FORMS For local governments
Online forms for local government websites.
Forms lets your staff build online applications, complaints and sign-ups without a developer, and sends each submission straight to the right staff inbox. Residents fill it out on a phone instead of printing a PDF, and every form is built to meet WCAG 2.1 AA, so people using a screen reader or keyboard can finish it too.
- Every tool included
- WCAG 2.1 AA
- Works with BS&A
What's wrong with printable PDF forms?
A PDF form feels online, but residents still print it, fill it out by hand and bring it in. Fillable PDFs often fail on phones and screen readers, and every submission arrives in a different inbox.
What residents run into
- Residents without a printer drive to the office to pick up a blank form.
- Fillable PDFs often don't work on a phone, which is how many people visit.
- Someone using a screen reader can't tell which box is which on an untagged PDF.
What your staff deal with
- Your staff retype handwritten forms into your own systems.
- Complaints arrive by email, voicemail and paper, so some fall through the cracks.
- Changing a form means asking a vendor or redoing a PDF from scratch.
How do your staff build a form?
No code and no ticket to a vendor. Your staff own the form from start to finish.
Drag in the fields
Add text boxes, choices, dates, file uploads and a signature with the drag-and-drop builder.
Choose where it goes
Route submissions to the right department, so a dog complaint reaches animal control and a permit reaches the building office.
Publish it
Link the form from any page. Residents fill it out on a phone or a computer, attach what you ask for and sign.
Work the submissions
Each submission arrives in the right inbox with every answer and attachment, ready to act on.
What comes with Forms?
Printable PDFs give way to forms residents can finish on a phone.
Drag-and-drop form builder
Your staff build and change forms themselves, from a one-question sign-up to a multi-page application, without waiting on a developer.
Routing to the right department
Each form sends its submissions to the department that handles them, so nobody forwards complaints around the office.
File uploads and signatures
Residents attach site plans, photos or proof of residency and sign on screen, so an application arrives complete.
Built to meet WCAG 2.1 AA
Every field has a label, errors are explained in text, and the whole form works with a keyboard and a screen reader. Staff don't have to know the rules for the forms they build to follow them.
Built accessible
Accessible by default, whoever builds the form
Forms are where accessibility problems hurt most: a resident who can't finish an application can't get the service. The ADA Title II rule applies WCAG 2.1 AA to forms on your community's website, and fillable PDFs people submit to get a service are generally not exempt. Our PDF guide explains why.
Questions about Forms.
Short answers, linked to the law where it applies. Ask us anything else on a demo.
Are fillable PDF forms exempt from ADA Title II?
Usually not. DOJ said a fillable PDF that people fill out and submit to get a service is currently used to apply for that service, so the preexisting document exception doesn't cover it (final rule (opens in a new tab)). Turning those PDFs into online forms is often simpler than fixing them.
What makes an online form accessible?
Each field needs a visible label, instructions where people might get stuck, errors described in text and controls that work from a keyboard. Those come from WCAG 2.1 success criteria such as 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (opens in a new tab). Forms built with this tool are built to meet WCAG 2.1 AA.
Can residents sign a form online?
Yes. Forms can include a signature field, and residents can attach files like site plans or photos. Whether an electronic signature is enough for a particular application, such as a permit or a license, is a policy and legal question, so check with your attorney for forms that need one.
Can a form take a payment?
Yes. Card payments work on forms, so a permit application or a license renewal can be filed and paid in one step. The Payments page explains how that fits with the BS&A Online links for taxes and utilities.
Can we use a form for records requests?
Yes. Several state guides suggest an online request form alongside email, mail and walk-in requests. A records request form can route straight to your records officer. In Michigan, FOIA Requests adds deadline tracking and fee itemization on top of the form.
Got a PDF form residents still print out?
Bring it to the demo. We'll rebuild it as an online form, route it to the right inbox and show what a resident sees on a phone.