Actors can join the Actor's Equity Association in a number of different ways. The most common ways of joining Equity are as follows:

• Actors can join Equity by simply working in or on an Equity-recognized production for a number of weeks. You can find out whether or not a production is Equity by asking the producer or by contacting Equity.
• Actors can join Equity if they have been a member of another major actors union, such as the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) or the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists (AFTRA), and have performed as the principal performer while being a member of that union.
• Actors can also join Equity by contacting Equity and proving to the union that they are going to be performing in an upcoming production that is affiliated with Equity.