Tardy Slip Generator
Create a printable tardy slip template or a tardy log sheet in a few clicks. Choose cut-apart late pass slips with blank lines for the student name, date, time arrived, and class, plus checkboxes for the reason, or switch to a ruled log table that tracks every late arrival in one place. Pick a neutral or welcoming tone, add your school or room, and download a ready-to-print PDF. For passes that send students out of the room instead of welcoming them in, use the Hall Pass Generator, and if you also want a daily record of who is present, the Attendance Sheet Generator makes a matching printable roster.
Tardy Settings
Live Preview
How to Use the Tardy Slip Generator
- Choose Cut-apart slips for a stack of slips students fill out at the door, or Tardy log sheet for a table you keep on a clipboard.
- Add your school or teacher text if you want it printed on each slip or at the top of the log.
- For slips, pick how many fit on a page, the tone, and whether to include excused and unexcused checkboxes and cut lines.
- For the log, set the number of rows and choose portrait or landscape orientation.
- Check the live preview, click Download PDF, print, and cut the slips apart along the dashed lines.
Tips for Handling Tardies
Keep the slips by the door
Put a small stack and a pencil cup near the entrance so a late student can fill in a slip without interrupting your lesson. You can initial it later during independent work.
Try the welcoming tone
A header like "Glad you're here!" keeps the focus on getting the student back into class. It can help students who arrive late for reasons outside their control feel less singled out.
Pair slips with a log
Slips go with the student, and the log stays with you. Printing both lets you spot patterns over a few weeks, such as one period, one bus, or one day of the week that keeps repeating.
Match your attendance records
A student who arrives late should still be marked present. Keep the slip with your daily attendance sheet so the two records agree at the end of the week.
Use one color per class
If you teach several periods, print each period on a different color theme. Sorting slips and logs at the end of the day gets quicker.
Follow your school's policy
Whether a tardy counts as excused is your school's decision. These forms just give you a consistent place to record what the student told you. If students leave the room during class, use a separate hall pass for those trips.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tardy slip?
A tardy slip, sometimes called a late pass slip, is a small form a student fills out when they arrive after class has started. It records who arrived, when, and why, so you have a quick written note instead of relying on memory.
How many slips fit on a page?
You can print 4, 6, or 8 slips per page. Four is the largest with the most writing room, six is a good everyday size, and eight makes small slips that use less paper.
What is the difference between the slips and the log sheet?
The slips are cut apart and handed out, with one slip per late arrival. The log sheet is a single page table with columns for the date, student, time in, reason, whether it was excused, and whether a parent was contacted. Many teachers use both.
Can the log be printed landscape?
Yes. Choose portrait or landscape, and set from 5 to 40 rows. Landscape gives each column more room, and portrait fits more rows on the page.
Are the fields blank so students can write on them?
Yes. Names, dates, times, and class periods are drawn as blank ruled lines, and reasons are checkboxes, in both the preview and the PDF. Nothing is pre-filled.
Is anything saved or uploaded?
No. The slips and logs are built in your browser and nothing you type is uploaded to a server.
