Ampun Sultan Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram, as Head of the Royal House of Sulu, is the hereditary sovereign who processes the fons honorum and Grand Sayyid of the order, and his heirs and successors as heads of the Royal House of Sulu, shall ever be sovereigns and Grand Sayyids of the order.

[2][1] In his care for preservation of the ancient customs of the Sultanate and the values of the nation, Ampun Sultan Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram in 2011 used his sovereignty right of fons honorum to create an Order, thus developing the traditional honours of the Royal court in a form accepted internationally.

"[5] Membership within the Order is conferred upon those who have performed worthy and meritorious service of an exceptional level for the Royal House of Sulu; upon those of any nationality who, in any field of endeavour, have become distinguished and respected figures of international renown by virtue of their celebrated activities; and upon those who have performed loyal and faithful service to the Royal House and its members.

[10] As depicted in the figure below, each grade of member is allowed to display the insignia of the Order in a manner befitting such grade:[11] Those in the two highest ranks (Paramount Class and Grand Corden) are allowed to bear heraldic supporters through the Gateway Chronicler King of Arms, the official responsible for regulating heraldry for the Royal House of Sulu.

Those in the three highest ranks (Paramount Class, Grand Cordon, and Distinguished Companion) may include the star of the Order behind their coats of arms.