### [How to Create a Digital Permission Slip Parents Can Sign Online (Free Template)](https://wpforms.com/how-to-create-a-digital-permission-slip/)

**Published:** November 3, 2026
**Author:** Hamza Shahid

**Excerpt:** If your permission slips go home in backpacks, you probably spend the week before every trip chasing the missing ones. The slips that do come back are often crumpled or missing a signature.

This guide gives you a free permission slip template to copy, plus a digital version parents can fill in and sign on their phone, so you know who's coming before the bus leaves.

**Content:**

If your permission slips go home in backpacks, you probably spend the week before every trip chasing the missing ones. The slips that do come back are often crumpled or missing a signature.

This guide gives you a free permission slip template to copy, plus a digital version parents can fill in and sign on their phone, so you know who’s coming before the bus leaves.

[Create Your Permission Slip Form Now! 🙂](https://wpforms.com/pricing)

## How to Create a Permission Slip Template Parents Can Sign Online

With a digital permission slip, you send parents a link instead of a sheet of paper. They fill it in on their phone and sign with a finger or by typing their name, and each signed slip shows up in your WordPress dashboard as soon as they submit it.

The same setup works for a school trip, a church youth retreat, a club’s away game, or a week at summer camp. I’d go digital for any trip with more than a handful of kids, because every online permission slip lands in one list and you can see who’s still missing on a single screen.

- [How to Write a Permission Slip (Free Template)](#how-to-write-a-permission-slip-free-template)
- [Step 1: Install the WPForms Pro Plugin](#step-1-install-the-wpforms-pro-plugin)
- [Step 2: Create Your Slip From the Permission Slip Form Template](#step-2-create-your-slip-from-the-permission-slip-form-template)
- [Step 3: Customize the Slip for Your Trip](#step-3-customize-the-slip-for-your-trip)
- [Step 4: Set Up the Parent Signature Field](#step-4-set-up-the-parent-signature-field)
- [Step 5: Send Parents a Copy of the Signed Slip](#step-5-send-parents-a-copy-of-the-signed-slip)
- [Step 6: Share the Permission Slip With Parents](#step-6-share-the-permission-slip-with-parents)
- [Step 7: Track Returned Slips and Set a Deadline](#step-7-track-returned-slips-and-set-a-deadline)

### How to Write a Permission Slip (Free Template)

Whether you call it a field trip permission slip or a camp permission form, a good one answers the same questions. You fill in the trip details once, and each parent fills in everything about their own child.

Use this checklist to write your own, or copy the permission slip template right below it. Every permission slip should cover these 10 points.

1. The organization’s name and the activity
2. The date, the start and end times, and the location
3. How participants get there and who’s supervising
4. The cost, if any, and what to bring
5. The child’s name and class or group
6. A parent or guardian’s name, phone number, and email
7. An emergency contact other than the parent
8. Allergies, medications, and other health needs
9. A clear consent statement
10. The parent or guardian’s signature and the date

**Free Permission Slip Template**

Copy this into a document or an email and fill in the brackets.

- **Organization:** \[School, church, club, or camp name\]
- **Activity:** \[Name of the trip or event\]
- **Date and time:** \[Day and date\], from \[start time\] to \[end time\]
- **Location:** \[Venue name and full address\]
- **Transportation and supervision:** \[School bus, walking, or parent drop-off\], led by \[lead teacher or leader\] with \[number\] adult chaperones
- **Cost and what to bring:** \[Amount, or free\], plus \[packed lunch, water bottle, comfortable shoes\]
- **Child’s name and class or group:** \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
- **Parent or guardian name, phone, and email:** \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
- **Emergency contact name and phone:** \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
- **Allergies, medications, or health needs:** \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
- **Permission:** ☐ I give permission for my child to attend. ☐ I do not give permission for my child to attend.
- **Consent statement:** I understand the details above, and I authorize trip staff to get emergency medical care for my child if I can’t be reached.
- **Parent or guardian signature and date:** \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Before you send it, check the wording against your school’s or organization’s own rules. Paper slips still work, and a few families will always prefer one.

