A Nomad is an individual who may or may not be a member of an outlaw motorcycle club, and not bound by geographic territory, or perhaps one which has not yet established one. There are exceptions to Nomads being members of outlaw clubs. One instance is military veterans' clubs, whose members may be scattered across the U.S., but yet do not have enough members in a particular area to form a club chapter.

Most motorcycle club members wear a territorial rocker (i.e., the bottom patch on the back of the jacket) which signifies what city/locale, state, or province their chapter is located in. A Nomad's territorial rocker, however, will simply say "Nomad" or "Nomads". This means that they hold no particular allegiance to a specific club chapter or area but should be respected and accepted widely by the club as a full member.

Whilst a Nomad has the right to be hosted by any chapter he appears at, he cannot direct a chapter as each one acts as an autonomous unit within the rules of the parent club. Nomads sometimes live in geographical areas which had fewer than the required numbers to form a chapter. They may have chosen to live somewhat solitary lives, or they may have been sent to an area with a mandate to establish a chapter.