Submissions Packet Checklist

This checklist is based on Admin Handbook IV.C. Completed Paperwork. I originally wrote it as part of the Brief Guide for Submissions Heralds, but it’s also generally useful, so I’ve bumped it out to a separate Page.

When you are gathering your forms and documentation and so on for your heraldic submission, here are some things to check for that packet of paper (or electrons, depending on your kingdom). Heralds can help you with a lot of this, and this checklist covers several special cases which don’t apply to all submissions.

  • Do you have the correct number of copies? Admin Handbook IV.C.1 discusses the minimum number of copies required; kingdoms may require additional copies.
  • Are the copies all functionally identical?
    While they do not need to be photocopies of the same form, the informational content should be identical, and armory should have, at most, only minor artistic differences.
  • Are the appropriate fees included? Some actions don’t require fees; in some kingdoms, resubmissions are free forever, while in other kingdoms they are only free for a certain amount of time. See Admin Handbook IV.D for details on Laurel policy, and check kingdom policy.
  • Are the forms the ones currently approved by Laurel?
  • Is the submitter’s Society Name listed? This would be the name you have already registered with the College of Arms, not related to anything you might have on your membership card. If you are submitting a name for the very first time, put the name you are submitting.
  • Is your common use name (typically the legal name) and a contact method provided? Email address is sufficient as the contact method. Is it legible?
  • Is the type of submission checked off?
  • Is the action type checked off?
  • If it is a change to an existing registered item, do the forms say what to do with the existing item? The default action is to release it, which cannot be undone!
  • If this is a resubmission, does it say when and where the previous return was and when they were notified? The date of notification of the prior return may make a difference for whether or not new fees are due.
    If you don’t have the exact month/year, give as much info as you can. The kingdom submissions herald can probably help you find out this information if needed.
  • Is there a summary of the documentation included? Generally, this is on the form, but for more complicated items the summary may be on a separate page. While a lack of summary generally should not be automatic grounds for return at the kingdom level, it helps a lot if there is one.
  • If the documentation uses sources which are not listed in Admin Handbook Appendix H (the “No-Photocopy list”), are copies of them included? Some articles online are mirrored on the heraldry.sca.org website; please use those and save paper and scanning. Relatedly, only the initial/title page and the page with the relevant information are required; do not include an entire printed article.
  • If there is documentation in a language other than English, is a translation provided, as required by Admin Handbook IV.C.2?

Special case things to check:

  • If there is a letter of permission to conflict from someone else, is there a copy of that letter or does it refer to a registered blanket letter of permission to conflict? Is it a valid letter of permission to conflict? The requirements for a valid letter of permission, including signatories for branches, are listed in Admin Handbook IV.C.3. If the letter of permission is via email, has it been verified by a kingdom submissions herald or the principal herald, per Admin Handbook IV.C.3 and the August 2014 LoAR Cover Letter?
    [When IV.C.3 is updated to match the 2014-08 LoAR Cover Letter, I’ll remove the reference to the CL. – 2019/09]
  • If the submission involves a restricted element (for example, a coronet, the name “Chevalier”) or restricted submission type (an augmentation, a personal heraldic title), is there any documentation about the submitter’s right to the element or submission? This can be as simple as a reference to the Order of Precedence, giving the date of their elevation, award, etc. or a statement by the Kingdom Submissions Herald or Principal Herald.
  • If the submission is for a branch name and/or arms, is there a valid petition included? The requirements for a valid petition are listed in Admin Handbook IV.C.5.; it includes physical signatures, dates, and a clear description of the item.
  • If this is a transfer of an item from one person to another, is there a letter of transfer from the current owner and a letter of acceptance from the new owner? Are they both valid?
    The requirements for transfers, including signatories for branches, are listed in Admin Handbook IV.C.6.
  • If it is an appeal, is the submission identical to the prior submission? If it’s armory, minor, non-blazonable differences in drawing can be acceptable; otherwise it is a resubmission. Does it have new documentation? More details are in Admin Handbook IV.E.
  • If it is a request for reconsideration, is it supported by new documentation, is it a timely request to use a form of the name suggested by Laurel, or is it a request to be considered without an authenticity request? More details are in Admin Handbook IV.F.
  • If it is a heraldic will being filed, does it meet the requirements in Admin Handbook IV.G?
  • If it is a heraldic will being executed, is documentation provided that the owner is, in fact, deceased?
  • If it transfers, grants permission to conflict for, or releases an existing registration for someone who is deceased, but had not filed a heraldic will, is the person making the submission their real-world, legal heir or executor of their estate? Is there documentation of that status?