Photo release form

A free photo release form in Word and PDF: the model grants permission to use their photos and video, with a parent or guardian signature section for minors.

Signed by: Model, then Parent or Guardian (only if the model is a minor), then Photographer.

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Free, no sign-up. Updated September 30, 2026 by Suresh Ganapathy.

A photo release form is a short document in which a person gives permission for photos or video of them to be used, and says where and how. Photographers, videographers, marketing teams, schools, nonprofits and event organizers use one before putting someone’s face in an ad, a website, a brochure or a social media post. This free photo release form covers photos and video, has checkboxes for the uses you need, and includes a parent or guardian section for minors.

When do you need a photo release form?

You need a photo release whenever you plan to use a recognizable person’s image to promote something or to sell. Think of a yoga studio putting a student’s photo on its homepage, a photographer licensing a portrait to a stock agency, or a cafe running an Instagram ad with a customer holding a latte.

The legal reason is the right of publicity. Cornell’s Legal Information Institute describes it as the right that “prevents the unauthorized commercial use of an individual’s name, likeness, or other recognizable aspects of one’s persona.” It’s mostly state law, and states handle it differently: roughly half recognize it explicitly, and others protect similar interests through privacy or unfair competition law. Because the rules aren’t uniform, a signed release is the simplest way to avoid having to know every state’s version.

Here’s a hypothetical. A portrait photographer does a free styled shoot with a local model to build her portfolio, then a bridal boutique offers $400 to use one of the images in a print ad. Without a release that covers commercial use, she has to go back and ask, and the model is free to say no or to ask for a fee. With one, she already knows the answer.

Whether you need one for news, editorial or purely personal use, or for a crowd shot where nobody is identifiable, depends on the situation and on your state. It comes down to the situation, and when in doubt, get the signature.

A release is not a booking contract. If you’re hiring a photographer or being hired for a shoot, use the photography contract template for fees, dates and delivery, and this form for the people in front of the camera.

What should a photo release form include?

Our photo release form template is one to two pages. Here’s what each section does.

Who is granting permission, and to whom

The model’s name and contact details, and the name of the photographer or organization receiving the permission (the “Releasee”). If a business will use the images, name the business itself rather than only the individual photographer.

What media and what uses

Checkboxes for photos, video, audio and name, then for where they’ll appear: website, social media, print, paid advertising, stock licensing, or “any lawful purpose.” Honestly, narrower is kinder. A model who agrees to “our website and social media” knows what they’re signing; “any purpose, forever, worldwide” is legal to ask for in many cases, but it’s the thing people later say they didn’t understand.

Compensation

Payment, prints, a free session, or nothing. Write it down even if it’s zero, since a stated exchange makes the permission clearer.

Duration and withdrawal

You choose a fixed term or no end date. The template also says the model can ask the Releasee to stop using the images in new materials going forward, while anything already printed or published doesn’t have to be recalled. That’s a fair middle ground that a lot of release forms leave out.

Limits on use

The Releasee agrees not to use images in a way that’s defamatory or that suggests the model endorses something they haven’t agreed to, and to avoid sensitive subjects (health, politics and so on) without separate permission.

Copyright stays separate

A release is permission to use a person’s likeness. It doesn’t transfer copyright in the photos, which generally stays with the photographer. Federal law says a transfer of copyright ownership has to be in writing and signed by the owner, so if the Releasee also needs to own the images, that’s a different document.

What about photo release forms for minors?

A minor’s signature alone isn’t enough. Cornell’s Legal Information Institute notes that contracts entered into by minors are generally voidable, because the law presumes a minor didn’t have the capacity to contract. So for anyone who is a minor in their state, a parent or legal guardian should sign the guardian section, confirm they have authority to sign, and give permission on the child’s behalf. Schools and youth programs often have their own policies on top of this, so check them.

If the model is an adult, leave the parent or guardian section blank or remove it before sending.

How do you fill it in and get it signed?

Download the form in Word or PDF, fill in the Releasee’s details, tick the uses you actually need, and describe the shoot (date, location, project) so it’s clear which images are covered. Then get it signed before or at the shoot, not afterward when the model has already seen the photos.

