GMIS memberships are actually held by a public sector Agency, Jurisdiction, or Organization (AJO). The AJO may be at any level of government (federal, state, county, city, etc.), including schools and special districts.  Information about the AJO's population, total budget, as well as specifics about its technology budget are required to be provided when joining GMIS.  Annual Dues must be paid by the AJO and received by GMIS Headquarters no later than August 31 of each year for access to GMIS resources and discounts.

Individuals join as representatives of those member AJOs. Each AJO is entitled to have only one voting representative. An unlimited number of additional participating representatives from that organization are permitted.  If an individual moves or transfers to another AJO, they are not permitted to maintain GMIS access unless the new AJO is also a dues paying member in good standing.

There are three new categories of Membership that were added to the By-Laws of GMIS in early 2010. These three new categories are Student, Individual, and Association.

Student Memberships are available to Full-Time college attendees who are studying computers or information management and have an interest in pursuing a career in public service.  Student members do not have voting rights and may not hold leadership positions in GMIS. Student memberships may be "upgraded" to AJO memberships when the student secures employment with a non-member AJO.

Individual Memberships are available for individuals who are transitioning between member AJOs and may be temporarily unemployed.  Retired public sector technology professionals may also join as an individual provided they are not working for another employer. Individual members do not have voting rights and may not hold leadership positions in GMIS. Individual memberships may be "upgraded" to AJO memberships when the individual secures employment with a non-member AJO.

Association Memberships are a way for organizations with the same membership base as GMIS to partner with GMIS. The goal of partnering with other organizations is to provide added value to both groups through sharing of research, documents, ideas, and tools. Association members pay a small percentage of the usual GMIS dues and the partnering Association is responsible for making AJO related information and membership access list available to GMIS annually.  Association members do not have voting rights and may not hold leadership positions in GMIS unless they become full GMIS members.  Association representatives should contact GMIS Headquarters for information about joining.