When Does the 2027 Mahjong Card Come Out?
Published
Written by Joseph Touma · Creator of Mahj Parlour
Short answer: the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) hasn’t announced a release date for the 2027 card yet. If it follows recent years, orders will open in late December or early January, and cards will arrive in late March or early April 2027.
We’ll update this page as soon as the League announces dates and prices.
When the Card Came Out in Past Years
The League’s own announcements, plus reports from players, give a consistent pattern:
| Card | Orders opened | Cards arrived |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | December 23, 2022 | April 2023 |
| 2024 | January 1, 2024 | Late March to April 2024 |
| 2025 | December 2024 | Late March 2025 |
| 2026 | Early January 2026 | Late March 2026 (the League announced on March 20 that cards were at the post office) |
In 2025, a printing error affected the first cards mailed, and the League later sent corrected cards. That was an exception; most years the card arrives once and that’s it.
Why the Card Comes Out in the Spring
The League’s year runs from April 1 to March 31. Buying a card makes you a member for that year, and the new card arrives just before the new membership year begins.
Designing the card takes months. According to the League’s January 2026 bulletin, the card committee tests the new hands three days a week, six hours a day, from late August through the first week of November. So the 2027 card is likely being tested right now.
How to Order the New Card
You’ll be able to order the 2027 card from the National Mah Jongg League directly:
- Online at nationalmahjonggleague.org, by credit card.
- By mail, using the order form on the League’s website or in its January bulletin, with a check.
- Through a group order. Many clubs and charities collect orders for their members. When a collector gathers 35 or more orders, the League makes a donation to the collector’s chosen charity. The card costs the same either way.
In 2026, the League also sold cards through its official Amazon store. If you buy on Amazon, check that the seller is the National Mah Jongg League itself. Look-alike “mahjong cards” from other brands aren’t the official NMJL card and won’t match the hands your group plays.
The League doesn’t take orders by phone.
Order Early
Order as soon as the League opens orders in the winter. Players regularly report that early orders are mailed first, and that cards ordered later in the spring can take until late April or May to arrive. You don’t want to be the only one at the table still waiting for a card in April.
How Much Does the Card Cost?
Prices for the 2027 card haven’t been announced. For the 2026 card, the League charged:
| Card | Size | 2026 price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 5⅛ × 4 inches | $14 |
| Large print | 6⅛ × 4¾ inches | $15 |
| Mega Card | Three 8½ × 11 inch panels | $35 |
Prices include shipping and a League membership. The standard and large print prices have been the same since the 2023 card.
If small print is hard to read, the large print card is only a dollar more, and the Mega Card is designed for players with vision difficulties. Both have the same hands as the standard card.
The League gives proceeds from card sales to charitable organizations across the country.
When Can You Start Using the New Card?
The League doesn’t set an official start date. The most common approach is to switch as soon as everyone at your table has the new card. Some groups wait until April 1 so nobody is left out. Tournaments set their own rules, so check the event details.
Until your group switches, keep playing the 2026 card. Once you switch, last year’s hands are no longer part of the game.
What Changes on the New Card?
Every year, the League changes the hands, and sometimes the rules. The categories tend to stay familiar. The 2026 card had nine sections:
- 2026 (hands built from the year’s digits)
- 2468
- Any Like Numbers
- Quints
- Consecutive Run
- 13579
- Winds and Dragons
- 369
- Singles and Pairs
Sections can come and go. Addition Hands had its own section on the 2023 and 2024 cards but not on the 2025 or 2026 cards. If the pattern holds, the 2027 card’s year section will be built from 2, 0, 2, and 7, with the White Dragon (Soap) standing in for the zero.
Nobody outside the League knows the actual hands until the card is released. Be skeptical of anyone claiming to have them early. For help decoding the card once it arrives, see our guide on how to read the NMJL card.
Getting Ready Before It Arrives
The months before the new card are a good time to sharpen the skills that carry over from year to year: the rules, the Charleston, Joker play, and defense. Our guide on how to practice the 2027 card covers what to do now and how to learn the new hands quickly once they’re out.
Mahj Parlour lets you keep playing the 2026 card against bots or with your group between game nights, and we’ll add the 2027 card in an app update after the League releases it.