The “Blue Card” is a two-sided, tri-section document that is formally known as The Application For Merit Badge. It is an official Boy Scout of America document that serves as a record of progress toward completion of a merit badge. The Blue Card is the first thing you need when you decide you would like to earn a merit badge. Blue Cards will be available at every Troop meeting and Scouts are encouraged to keep a few extra blue cards in their Scout Handbook or notebook so they always have one available.
In the 2021 Guide to Advancement (section 7.0.0.2), Units are being encouraged to use other innovations such as Scoutbook or computer-generated spreadsheets to track advancement. The Troop and Moraine Trails Council are expected to accept these alternative forms of documentation as long as the documentation provides the information necessary to track and record the Scout’s progress.
