Permission Slip Template: What to Include and How to Collect
Posted by Trey Mosier
Posted by Trey MosierPosted by Trey MosierIt’s the morning of the field trip. The bus is outside. And three kids still don’t have a signed slip. One is in a backpack somewhere, one went home and never came back, and one has a signature you can’t quite read.
Permission slips are simple on paper, but collecting them is where things fall apart. This guide gives you the wording to copy, what every slip needs, and a way to collect signatures online so you know who’s cleared to go well before trip day.
A permission slip is a form a parent or guardian signs to say their child can take part in an activity. Schools, teams, clubs and youth groups use them for anything outside the normal routine, like a field trip, an overnight, an away game or a school dance.
Kids can’t give permission for themselves, so the slip puts the parent’s yes in writing. It also gives you the details you need if something goes wrong: who to call, what medical needs to know about, and who’s allowed to pick the child up.
A good permission slip answers every question a parent might have and gives you every detail you’d need on the day. If you’re building it online, the last column shows the field type that fits each part.
| What to Include | Why It Matters | Form Field to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Activity name and purpose | Parents know exactly what they're saying yes to. | Form description |
| Date, times and location | Includes departure and return times so parents can plan pickup. | Form description |
| Transportation | Bus, van or parent drivers. Families need to know who's driving. | Form description |
| Cost and what it covers | Heads off surprise questions about admission, lunch or bus fees. | Payment item (optional) |
| What to bring or wear | Sack lunch, closed-toe shoes, a jacket. Saves day-of scrambling. | Form description |
| Student name and grade or team | Lets you match each slip to your roster. | Short text and drop-down |
| Emergency contact | A name and phone number you can reach during the activity. | Short text |
| Allergies, medications and medical notes | Chaperones need this before they leave the building. | Long text |
| Release or liability language | Comes from your school, district or organization, not a template. | Waiver text block |
| Parent or guardian signature and date | The actual permission. Make it impossible to skip. | Signature line (required) |
| Return deadline | A clear "due by" date gives you time to follow up. | Form description |
👉 Liability wording is the one part you shouldn't copy from a template.
Every school, district and organization has its own rules about release language. Ask your front office, district or board for the approved wording and paste it in as is. Everything else on the slip is yours to write.
See what goes into an activity waiverCopy this wording into your form and fill in the brackets. It works for most day trips and activities. To adjust it for overnights, sports and other events, see the activity table below.
Permission Slip Template
Copy, paste and fill in the brackets.
[Activity name] Permission Slip
Dear families,
[Class, team or group name] is going to [activity or destination] on [date]. We'll leave at [departure time] and return by [return time]. Students will travel by [bus, van or parent drivers].
Cost: [Amount and what it covers, or "There is no cost for this trip."]
What to bring: [Lunch, water bottle, clothing or gear]
Please return this slip by: [Deadline]
Questions? Contact [organizer name] at [email or phone].
Student name: ____________
Grade, class or team: ____________
Emergency contact name and phone: ____________
Allergies, medications or medical notes: ____________
[Paste your school's or organization's release language here.]
I give permission for my child to take part in [activity name] on [date].
Parent or guardian name: ____________
Signature: ____________ Date: ____________
Here’s the template filled in for a typical elementary field trip. Notice the level of detail. Parents shouldn’t have to email you with questions after they read it.
| Part of the Slip | Example |
|---|---|
| Activity | Mrs. Alvarez's 3rd grade class trip to the Riverside Science Center |
| Date and times | Thursday, April 9. Bus leaves at 8:45 a.m. and returns by 2:15 p.m. |
| Transportation | School bus, with four parent chaperones riding along |
| Cost | $12 covers admission and the planetarium show |
| What to bring | Sack lunch with no glass containers, water bottle, comfortable shoes |
| Deadline | Please sign by Friday, April 3 |
| Contact | Mrs. Alvarez, room 112, or the front office |
The base template covers a day trip. Other activities need a few extra lines. Add these on top of the template, not in place of it.
| Activity | What to Add | Form Field to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Field trip or class trip | Chaperone ratio and whether students can buy food or souvenirs | Form description |
| Overnight trip or camp | Sleeping arrangements, medication schedule, permission for staff to give listed medications, and a packing list | Long text and checkbox |
| Sports, clubs and away games | Event or season dates, health insurance details, and whether the slip covers one game or the whole season | Short text and file upload |
| School dance or prom | Guest name if outside guests are allowed, approved pickup person, and the conduct policy | Short text and checkbox |
| Church or youth group trip | Adult leaders attending, the trip schedule, and permission for photos | Form description and checkbox |
| Bus or parent driver transportation | Permission to ride with a named driver, and whether the child may ride home with someone else | Drop-down and checkbox |
| Field day or on-site event | Activities planned, sunscreen permission, and any water play | Checkbox |
Paper slips still work. But every paper slip has to make it home, get signed, and make it back. You can’t tell which ones are stuck in a backpack until the deadline passes. And a smudged signature or a missing phone number isn’t something you can fix on the bus.
Online slips fix the parts that break. Parents sign from their phones, required fields can’t be skipped, and every response lands in one list as soon as it comes in. You can still print everything for the trip folder. You just don’t have to collect it on paper first.
You can build a permission slip in SignUpGenius Forms and Waivers in about the time it takes to type up a paper one. It’s free on every plan, and parents don’t need an account to sign.
Genius Tip
Already using a sign up for the trip? Attach your permission slip form to it, and families will fill it out as part of signing up. One link, one step, and nothing to chase later.
Watch how to create a form or waiver👉 Need chaperones and drivers too? Set up a separate volunteer sign up for adult helpers and add its link to your form description. Parents who sign the slip can grab a chaperone slot right after.
The slip itself is the easy part. Getting every family to return it on time takes a little planning. Use this checklist from the day you send the link to the morning you leave.
Two to three weeks before
The week of the deadline
The day before and trip day
What is a permission slip?
A permission slip is a form a parent or guardian signs to let their child take part in an activity, like a field trip, overnight or away game. It confirms the parent agrees and gives organizers emergency contacts and medical details.
What needs to be on a permission slip?
Include the activity, date, times, location, transportation, cost, what to bring, student name, emergency contact, medical notes, any release language from your school, and a parent or guardian signature and date. A clear return deadline helps too.
Can parents sign a permission slip online?
Yes. Many schools and groups now collect permission slips online, and parents can sign from a phone in under a minute. Check your school’s or district’s policy on e-signatures first. SignUpGenius Forms and Waivers saves each signature with a timestamp.
Do both parents need to sign a permission slip?
Usually one parent or guardian’s signature is enough. Custody arrangements or your school’s own rules can change that, so check with your front office if you’re unsure about a specific family.
Is a permission slip the same as a waiver?
Not quite. A permission slip is a parent’s consent for their child to take part. A waiver is a release of liability. Many permission slips include release language, which should come from your school or organization.
How long should I keep signed permission slips?
Follow your school’s or organization’s records policy. If there isn’t one, a common practice is to keep them at least through the end of the school year or season. Online slips make this easier, because you can export and store them as PDFs.
What happens if a student forgets their permission slip on trip day?
That depends on your school’s policy. Many schools won’t accept a phone call in place of a signed slip. Decide your rule ahead of time and put it in your reminder message. With online slips, a parent can sign from their phone that morning if your policy allows it.
I’m a teacher. How do I make an online permission slip for free?
Create a free form in SignUpGenius Forms and Waivers. Add the trip details, fields for emergency contacts and medical notes, a waiver text block with your school’s release language, and a signature line. Then share the link with families. You can add a trip fee to the same form or leave it free.
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