How to Write Permission Letter | Permission Letter Format

For anyone being put in charge of writing one, the first question is what should be a Permission Letter Format? But before that, the first question should be, what is a permission letter? A letter is a formal letter being written by an individual or a group of people to an authority asking for permission for something. They are one of the easiest formal letters written and are widely used by one and all.

It could be written to ask permission letter for school, traveling abroad, using a common area for an event or even permission to allow a visit. A letter is the most commonly used business letter and there can be a thousand occasions in daily life where permissions are sought and are granted. Hence, one must know the proper format for writing a letter, which we will be looking at in the next section.

Permission Letter Format

When you are asking somebody for permission, you surely want to sound polite and professional rather than harsh. This is where most people go wrong, even though writing a letter for permission is one of the simplest tasks. All you need to remember is that you are writing to authority and so must give them a good reason to grant you the permission, instead of expecting them to give permission just because you asked.

Given below is a list of components that must be present in a Letter for Permission when writing to authorities

• Sender’s Information – This is the first information that should be a part of the permission. This helps the recipient identify who is asking for permission and help them get a better context, even before going through the entire letter.
• Recipient’s Information – The next and the most obvious component of this letter is the recipient’s name and information including their designation, organization name, and address. This is to ensure that you are writing to the appropriate person or authority.
• Subject – A permission letter being a formal letter, this is important to set the context. The recipient may be an authority and not know you personally. The subject line is like your introduction to them, informing about the cause of you writing to them.
• Date of the Letter – An integral part of any formal communication is the date on which the letter is being written. This component identifies the date on which the request was made and after which the permission (if granted) is valid.
• Permission Request – The crux of the letter, this is the reason for writing a formal letter. Make your request in as polite a tone as possible, without sounding submissive. Make sure to clearly outline your expectations. A clear and concise request generally helps the recipient empathize with the sender as well as aid them in making a decision, or identify an alternate solution. In short, a well-written permission request gets the recipient thinking.
• The reason supporting the request – Make sure to write this succinctly, so that the recipient may know exactly why you need this permission and whether or not to grant it. This is where you can make your case and get the permission you want. However, make sure not to drag it as the recipient may lose interest and you may lose out the permission.
• Closure – This is also an important part of this letter. Since you are asking someone to do something for you, that they have an option to refuse, this is where you can make an impression. By thanking them politely for their time and the efforts to read your letter, you can show your sincerity and the appreciation of their authority. This works out favorably for you.

How to Write Permission Letter

Now that we have seen the components of these type of Letters, here are a few tips that can come in handy while writing one. If you follow this, chances are you have already got the reader in your favor and there are high chances of you getting the permission.

• Use Professional Language – However familiar you are with the recipient, ensure to use professional language when writing a formal letter. This holds you in good stead, showing that you respect the other person’s professional authority. Also, permission may even go to a level higher up than to the one you sent for further approvals. In such a scenario, an informal letter loses favor almost immediately.
• No Harsh Language – This is a major NO! You are asking for permission, they have all the authority to refute it. Using harsh language is not only unprofessional but is also very likely to work against you. Rude language is not liked by anyone, and on reading such a letter, they may even throw it away instantaneously.
• Identifying the Correct Recipient – This is an extremely important step. You must triple check whether your letter is addressed to the most relevant authority. There is no use of getting permission from someone, whose jurisdiction is not on the subject being referred. On identifying the correct recipient, ensure to address them and show the courtesy they deserve.
• Validate your request – When asking for permission, make sure to give a valid and reasonable rationale behind your request. This helps the approver to see the situation in the correct light and make a decision. Without a reason, they may not be able to make sense of your request and may even turn it down.
• Provide your contact details – If you are writing the letter for a reason that may be urgent in nature, it is always a good idea to include your contact details like Email ID and Mobile Number. This helps the recipient to reach out to you immediately if they want to seek any further clarification to your claim, apart from that mentioned in your letter.
• No ambiguous information – When you are writing a letter to seek the permission of authority, it is better to be as clear as possible, instead of covering your letter with ambiguous statements. This shows the recipient how serious you are about the cause and the level of detail you go into with your clear thoughts, rather than try to confuse the approver with random statements.

A Principal is the highest authority of a school or college responsible for running the institute administration on a day to day basis. They have a lot of authority including management, administrative, financial and other powers. Thus, for any activity related to a school or college, they are the ones making decisions and so also the ones receiving the maximum number of letters.

A letter of permission may be written to a Principal of a School or college for a number of reasons like Approval of leave of absence, permission for appearing in exam despite short attendance, permission to represent school or college in an external competition, permission to use the campus for an event, permission to hold a conference in the institute etc. There can be innumerable permission that is written to principals on a daily basis. Below is a sample of these type of letter, written to Principal for being allowed to appear for the exams despite attendance being less than the minimum requirement.