Key takeaway
A clipboard wants your last name for a court or a program. There is no set procedure. The group decides whether to sign anything. Proof of attendance is not part of A.A.'s procedure. You can ask what they write. You do not have to tell your story to ask that question.
Last updated: 2026-10-06
A clipboard is going around, or it is waiting on the table by the door. The line asks for a last name. Someone said it is for court, or for a program, or they did not say and the blank is just sitting there. Your pen is in your hand. Your last name feels larger than the rest of the hour.
You can ask what they write before you fill it in. You do not have to tell your story to ask that. There is no set procedure for proof of attendance. Each group decides whether to sign anything. Proof of attendance is not part of A.A.'s procedure.
Ask what the sheet is before you write
The group in front of you may sign slips. The next one may not. That is what "the group decides" means on a Tuesday night. You can ask the person holding the board: what do you write, and who is it for? You can ask the chair. A question about a form is not a share.
Do not assume the line will accept a first name and stop. There is no national rule that says so. If they want a last name and you do not want to give it, you can leave the line blank. You can also leave the meeting and try a group that handles paper differently. There is a plain page on a court slip at a meeting if you want that scene spelled out.
If there is a slip, the referred person is the one who returns it. The meeting does not become the court because a pen is out. You still get to decide what you put on the paper.
The story is separate from the signature
You can sit and listen whether or not you sign. You do not have to say your name when the chair asks who is new. That ask is not mandatory. Sharing is up to you. You came for a meeting, or you came because someone with authority told you to be in a room. Those can both be true. The membership test, if you are here with a desire to stop drinking, is that desire. There are no dues or fees.
Anyone with a desire to stop drinking is welcome. Observers may be in an open meeting. You do not have to perform your case to be allowed a chair. If the clipboard is the thing that will wreck the hour, handle the question and then listen, or take the question to another group.
Meetings are in person, online, or by telephone. A phone meeting will not sign a court paper. If you need a signature, you need a group that has agreed to sign. Ask first.
Tonight
Before you write a last name, ask what this group puts on the paper. You can refuse the pen and still listen. You do not have to tell the story to earn the question. If they will not sign, that is their decision, and another meeting may decide differently.
If you need a treatment referral, call (800) 653-9376. The call is free to you. Treatment providers pay for the referral. If the night is a crisis, call or text 988. If you are in danger, call 911.
Additional Resources
Sources cited on this page:
- A.A.: What to Expect at an A.A. Meeting
- A.A.: Need help with a drinking problem?
- A.A.: The Twelve Traditions
- A.A.: Find A.A. Near You
- A.A.: Meeting Guide app
- NIDA: Treatment, including mutual-help groups
- NIAAA Core Resource: Alcohol Use Disorder
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
- SAMHSA National Helpline
- SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov
- SmarterRecovery meetings search
- SmarterRecovery about page
Common Questions
Do I have to sign my last name?
You can ask what the sheet is before you write anything. There is no set procedure for court or treatment proof of attendance. Each group decides whether to sign anything at all. You might be handed a clipboard, and you might be told the group does not sign. You do not have to sign in order to sit and listen. Proof of attendance is not part of A.A.'s procedure.
Is there an official A.A. sign-in rule?
No. A.A. does not keep a national sign-in office, and proof of attendance is not part of A.A.'s procedure. The group decides. The person who was referred is the one who returns the slip, if there is a slip. You can ask the chair or the person with the clipboard what they actually write. You can ask that without telling your story.
Can I ask what they write before I sign?
Yes. That question is allowed, and it is smaller than a share. Ask what goes on the paper, who sees it, and whether a last name is required by this group. You may hear that they sign, or that they do not. You may hear a first name, a last name, or something else. Do not assume it will be a first name only. There is no promise of that. Then decide.
Do I have to share my story to get a signature?
No. Asking about a slip is not the same thing as telling the room why you are there. You can sit and listen. Sharing is up to you. The chair may ask newcomers to introduce themselves, and that is not mandatory. You can pass. If someone says a signature depends on a speech, that is that group's choice in the moment, and you can leave for a meeting that will let you listen.
Will they use only my first name?
Do not count on that. Some groups may write a first name. Some may want more. There is no set procedure, so there is no national first-name rule to wave at the clipboard. Ask what this group writes. If you need the paper for a court or a program, you are the person who returns the slip. The meeting itself is still a place where you can listen.