To qualify for membership in Nogaku Kyokai, one is required to get referrals from a current member of the association and from the soke (head of family, originator) of the school, to which he or she belongs, and to be a nogakushi of one of the following schools; Kanze-ryu, Hosho-ryu, Konparu-ryu, Kongo-ryu and Kita-ryu for shite-kata (main roles); Takayasu-ryu, Fukuo-ryu and Hosho-ryu for waki-kata (supporting actors); Isso-ryu, Morita-ryu and Fujita-ryu for fue-kata (roles who play the flute); Ko-ryu, Kosei-ryu, Okura-ryu and Kanze-ryu for kotsuzumi-kata (small hand drum players); Kadono-ryu, Takayasu-ryu, Ishii-ryu, Okura-ryu and Kanze-ryu for otsuzumi-kata (large hand drum players); Kanze-ryu and Konparu-ryu for taiko-kata (drum players), and; Okura-ryu and Izumi-ryu for kyogen-kata (comic actors).
シテ方は観世流、宝生流、金春流、金剛流、喜多流、ワキ方は高安流、福王流、宝生流、笛方は一噌流、森田流、藤田流、小鼓方は幸流、幸清流、大倉流、観世流、大鼓方は葛野流、高安流、石井流、大倉流、観世流、太鼓方は観世流、金春流、狂言方は大蔵流、和泉流に所属する能楽師で、所属する流派の宗家および既に能楽協会の会員である者一名の推薦が必要とされる。