Sample permission slip template

A free sample permission slip for field trips and activities run by schools, clubs and youth groups, with emergency contacts, medical info and photo consent.

Signed by: Parent or Guardian.

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Free, no sign-up. Updated September 30, 2026 by Suresh Ganapathy.

A permission slip is the one-page form a parent or guardian signs to let their child go on a field trip or take part in an activity, and it gives the organizer what they need if something goes wrong: emergency contacts, medical details and consent to emergency care. Teachers, scout leaders, coaches, church youth pastors and after-school programs all use them. This sample permission slip is free in Word and PDF, and it’s short enough that parents will actually fill it in.

When do you need a permission slip?

You need one whenever you take kids off-site, change their normal routine, or do something a parent would reasonably want to know about in advance. Field trips are the classic case. So are a robotics club’s Saturday competition, a youth group’s overnight lock-in, a choir’s performance across town, or a class project that involves a guest visit and photos.

Hypothetically, a 5th-grade teacher in Raleigh is taking 26 students to a science museum by school bus. She needs every family’s okay, a phone number she can reach during the day, a note of the two kids with nut allergies, and a quick yes or no on whether photos can go in the class newsletter. That’s the whole job of this form.

For some activities you’ll want more than a slip:

Higher-risk activities (rock climbing, horseback riding, water sports). Consider adding a release of liability waiver. Waiver rules vary by state, and how they apply to minors varies too.
Publishing kids’ photos widely (a website or a marketing campaign). A dedicated photo release form gives more detail than a checkbox.
A child staying with another family or traveling. Use a medical consent form for a minor or a minor travel consent form.

What goes on a field trip permission slip?

Our template runs top to bottom like this.

The activity. Name, date, departure and return times, location and address, and the person in charge with a phone number. Parents want to know when to pick up, and they want a number to call.

Transportation. How the kids get there: school bus, chartered coach, walking, parent drivers, public transit. If parents are driving other people’s children, that’s worth saying on the slip.

Cost and what to bring. Fee and due date, lunch or money, clothing, and anything not allowed (phones, for instance).

Emergency contacts. Two people, with phone numbers that will actually be answered during the activity.

Medical information. Allergies, medications the child will need during the trip, conditions the chaperones should know about, and the health insurance details. Keep this section on a separate half-page if your school wants it handled more privately.

Emergency treatment consent. Permission for the organizer to get emergency care if a parent can’t be reached. It won’t cover everything a hospital might need, but it gets things moving.

Photo consent. A simple opt-in checkbox. The Department of Education notes that schools often designate photos of students at public events as directory information or ask for consent before sharing them publicly. A clear checkbox avoids guessing.

Rules. A line saying the child will follow the chaperones’ instructions, and what happens if they don’t (usually a call home).

Should you use your school’s or district’s own form?

Use the official form if there is one. If you work for a public school, ask whether your district already has a form you’re required to use before you write your own. The template is most useful for private schools, clubs, sports teams, scout troops, faith groups and camps that don’t have one.

If you’re a school, remember that information parents give you on the form may become part of the student’s education record under your school’s privacy policies. Only ask for what you’ll use, and don’t pass the slips around.

How do you send out permission slips and collect them?

Fill in the activity details, transport and cost before sending it home.
Give families at least a week, and more if there’s a fee.
Collect the signed slips and make a single sheet for chaperones with emergency contacts and allergies.
Bring the slips, or photos of them, on the trip.
Keep them on file for as long as your school or organization’s policy says.

Sending slips electronically saves a lot of chasing, and federal law says a signature can’t be denied legal effect just because it’s electronic. See how to get a document signed by multiple people if you’re collecting from a whole class. Download it, fill in the blanks, and send it for e-signature with any tool you like. (We’re building SignWren for this sort of thing; join the waitlist.)

This template is general information, not legal advice. For your school or organization’s specific obligations, check with your administration or a lawyer licensed in your state.

