Volunteer waiver form for nonprofits and events
A one-page volunteer waiver form for nonprofits and events, with risks, conduct, emergency contacts and optional photo consent.
Updated Oct 23, 2026Quick answer
An event waiver form is a waiver participants sign before a race, festival, tournament or gathering, accepting the event's risks and releasing the organizer, sponsors, venue and volunteers from ordinary negligence claims. A good event liability waiver form includes the event name and date, specific risks, a fitness declaration, an emergency treatment authorization and optional photo consent. For large events, collect it by QR code before arrival.
What is an event waiver form?
An event waiver form is a liability waiver written for a single dated occasion. Instead of covering ongoing visits, it covers one race, one festival or one tournament. Because events involve many parties, it typically releases more people: the organizer, sponsors, the venue owner, contractors and volunteers.
The other difference is scale. A gym collects a few waivers an hour. A 5K race may need 800 before the start gun. That makes how you collect signatures as important as what the waiver says.
Event liability waiver form template
A one-event template for races, festivals and tournaments. Keep the photo consent optional and separate.
Event participant information
Full name: [Full name] Date of birth: [Date of birth]
Phone: [Phone] Email: [Email]
Emergency contact: [Name and phone]
Ticket, bib or registration number: [Number]
1. The event
I am registered to take part in [Event name] organized by [Organizer name] on [Date] at [Venue or route].
2. Risks
I understand that the event involves risks, including [falls, collisions, heat illness, dehydration, weather conditions, uneven ground, crowds and traffic on the route], and I take part voluntarily.
3. Fitness and health
I confirm I am fit to take part. Medical information event medics should know: [Details or "none"].
4. Rules and instructions
I will follow the event rules and the instructions of officials, marshals and medical staff, including instructions to stop.
5. Release
To the fullest extent permitted by law, I release [Organizer name], its sponsors, venue owners, volunteers and staff from claims arising from my participation, including claims caused by their ordinary negligence. This does not apply to gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
6. Emergency treatment
I authorize event medical staff to give or arrange treatment if I am injured or unwell and cannot consent.
7. Photos and video (optional)
☐ I agree that photos and video of me taken at the event may be used by the organizer to promote future events.
Signature
Signature: [Signature] Date: [Date]
Parent or guardian for participants under 18: [Name and signature]
Full name: [Full name] Date of birth: [Date of birth]
Phone: [Phone] Email: [Email]
Emergency contact: [Name and phone]
Ticket, bib or registration number: [Number]
1. The event
I am registered to take part in [Event name] organized by [Organizer name] on [Date] at [Venue or route].
2. Risks
I understand that the event involves risks, including [falls, collisions, heat illness, dehydration, weather conditions, uneven ground, crowds and traffic on the route], and I take part voluntarily.
3. Fitness and health
I confirm I am fit to take part. Medical information event medics should know: [Details or "none"].
4. Rules and instructions
I will follow the event rules and the instructions of officials, marshals and medical staff, including instructions to stop.
5. Release
To the fullest extent permitted by law, I release [Organizer name], its sponsors, venue owners, volunteers and staff from claims arising from my participation, including claims caused by their ordinary negligence. This does not apply to gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
6. Emergency treatment
I authorize event medical staff to give or arrange treatment if I am injured or unwell and cannot consent.
7. Photos and video (optional)
☐ I agree that photos and video of me taken at the event may be used by the organizer to promote future events.
Signature
Signature: [Signature] Date: [Date]
Parent or guardian for participants under 18: [Name and signature]
How to collect event waivers by QR code
- Link the waiver in the registration confirmation. Most participants sign the moment they register.
- Send a reminder two or three days before the event to anyone who has not signed.
- Print a large QR code on banners at the entrance and the packet pickup table.
- Run a few kiosk tablets at check-in for people without phones.
- Check names at the gate against signed records, with medical flags visible to the medical team.
The signer's side of this flow is explained in sign waiver online, and the tablet setup in waiver kiosk.
