Becoming a Professional

A professional is someone that gets paid for their work, as opposed to an amateur that does not receive money for their services. Anyone that practices the field of genealogy may call themselves a genealogist, and if you get paid to research you may call yourself a professional genealogist. That said, you should still act in a professional manner whether you are earning money or not.

There is no higher authority that determines who can become a genealogist, and no rules or laws in place that govern the work of researchers. There are however, sets of standards and ethic codes in place in the genealogical community, placed there largely by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG). The BCG is one of two organizations in the United States that can offer accreditation as a genealogist, the other being the International Commission for the Accreditation of Genealogists (ICapGen). These groups are independent of each other, and they each have their own application and testing process as well as unique credentials.

Group Name Abbreviation Website Credentials Given
Board for Certification of Genealogists BCG bcgcertification.org "CG" Certified Genealogist
"CGL" Certified Genealogical Lecturer
The BCG previously offered "CGRS" Certified Genealogical Records Specialist; "CLS" Certified Lineage Specialist, "CALS" Certified American Lineage Specialist; "CAILS" Certified American Indian Lineage Specialist, and "CGI" Certified Genealogical Instructor. These are no longer given but genealogists have kept their credentials.
International Commission for the Accreditation
of Genealogists		 ICapGen icapgen.org "AG" Accredited Genealogist

There are application and membership fees, as well as renewal fees every few years. Applicants are expected to have expert knowledge of a specific geological area and the records available there, and be able to demonstrate genealogy skills and adherence to standards and ethics. View the requirements for each:

Those that earn credentials may display them after their name, such as “Betty Smith, CG” You may see multiple post-nominals, as there is no limit to how many you can earn. There are also honors you can be awarded for your work in the field, such the FASG designation, which stands for “Fellow, American Society of Genealogists” and is limited to only 50 living expert genealogists. Other honors include the Fellows of the National Genealogical Society (FNGS), Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Society (FUGA), Fellow of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania (FGSP), and Fellow, New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (FGBS).

If you wish to become a professional genealogist and earn a living from your work, earning credentials is the ideal way to display proof of your training and skill. You will also be included in the organization’s professional directory of genealogists, making it easier for people to find and hire you.

If you hope to charge others for your research services, there are certain professional ethic standards you should adhere to, summarized in my own words as follows:

  • Be upfront and truthful about your abilities, education, and accreditation (if any)

  • Set reasonable and realistic expectations about the amount of work, the time to accomplish the work, and the possible results (or lack of)

  • Be clear about your fee schedule, and don’t accept payment until you make an agreement with the client

  • Not use the work of other researchers unless clearly cited

  • Provide regular reports or keep clients up to date about your progress

  • Protect the privacy of those you are researching by keeping information confidential

Whether or not you receive accreditation, you should still attempt to adhere to these standards and ethics. See the full list of professional ethic standards from each organization:

Education for Genealogists

The educational opportunities for genealogists are actually pretty limited at the University and College level. Brigham Young University (BYU) in Utah is the only one to offer a bachelor’s degree in family history in the U.S., with some other colleges offering certificate programs or online courses. However, an education in a variety of fields can be helpful for a career in research. For those interested in becoming a professional genealogist, your best option may be getting a degree in something like History or English and then studying genealogy later through other means.

We recommend getting both a broad understanding of genealogy practices, and then specific studies in specialties that interest you. Remember you may need in-depth knowledge of a specific region or area to earn credentials.

If you are just starting out, the free online course Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree from the University of Strathclyde Glasgow and FutureLearn.com can be very informative.

We also recommend courses from the National Genealogical Society as well as the National Institute for Genealogical Studies (NIGS), which you can take online at your own pace.

Scholarship awards can be found from a variety of sources that can be put towards your education. See our Education page for more information about these awards, as well as educational programs in genealogy.

All genealogists should stay up to date with the latest practices, standards, and research. Join professional organizations and membership groups, attend conferences and lecturers, read scholarly journals and periodicals, take classes, and try to stay as informed as possible.

Membership Organizations

The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) do not offer credentials, but they do provide a professional membership directory, use of their member logo, a subscription to APG Quarterly, and other benefits for those that adhere to their code of ethics and professional practices, complete twelve hours of continuing education annually, and pay membership fees.

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) members receive NGS Magazine quarterly, NGS Monthly in their email, and NGS Quarterly, discounts on genealogy courses and publications, access to member-only resources, and more, for an annual membership fee. Alternatively, membership through the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center (JHC) includes the NGS membership benefits as well as benefits from the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston and invites to JHC events. Note that NGS recently voted to merged with the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) a membership group for genealogy organizations.

The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) offers members access to the AmericanAncestors.org databases online and free access to the NEHGS library in Massachusetts, as well as the American Ancestors magazine and their quarterly publication, The Register, along with other discounts and benefits like the “Ask-a-Genealogist” service.

Additional genealogy organizations:

While few of us can afford membership with more than one or two organizations a year, it can be helpful to sign up for newsletters to stay informed, or to follow the organization’s social media pages.

You should also look into joining your own state’s genealogical society, to stay informed on happenings in your area and updates to local record collections. You may have nearby historical societies as well, which may benefit from your assistance.

Career Opportunities

What can you do as a professional genealogist? What career paths are open to you?


See also Education