For everyone else, choosing between [an online form or a fillable PDF](https://wpforms.com/online-forms-vs-fillable-pdfs-which-is-better-for-your-website/) comes down to who does the paperwork. A PDF has to be downloaded and sent back, while an online form only needs a tap on a link and a signature on the screen.

**What You’ll Need**

You’ll need WPForms Pro, because the Permission Slip Form template and the **Signature** field are both Pro features. WPForms offers to turn on the Signatures addon for you when you pick the template.

Keep your trip details and a phone handy so you can test-sign the finished slip. Signature images also need the GD or Imagick PHP extension on your server, which most hosts include already.

### Step 1: Install the WPForms Pro Plugin

WPForms gives you a drag and drop form builder for WordPress with 2,100+ form templates, including a full set of [education form templates](https://wpforms.com/templates/category/education/) for schools and youth groups.

The Permission Slip Form template is one of them, and it gets you most of the way to a finished slip before you touch a single field.

What I like most about using it for permission slips is that every signed slip stays on your own site, with no separate e-signature service charging you per signature.

The Permission Slip Form template and the **Signature** field that lets you [collect signatures from any device](https://wpforms.com/features/digital-signatures/) are both part of WPForms Pro, along with the Form Locker addon for deadlines.

Basic covers conditional logic and stored entries, and the free Lite version can still handle a simple checkbox slip, which the FAQ explains.

[![The WPForms pricing page.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/WPForms-Pricing-Page.png "WPForms-Pricing-Page - WPForms")](https://wpforms.com/pricing/)

To get started, buy the [Pro license](https://wpforms.com/pricing/). Then, install WPForms on your website. If you need help, follow these instructions on [how to add a plugin to WordPress](http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/step-by-step-guide-to-install-a-wordpress-plugin-for-beginners/).

[Upgrade to WPForms Pro Now! 🙂](https://wpforms.com/pricing)

### Step 2: Create Your Slip From the Permission Slip Form Template

Go ahead and open **WPForms » Add New**, which takes you straight to the template library. In the template search box, type “permission slip” to narrow the library down.

![The WPForms template library searched for "permission slip", with the Permission Slip Form template card in the results.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_01_template-search-1024x624.png "step_01_template-search - WPForms")

Hover over the **Permission Slip Form** card and click **Use Template**. If the Signatures addon isn’t active yet, WPForms offers to install and activate it for you.

Confirm, and the template loads with its signature field ready to use. The builder opens with every field already on the canvas.

Scroll down to the **Permission for Activity** section to see the **Permission Granted or Denied** choice and the signature pad.

![The builder right after Use Template, scrolled to the Permission for Activity section with the activity fields, the Granted or Denied choice, and the signature pad.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_02_template-loaded-1024x893.png "step_02_template-loaded - WPForms")

The yellow note above the signature pad is an **Internal Information** field that only shows in the builder, so parents never see it. Click its **×** to dismiss it once you’ve read it.

The template splits the slip into two sections.

- **Participant Information:** The child’s name, date of birth, and address, plus a parent or guardian’s name, email, and phone, and an emergency contact.
- **Permission for Activity:** The activity with its date, location, and transportation, a description, a **Granted** or **Denied** choice, the parent’s signature, and the date.

You can also see the whole slip the way a parent would on the [Permission Slip Form template](https://wpforms.com/templates/permission-slip-form-template/) page, which has a live preview.

 *For school outings, the [Field Trip Permission Form](https://wpforms.com/templates/field-trip-permission-form-template/) template is another good starting point.*

### Step 3: Customize the Slip for Your Trip

These changes make the slip specific to your trip and short enough to finish on a phone.

Start in **Settings » General** by changing the **Form Name** to something parents will recognize, like Spring Field Trip Permission Slip. Then go back to **Fields** and click the **Activity** field.

