What you agree to
The responsibilities a scout takes on, in our own words — see the official card for the exact wording:
- 1Know the rules — read and understand the woods-tools use and safety rules in the Scouts BSA handbooks.
- 2Show real skill — demonstrate proper handling, care, and use of the pocketknife, axe, and saw.
- 3Tools, not toys — use the knife, axe, and saw as tools, never as playthings.
- 4Protect others — respect all the safety rules that keep the people around you safe.
- 5Respect property and living things — cut living or dead trees only with permission and a good reason.
- 6Live the Outdoor Code — subscribe to and follow it.
To earn it: show a Scout leader (or someone they designate) that you understand and will carry out these responsibilities.
When to use it
- The "license" that lets a scout carry and use a knife, axe, and saw on their own.
- A shared standard every scout with woods tools is held to — the card can be asked for.
- The capstone of the woods-tools skills — every knife/axe/saw safety topic is the Totin' Chip put into practice.
Common mistakes & safety
- The Totin' Chip is a responsibility, not just a patch. Carrying it means you've promised to follow every tool-safety rule, every time.
- The rights can be revoked. A scout careless or unsafe with a tool can have their Totin' Rights taken away until they re-earn the trust.
- It covers all three woods tools — knife, axe, and saw — because the safety habits run across all of them.
- "Protect others" is an explicit part of the pledge. The safe circle, the 10-foot clearance, and masking blades are all about the people around you.
- "Permission and good reason" to cut ties tool use to Leave No Trace and respect for property — you don't cut living trees for fun.
Going deeper
- Whittling Chip → Totin' Chip → Firem'n Chit. Whittling Chip (Cub Scouts, pocketknife), Totin' Chip (Scouts BSA, knife + axe + saw), and the Firem'n Chit (fire) alongside it. All are earned trust, all revocable.
- The cut-corners tradition. Historically a leader could cut a corner off the card for each safety violation, four cuts meaning the rights were gone until re-earned. The current official language simply says the rights can be taken away; the cut-corner method is a local practice.
- A gateway, not a graduation. Earning it is where being trusted with tools begins — the responsibility is ongoing.
Official source
Totin' Chip — Scouting America →The official requirement wording is Scouting America's — described here in our own words. Confirm the exact six responsibilities on the official page before signing anyone off.