What Is a Consent Form?

As kids, we all learned how to get permission to do things (some of us more than others). Once we became adults, we may have thought that was the end of it. But it turns out “getting permission” is still a thing that grownups do, and there are some very important legal reasons for it.

Certain activities, like medical procedures and research trials, require “getting permission” first, usually by having the individual sign some type of consent form. The type of consent form will vary based on the activity in question and whether the permission is for a minor, but each is important for protecting the rights of the parties involved.

All medical procedures—and a good number of research trials—come with risks. In most cases, before a patient or participant can be involved in either, there needs to be proof that the individual was made aware of those risks, and agreed to having their person fiddled with in potentially harmful ways (no matter how small that potential).

Enter the Informed Consent Form. This type of form allows a patient to review the risks and declare their willingness to permit medical professionals to perform a medical procedure. It can also be used for participants in a research trial to give consent. Finally, these forms can be used for adults to give permission on behalf of their child (though this is sometimes called a Parental Consent Form).

When the medical procedure is being performed on a minor, or it’s a minor participating in a study, depending on the child’s age, they may be required to give their consent in addition to their parent or guardian’s. In these cases, the minor signs what’s called an Informed Assent Form.

These forms mimic Informed Consent Forms, informing of risks and giving consent the same way, but they also acknowledge that the minor doesn’t yet have the legal autonomy to fully consent for themselves. In most cases, children over the age of seven will be required to sign one, though some exceptions (such as emancipated minors) require a consent form to be signed instead.

If a minor travels, especially across national boundaries, a Minor Travel Consent Form will often be required. These forms allow parents and guardians to indicate to border agents that the travel is approved and permissible and that the child is not running away or being abducted.

There are two travel situations that require this form—when the child is traveling alone, and when the child is traveling with a single parent. If both parents are present at the time of border crossing, the consent form isn’t required.