Online Tour Permits

[Updated 2/4/11]

Tour permits are an essential part of the safe Scout outing planning process and are required for all trips / outings that a Scout unit participates in. There are two types of permits available, depending on the distance of the trip. For more information, please read on.

Local Tour Permit

The Local Tour Permit is used for trips of less than 500 miles and lets the local council know where your trip will be taking place. It describes activity training standards required for activities such as swimming, boating, or climbing. It explains the requirements for transportation and leadership training.

The tour leader signs the application, indicating that he or she has read the Guide to Safe Scouting.

The Local Tour Permit includes spaces for officials at facilities visited to sign indicating that cooperation and conduct were satisfactory, as well as vehicle insurance section to be completed for each vehicle used. There is a section outlining transportation requirements (required speeds and licensing). Lastly, the tour permit includes "Our Pledge of Performance" handout" which covers best practices for a Scout outing.

National Tour Permits

The National Tour Permit is used for trips 500 miles or more (one-way). It is similar to the Local Tour Permit in that it is sent to your local council and then to the BSA regional office for approval, so leave adequate lead time—at least a month—in submitting the application.

The National Tour Permit has space for the following information.

• Leadership and personnel information
• Transportation requirements (driver's licensing and insurance)
• A copy of the itinerary
• An application for an International Letter of Introduction (where desired)

The National Tour Permit describes BSA requirements for health, safety, aquatics, climbing/rappelling, sanitation, wilderness use, and Youth Protection training. The group leader is required to have a copy of the Guide to Safe Scouting and to sign that it has been read.

Both the Local and National Tour Permits are valuable planning and safety tools. Each of these permits refers to other BSA documents that discuss safety training:

• Safe Swim Defense
• Safety Afloat
• Climb On Safely
• Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO)
• Tours and Expeditions
• Wilderness Use Policy
• Principles of Leave No Trace
• Leave No Trace Training Outline

How to File a Tour Permit

For more information on how to file a permit online, feel free to download and print any of the following resources. There are also materials that can be used in training settings, roundtables, etc.

• Click here for a PDF of frequently asked questions.
  
  
• Click here for a step-by-step process to file a tour permit over the internet (PDF).
  
  
• Choose a presentation suitable for a Roundtable or other training setting:
  
  
  • Click here for a PDF version
    
    
  • Click here for a PowerPoint presentation version

To file a tour permit online, please log in to www.myscouting.org.