Drum Corps International (DCI), formed in 1972, is the non-profit governing body operating the North American drum and bugle corps circuit for junior corps, whose members are between the ages of 14 and 22. DCI consists of only a small full-time executive and administrative staff in Addison, Illinois, however it was announced on August 8, 2006, that DCI headquarters would be relocating to Indianapolis, Indiana by 2008. Policy is created, carried out, and enforced by the Board of Directors, which is primarily composed of the executive directors of its member corps. The board meets several times a year to discuss the issues facing the activity. The primary purpose of DCI corps is their competitive summer tour, consisting of DCI-sanctioned competitions throughout the United States and Canada, culminating in August with the week-long DCI World Championships.
Many other drum corps associations around the world are based upon DCI. It continues a tradition of exceptionally high-quality drum corps, with membership in the top corps highly sought after and extremely competitive, attracting the interest of potential members from many countries.
DCI splits corps into 3 divisions. Corps from all 3 divisions often compete together at smaller shows, but are still ranked separately by the DCI judging system.