Some forms are prescribed into acts or regulations. This means you can only collect information identified in the legislation.
Your form must still meet the form design, content and UX standards outlined in the Forms section of this site. These standards are in place to make sure your form meets the government's digital service standards.
The forms designer you work with will help you navigate these requirements and ensure the final product meets the criteria.
Prescribed form content
Think about content as the data you are collecting. This could include:
- name;
- date of birth;
- contact information;
- licence or permit numbers; and
- signatures.
This is the information the legislation dictates you must collect to run the program or service.
Prescribed form style
"Style" refers to the design, layout and format in a form. These are informed by design best practices, user research standards and the digital service standards. They include things like:
- branding;
- writing style;
- graphic design;
- platform limitations (print vs. online); and
- accessibility.
Creating and editing prescribed forms
Departments must ensure the content in the form complies with the applicable legislation. Changes to prescribed forms may have legal repercussions.
We recommend you check in with your department policy lead before submitting content for a new form or request an update to an existing form.
When you submit a forms request, state that the form is prescribed.
The forms designer will apply the government's form design standards to the form. They will do this in a way that respects the form's content restrictions.