Protected forms
Some forms on US Legal Forms are protected by a password, also known as protected forms. These forms are designed to help you complete the required fields while leaving the legal language and formatting in the document intact.
They’re especially useful for non-lawyers, as the forms are designed to guide you through the document to ensure it’s fully completed with no missing information, while keeping the rest of the content secure.
Purpose of Protected Forms
Protected forms exist to:
- Ensure that required fillable fields (blanks, checkboxes, dropdowns) work correctly
- Prevent accidental edits to important legal text or structure
- Guide you to only fill out what’s necessary, especially in state-specific templates
By limiting editing to key fields, these forms help you avoid mistakes that could affect the legal validity of your document.
Your Trusted Source for Legal Templates
How to Use Protected Forms
- Download the form to your device.
- If you're using Windows with Microsoft Word:
→ Download the form in DOCX format and open it in Microsoft Word. - If you're using a Mac without Microsoft Word:
→ Download the form in RTF format, which can be opened with default Mac apps like TextEdit. - Fill in the available fields only - the rest of the document remains locked to protect legal content.
- Save, print, or share your completed form as needed.
Key benefits
- Legal accuracy: Prevents changes that could affect compliance
- Ease of use: Editable fields guide you step-by-step
- Reliable format: You always submit a properly structured form
Can I unlock a Protected Form?
If you're a legal professional and need full access to the document (beyond the fillable fields), it's possible to unlock some forms using Microsoft Word.
To unlock a form in Microsoft Word:
- Open the form and click on the Review tab at the top.
- Select Restrict Editing.
- Scroll to the bottom and click Stop Protection.
- When prompted, enter the password.
(Use uppercase or lowercase depending on the document.)
FAQ
A protected form is a document (usually in Word or RTF format) where most of the legal content is locked, but specific fields (like blanks, checkboxes, or dropdowns) are open for editing. This helps ensure you enter only the required information without changing the legal structure.
👉 In Microsoft Word, a protected form may appear as “Restricted” from editing.
Protected forms are locked to preserve the accuracy and legal integrity of the document. Locking the legal content helps prevent accidental modifications, ensuring your completed form remains compliant and legally valid.
Yes. You can easily enter information into the designated editable fields (often highlighted or marked). These forms are designed to guide you through each section that requires input, while keeping the rest of the content secure.
We recommend using Microsoft Word on Windows. If you're on a Mac and don’t have Word, you can use RTF format, which works with TextEdit and other standard Mac apps.
After filling out the required fields, you can save the document, print it, or share it via email or other means - just like any standard file. The locked status does not prevent normal file usage once the fields are completed.
Yes, if you need to make changes to the locked content (for example, if you're a legal professional), you can unlock the form in Word using the password: uslf or USLF (use uppercase or lowercase depending on the document).
PDF forms use a different editing system and don’t support the same type of field-locking as Word documents. That’s why our protected forms are available in Word or RTF formats.