Event waiver examples by type of event
| Event | Risks to name | Extra clause |
|---|---|---|
| Running race or fun run | Falls, heat illness, cardiac events, traffic | Medical staff authority to stop a runner |
| Obstacle race | Falls from height, water, mud, cuts | Obstacle skip rule |
| Cycling event | Crashes, collisions, road traffic | Helmet required |
| Festival with activities | Crowds, rides, weather, alcohol | Conduct and alcohol rules |
| Sports tournament | Sport-specific injuries | Team and age group |
Who an event waiver form should release
Events usually involve several organizations, and a claim may be brought against any of them. Name each group in the release: the organizer, the venue or landowner, sponsors, the timing or equipment company, and volunteers. Many venues and councils require that they be named in participant waivers as a condition of the permit, so check your venue agreement.
Vendors and stallholders are different. They should sign their own indemnity agreement rather than a participant waiver. See the indemnity waiver template.
Photo consent on an event waiver form
Events are photographed constantly, and organizers want those images for marketing. Keep photo consent as a separate, optional tick box rather than a condition of entry. Forcing consent frustrates participants and can conflict with privacy laws such as the GDPR. If someone declines, the record shows it, and your photographers can avoid using their images.
Event waiver form, weather and cancellation terms
An event waiver covers the risks of taking part. It is not the right place for refund and cancellation rules, which belong in your ticket or registration terms. Mixing them confuses both. What the waiver should say is that weather is a risk of the event, and that participants must follow instructions if the organizer delays, shortens or stops the event for safety reasons, such as heat, lightning or high winds.
Keep two documentsRegistration terms cover payment, refunds, transfers and cancellations. The event waiver covers risk, health, conduct and release. Link both on the registration page.
Event waivers for multi-day events and race series
For a weekend festival or a race series, one waiver can cover every date if the participation clause lists them all, for example "the 2027 Summer Trail Series on 12 June, 10 July and 14 August". Participants then sign once at the first event. If the route, activities or rules change between dates, ask for a new signature, because the waiver should match what people actually do on the day.
Event waiver form: participants, volunteers, vendors and spectators
| Group | Document |
|---|---|
| Participants and competitors | Event waiver form (this page) |
| Minors taking part | Event waiver signed by a parent or guardian |
| Volunteers and marshals | Volunteer waiver form |
| Vendors and food trucks | Indemnity agreement plus insurance certificate |
| Spectators | Ticket terms and venue rules, usually no waiver |
Keeping these separate avoids a common mistake: asking vendors to sign a participant waiver that does not cover the risks they actually create.
Event waiver form: an example scenario
A charity 10K with 1,200 runners used paper waivers at packet pickup. The queue stretched across the car park, volunteers spent the evening sorting sheets, and three runners started without signing.
The next year, the waiver link was in the registration email, with a reminder three days out and QR banners at pickup. About 90 percent signed before arriving. Four kiosk tablets handled the rest. At the start pen, marshals checked bib numbers against signed records, and the medical tent could see flagged conditions such as asthma and diabetes. Packet pickup took half the time, and every starter had a signed waiver.
Best practices for event waiver forms
- Name the event, date and route or venue.
- Release every party involved, including the venue and volunteers.
- Collect waivers at registration, not at the gate.
- Keep photo consent optional and separate.
- Give medical staff access to flagged conditions.
- Require a guardian signature for minors.
Need waivers for the people running the event too? See the volunteer waiver form.
Event waiver form: FAQ
Ideally at registration. Include the event waiver form in the sign-up flow, then remind anyone who has not signed a few days before the event.
Yes, if the event waiver form names each activity, such as the race, the obstacle zone and the after-party games, and their risks.
Virtual participants usually take part on their own routes. A short event waiver acknowledging they choose their own route and accept its risks is still sensible.
An event waiver form is a waiver participants sign before a specific event, accepting its risks and releasing the organizer, venue, sponsors and volunteers from ordinary negligence claims.
Link the event waiver form in registration emails, send a reminder before the event, and use QR codes and kiosk tablets at check-in for anyone who has not signed.
Include it as a separate, optional tick box. Photo consent should not be a condition of taking part in the event.
An event waiver should release the organizer, venue or landowner, sponsors, contractors and volunteers, as required by your venue agreement.
Usually not. Event waivers are for participants. Spectators are normally covered by ticket terms, venue rules and your liability insurance.
Yes. List every date and location in the participation clause. If activities or rules change between events, ask participants to sign the updated waiver.
A minor's own signature is generally voidable, so a parent or legal guardian should sign the event waiver for any participant under 18.
This template is a starting point, not legal advice. Laws on waivers vary by country and state, so have a local attorney review any waiver before you rely on it. See our editorial policy and disclaimer.