On its **Advanced** tab, type the trip’s name into **Default Value** and switch on **Read-Only**. Parents will see the trip but can’t change it, and it’s still saved with every entry.

![The Activity field's Advanced options with the trip name in Default Value and Read-Only switched on.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_03_activity-read-only-1024x588.png "step_03_activity-read-only - WPForms")

Do the same for the **Location of Activity** and **Transportation Method** fields.

Now drag a **Checkboxes** field onto the canvas just below **Permission Granted or Denied** and label it Consent Statement.

Delete two of the default choices and type your permission wording into the one that’s left, including permission for emergency medical care. Then switch on **Required** to make the box impossible to skip.

![The Consent Statement checkbox field's options with the permission wording as its only choice and Required switched on.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_04_consent-checkbox-1024x556.png "step_04_consent-checkbox - WPForms")

A parent who picks **Denied** shouldn’t have to agree to a trip they’ve turned down. Open the field’s **Smart Logic** tab and switch on **Enable Conditional Logic**.

Set the rule to **Show** this field if **Permission Granted or Denied** is **Granted**. [Conditional logic](https://wpforms.com/features/conditional-logic/) needs WPForms Basic or higher.

![The Consent Statement field's Smart Logic tab set to show the field only when Permission Granted or Denied is Granted.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_05_consent-smart-logic-1024x508.png "step_05_consent-smart-logic - WPForms")

Finally, add a **Paragraph Text** field below the consent statement and label it Allergies, Medications, or Health Needs. Leave it optional, since plenty of kids won’t have anything to list.

![The builder canvas with the Allergies, Medications, or Health Needs field added below the Consent Statement.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_06_health-field-1024x534.png "step_06_health-field - WPForms")

For a quicker slip on a phone, rename the first **Name** field to Child’s Name so no parent types their own name there, then set its **Format** to **Simple** for a single box.

You can also delete **Date of Birth** or **Address** if you already have them on file. Because **Date of Activity** has no default value, let parents confirm the date or swap it for a **Single Line Text** field you can lock the same way.

### Step 4: Set Up the Parent Signature Field

The template already includes a **Parent/Guardian Signature** field, and only two of its settings need your attention.

Click that field on the canvas to open its options. Make sure **Required** is switched on to stop unsigned slips from coming through.

![The Parent/Guardian Signature field's options with Required switched on.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_07_signature-required-1024x532.png "step_07_signature-required - WPForms")

Next, open the **Advanced** tab and find the **Input Method** dropdown. It gives parents two ways to sign.

- **Draw:** The default, where parents sign with a finger on a phone or a mouse on a computer.
- **Type:** Parents type their name, and WPForms turns it into a handwriting-style signature saved as an image.

![The signature field's Advanced options with the Input Method dropdown offering Draw and Type.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_08_input-method-1024x484.png "step_08_input-method - WPForms")

I’d stick with **Draw** for permission slips, since most parents will sign on a phone. **Type** suits families who fill things in on a computer, and typed signatures show up just like drawn ones in your entries and emails.

The **Ink Color** option on the same tab only changes drawn signatures, and you can skip it if you choose **Type**. Click **Save** to keep your changes. Then click **Preview** and sign the slip yourself, the way a parent will.

![The slip as a parent sees it, with a signature drawn on the Parent/Guardian Signature pad.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_09_signed-preview-1024x618.png "step_09_signed-preview - WPForms")

Each signature is saved as a PNG image with the rest of the entry. The [Signature addon documentation](https://wpforms.com/docs/how-to-install-and-use-the-signature-addon-in-wpforms/) covers every option if you want more detail.

### Step 5: Send Parents a Copy of the Signed Slip

By the end of this step, every signed slip sends two emails, one to you and a copy to the parent.

Open **Settings » Notifications** in the builder, where the default notification already emails you whenever a parent submits the slip.

