The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires, whether in English or in translation, are copyrighted documents that may not be modified in any way. Paper versions of the SDQ can be downloaded from the SDQ website in a wide variety of languages, and can be printed or photocopied without charge by individuals or non-profit organizations provided those organizations are not making any charge to families.

No one except Youth in Mind is authorized to create or distribute electronic versions for any purpose – individuals or organizations wishing to create electronic versions (e.g. for a computer-administered survey) need to contact Youth in Mind and may need to pay a license fee. It is also illegal to make or distribute unauthorized translations of the SDQ – individuals wishing to translate the SDQ to a new language should contact Youth in Mind to discuss arranging a full process of translation, back-translation and authorization.