be sent to sma.muskatour@gmail.com.