Click **Add New Notification** and call it Parent Copy. Then, in **Send To Email Address**, click **Show Smart Tags** and choose the **Email** field to send the copy to whoever filled in the slip.

![A second notification named Parent Copy, with the Email field's smart tag in Send To Email Address.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_10_parent-notification-1024x447.png "step_10_parent-notification - WPForms")

Scroll down to the **Email Message** box and leave the `{all_fields}` smart tag in place. It lists every answer on the slip and embeds the parent’s signature right in the email.

![The Parent Copy notification's Email Message holding the {all_fields} smart tag.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_11_all-fields-message-1024x492.png "step_11_all-fields-message - WPForms")

A second notification needs WPForms Basic or higher. Lite gives you one notification per form, and it’s best pointed at your own inbox.

*The doc on how to [send a copy to the person who filled out the form](https://wpforms.com/docs/sending-a-notification-email-to-the-person-who-submitted-the-form/) covers the extra options.*

Over in **Settings » Confirmations**, keep the **Message** type and write a short thank-you telling parents their copy is on its way.

![Settings » Confirmations with the Message type and a thank-you note telling parents a copy is on its way.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_12_confirmation-1024x487.png "step_12_confirmation - WPForms")

Click **Save** before you move on.

### Step 6: Share the Permission Slip With Parents

Your slip needs a page of its own before parents can open it.

With the form still open, click **Embed** in the builder header and choose **Create New Page** when WPForms offers an existing or new page.

Type a name for the page, such as Spring Field Trip Permission Slip, and click **Create Page**.

![The Embed wizard's Add to a New Page screen with Spring Field Trip Permission Slip typed as the page name.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_13_embed-new-page-1024x339.png "step_13_embed-new-page - WPForms")

Publish the page, then open it the way a parent would. Its link is your online permission slip, and it can go anywhere families already read your messages, from a newsletter to a text.

![The published permission slip page as parents see it when they open the link.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_14_published-slip-1024x801.png "step_14_published-slip - WPForms")

For families who still read paper first, add a QR code to the note that goes home. Back in the builder, open **Settings » General** and set **QR Code** to **Page**.

Choose your slip’s page in **Destination Page**, then click **Generate QR Code**. The list only shows published pages, and yours went live a moment ago.

![Settings » General with QR Code set to Page, the slip's page chosen, and the generated code above its Download button.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_15_qr-code-1024x484.png "step_15_qr-code - WPForms")

Click **Download** and choose **SVG Vector**, which stays sharp at any print size. QR codes come with every WPForms plan, including Lite, and the docs explain how to [generate a QR code for your form](https://wpforms.com/docs/creating-a-qr-code-for-your-form/) in more detail.

### Step 7: Track Returned Slips and Set a Deadline

Returned slips land in one place, and Form Locker can close the slip for you once your deadline passes. Go to **WPForms » Entries** and click your slip’s name to see every returned slip, one row per child.

To build a roster, click **Export All** above the table. That opens the export screen with your slip already selected. From there, you can [export your entries to a CSV file](https://wpforms.com/docs/how-to-export-form-entries-to-csv-in-wpforms/) and sort them by **Granted** or **Denied** in a spreadsheet.

![The Entries screen listing returned slips by child, parent or guardian, and email, with Export All in the actions above the table.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_16_entries-list-1024x801.png "step_16_entries-list - WPForms")

Click **View** on any entry to see every answer on the slip, right down to the parent’s signature image.

![One returned slip opened, showing Granted, the consent statement, and the parent's signature image.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_17_signed-entry-1024x524.png "step_17_signed-entry - WPForms")

A deadline keeps late slips off a bus list you’ve already finalized. In the builder, open **Settings » Form Locker** and switch on **Enable Scheduling**, which comes with the [Form Locker addon](https://wpforms.com/features/form-locker-addon/) in WPForms Pro.

Set the **End Date** to the day before the trip, then add a **Closed Message** telling late families who to contact.

