For more info, visit USA Hockey’s registration requirements and registration tips pages.

Once you complete these steps, and the USA Hockey National Office receives your Registration Fee, Open Book Exam answers, and Seminar Attendance confirmation, you will receive your USA Hockey Officiating Card and Sweater Crest and you are ready to work games.

USA Hockey Registration Information

USA Hockey has 4 registration levels for officials, each of which different requirements. Here is a list of steps that must be completed each year:

1. USA Hockey Membership Registration (This must be done first)

Go to the USA Hockey membership page. Select “Register Now” in the middle of the page. This is where you will walk through the registration process and pay your annual membership fee.

Once you are registered, you will receive a registration confirmation email and a copy of the USA Hockey Playing Rules & Casebook (new officials and Rule Change Seasons only) in the mail.

2. SafeSport Training (if 16 years or older):

All officials who are a 2008 Birth Year or older, are required to complete the online U.S. Center for SafeSport education program.

The online program is free of charge and is hosted on the U.S. Center for SafeSport web platform.

Per United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and U.S. Center for SafeSport policy, all returning officials must renew SafeSport training within 12-months of the previous season’s training (e.g. if you completed training on September 15, 2024, you must renew your training by September 15, 2025). An official that does not maintain annual training within 12 months will become ineligible to work any USA Hockey sanctioned game, even if they have already received their USA Hockey crest.

Returning officials will be able to take SafeSport training up to 60 days in advance of the expiration date.

3. Background Screen (if 18 years or older)

All officials who are 18 years-old (or older) by June 1 of the current year, must submit to a USA Hockey sanctioned Criminal Background Screen. More information regarding the screening process can be found here.

USA Hockey Background Screens are valid for two seasons, and no screening process performed by an outside entity will be accepted.

4. Classroom Seminar

All USA Hockey Officials (except for tenured officials) must complete a USA Hockey officiating seminar annually. To find seminar schedules, go to the USA Hockey Learning Center at the Officials section of USAHockey.com.

Most seminars are scheduled between June and early November (the schedules begin to appear online starting in late May). Seminars are offered online by USA Hockey instructors throughout all of the US, you do not have to attend a seminar put on by Mid-Am District staff.

5. Online Education Modules

All officials must complete the online education modules for their registration level. To complete these modules, follow the instructions on this page to log into the USA Hockey Learning Center. Select “Officials” and you will be navigated to your registration dashboard. On this dashboard you should see a link to complete the online modules for your registration level. The modules consist of multiple video sections and corresponding quizzes.

6. Playing Rules Exercise

Every official must complete the open-book Playing Rules Exercise for their level each year. Navigate to your officials registration dashboard of the USA Hockey Learning Center. On this dashboard you should see a link to the playing rules Exercise for your registration level. The exercise is designed to allow you to go at your own pace.

The 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