The parent or guardian permission slip template

Download as Word

Template from signwren.com. General information, not legal advice. Check your school's or organization's own policies and adapt it before you use it.

PARENT OR GUARDIAN PERMISSION SLIP

Organization: [school, club, team or group name]
Leader in charge: [name], phone during the activity: [number]

1. The Activity

Activity: [e.g. "Science museum field trip"]
Date(s): [date]
Leaves at: [time] from [place]
Returns at: [time] to [place]
Location: [name and address]
Description: [short description of what the children will do]

2. Transportation

The children will travel by: ☐ School or organization bus ☐ Chartered coach ☐ Walking ☐ Public transit ☐ Cars driven by approved adult volunteers ☐ Other: [describe]

☐ My child may ride with an approved adult volunteer driver.
☐ I will drop off and pick up my child myself.

3. Cost and What to Bring

Cost: [$ amount], due by [date], payable to [name] by [method]. ☐ Financial help is available; contact [name].

Please bring: [e.g. packed lunch, water bottle, closed-toe shoes, jacket]
Please leave at home: [e.g. phones, electronic games, money over $10]

4. Student Information

Student's name: [full name]
Grade, class or group: [details]
Date of birth: [date]

5. Emergency Contacts

Parent or guardian: [name], phone [number], alternate phone [number]
Second contact: [name], relationship [relationship], phone [number]

6. Medical Information

Allergies (foods, medications, insects): [list, or "None"]
Medications needed during the activity, with dose and time: [list, or "None"]
Medical conditions chaperones should know about: [e.g. asthma, diabetes, seizures, or "None"]
Dietary needs: [list, or "None"]
Health insurance: [company], Member ID [number]

☐ My child will carry their own inhaler or epinephrine auto-injector.

7. Emergency Treatment

If my child is hurt or becomes ill during the activity and I cannot be reached, I authorize the leader in charge or another chaperone to call emergency services and to consent to emergency medical treatment that a licensed provider considers necessary. The organization will try to contact me as soon as possible. I am responsible for the cost of any treatment.

8. Photos and Video

☐ Yes, photos or videos of my child taken during this activity may be used in [e.g. class newsletter, organization website, social media].
☐ No, please don't publish photos or videos in which my child can be identified.

9. Supervision and Chaperones

The children will be supervised by [number] adults, including [names or roles of staff and volunteer chaperones]. The ratio of adults to children will be at least 1 to [number]. Chaperones will carry a list of emergency contacts and the medical information on this slip, and will keep that information private.

☐ I would like to volunteer as a chaperone. Best phone number: [number]

10. Behavior

My child will follow the instructions of the leader and chaperones. If my child's behavior puts themselves or others at risk, the leader may contact me to pick them up, at my cost.

11. Permission

I am the parent or legal guardian of the student named above. I give permission for my child to take part in the activity described in this slip, and the information I have given is accurate.

I agree this permission slip may be signed electronically, and an electronic signature has the same effect as a handwritten one.

Signatures

Parent or Guardian
Signature: ______________________________
Name: [full name]
Date: [date]

Quick answers

What should a field trip permission slip include?

The activity, date, times and location, how the kids will travel, cost, what to bring, emergency contacts, allergies and medications, permission for emergency treatment, and optional photo consent. Then the parent's signature and date.

Is a permission slip the same as a liability waiver?

No. A permission slip records that a parent agreed to the activity and gives the organizer the information it needs. A waiver tries to release the organizer from liability, has its own rules that vary by state, and is a separate document.

Can parents sign a permission slip electronically?

Generally yes. Federal law says a signature or record can't be denied legal effect just because it's electronic. Check whether your school or district has its own policy on e-signed forms.

Do I need separate photo permission?

It's good practice to ask. The US Department of Education notes that schools often designate photos of students at public events as directory information or get consent before sharing them. Our slip has an opt-in checkbox.

Sources

This template and guide are general information, not legal advice. Laws vary by state; for anything important, have a lawyer licensed where you are review it.

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