![Settings » Form Locker with Enable Scheduling on and an End Date set for the day before the trip.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_18_form-scheduling-1024x447.png "step_18_form-scheduling - WPForms")

If seats are limited, scroll down to **Entry Limits & Restrictions** and switch on **Enable Total Entry Limit**. Set the **Limit** to the number of seats you have, and the form stops taking slips once it’s full.

![The Entry Limits & Restrictions group with Enable Total Entry Limit on and the limit set to the bus's seat count.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/step_19_entry-limit-1024x447.png "step_19_entry-limit - WPForms")

**Pro Tip**

If your chaperones want paper copies on the day, the [PDF addon](https://wpforms.com/features/pdf-addon/) in WPForms Pro can turn each signed slip into a printable PDF for the trip binder.

And that’s it! Your permission slip is now collecting signatures.

[Start Collecting Signed Permission Slips Today! 🙂](https://wpforms.com/pricing)

### FAQs About Digital Permission Slips

Schools, churches, clubs, and camps tend to ask the same questions about digital permission slips before they give up on paper.

#### What is a permission slip?

A permission slip is a short form a parent or guardian signs before their child goes on a trip or takes part in an activity away from the usual routine. It confirms the parent knows where their child will be and with whom, and it gives staff someone to call in an emergency.

#### Is a permission slip legally binding?

In practice, a permission slip records that a parent understood the activity and agreed to it.

In the United States, the federal ESIGN Act and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act that most states have adopted give electronic signatures the same legal standing as handwritten ones for most records.

Liability waivers are a separate question, and many states limit what a parent can waive on a child’s behalf. Since this isn’t legal advice, follow your school’s or organization’s policy and have a lawyer review any waiver wording.

*You can also read [how electronic and handwritten signatures compare](https://wpforms.com/electronic-signature-vs-handwritten-whats-the-difference/) for more background.*

#### Can parents sign a permission slip on their phone?

Parents can sign with a finger on any touchscreen, because the **Signature** field works on phones as well as computers. If drawing feels awkward, set the field’s **Input Method** to **Type** and parents can type their name instead.

#### Can I make a digital permission slip with WPForms for free?

WPForms Lite can handle a simple version using its **Checkboxes** and **Single Line Text** fields, with a required consent checkbox and a line where the parent types their full name. Lite emails you each submission but doesn’t store entries in your dashboard.

The **Phone** and **Date/Time** fields start at Basic, and the **Signature** field needs Pro. If you’re collecting more than a handful of slips, Basic is the realistic floor, because that’s where entries get stored.

#### Can I make my own consent form?

The same steps work for any consent form, whether it’s a photo release or a permission form for a sports season. Change the consent wording, then swap the trip fields for whatever the activity needs.

#### How do I reuse a permission slip for the next trip?

Duplicate the form from **WPForms » All Forms**, then update the trip details and the Form Locker dates on the copy. Each trip then gets its own list of entries and its own deadline.

#### What if a parent can’t fill out the slip online?

Print the free template from earlier in this guide for those families, and keep their paper slips with your exported roster. You can also open the slip on a tablet at pickup so a parent can sign it on the spot.

### Next, Build Your Summer Camp Registration Form

Once your permission slip template is working, summer camp sign-ups often come next. If you run a camp, our guide to building a [camp registration form](https://wpforms.com/camp-registration-form/) covers that side of the season.

And if you need a standing consent that covers a whole school year instead of one trip, you can [create a parental consent form](https://wpforms.com/how-to-create-a-parental-consent-form-in-wordpress/) with the same builder.

[Make Your First Digital Permission Slip! 🙂](https://wpforms.com/pricing)

Ready to build your form? Get started today with the easiest WordPress form builder plugin. WPForms Pro includes lots of free templates and offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.

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**Categories:** WordPress Tutorials

**Tags:** digital permission slip, online permission slip, permission form, permission slip, permission slip template

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