Photo releases are well suited to e-signature. The federal ESIGN Act says a signature or contract can’t be denied legal effect solely because it’s electronic, and our explainer on whether electronic signatures are legally binding covers the details. For a minor, send it to the parent’s email, not the child’s. For events with many people, send each person their own copy so every release is tied to one signer.

Download it, fill in the blanks, and send it for e-signature with any tool you like. (We’re building SignWren for small-business paperwork like this, and the waitlist is open.)

This template is general information, not legal advice. For a specific situation, talk to a lawyer licensed where you are.

The photo and video release form template

Download as Word

Template from signwren.com. General information, not legal advice. Check your state's rules and adapt it before you use it.

PHOTO AND VIDEO RELEASE FORM

This Photo and Video Release ("Release") is made on [date] between:

Model: [Model's full legal name], with an address at [address], email [email] ("Model"), and

Releasee: [Photographer's or organization's full legal name], with an address at [address] ("Releasee").

If the Model is a minor, the parent or legal guardian named in the Signatures section gives this Release on the Model's behalf.

1. The shoot

This Release covers photographs, video and audio recordings of the Model taken ☐ on [date] at [location] for [project or event name] ☐ during the period from [date] to [date] (the "Media").

2. Permission

2.1 The Model gives the Releasee permission to use the following in the Media:
☐ photographs ☐ video ☐ voice and audio ☐ the Model's first name ☐ the Model's full name

2.2 The Media may be used for:
☐ Releasee's website
☐ Releasee's social media accounts
☐ print materials such as brochures, flyers and posters
☐ paid advertising, online or in print
☐ Releasee's portfolio and competition entries
☐ licensing to third parties, including stock agencies
☐ any lawful purpose

2.3 The Releasee may crop, resize, color-correct and make ordinary edits to the Media. The Releasee will not alter the Media in a way that changes the Model's appearance in a misleading or embarrassing way.

3. Limits on use

The Releasee will not use the Media:

in a way that is defamatory, obscene or unlawful;
to suggest that the Model personally endorses a product, service, cause or political position, unless the Model agrees in writing;
in connection with sensitive subjects such as health conditions, religion, sexuality or politics, unless the Model agrees in writing.

4. Compensation

In exchange for this Release, the Model receives: ☐ [$ amount] ☐ [prints, digital images or a session] ☐ no payment. The Model agrees that this is the full compensation for the uses allowed in this Release.

5. Duration and withdrawal

5.1 This Release lasts ☐ for [number] years from the date above ☐ with no end date.

5.2 The Model may ask the Releasee in writing to stop using the Media in new materials. The Releasee will stop within [number] days of receiving the request. Materials already printed, distributed, broadcast or licensed before the request do not have to be recalled, and existing posts may stay online unless the Releasee agrees to remove them.

6. Ownership

The Releasee or its photographer owns the copyright in the Media. This Release gives permission to use the Model's likeness; it does not give the Model ownership of the Media or a right to approve each use, except as stated here. The Model ☐ will ☐ will not receive copies of selected images for personal use.

7. Privacy

The Releasee will not publish the Model's home address, phone number or email with the Media, and will not identify a minor Model by full name without the parent or guardian's written consent.

8. Model's confirmations

The Model confirms that:

they have read and understood this Release before signing;
they are an adult with the legal right to sign, or, if a minor, their parent or legal guardian is signing below;
they are not bound by any agreement (such as an exclusive agency contract) that prevents them from giving this Release.

9. Release of claims

The Model releases the Releasee from claims for invasion of privacy or misuse of name or likeness arising from uses that are allowed by this Release. This does not release claims arising from uses this Release does not allow, or from the Releasee's gross negligence or intentional misconduct.

10. Parent or guardian consent (minors only)

This section and the Parent or Guardian signature are required only if the Model is a minor. By signing below, the parent or guardian confirms that they are the Model's ☐ parent ☐ legal guardian, that they have the legal authority to sign this Release on the Model's behalf, and that they agree to its terms for themselves and for the Model. If the Model is an adult, leave the Parent or Guardian signature blank.

11. General terms

11.1 Entire agreement. This Release is the whole agreement between the parties about the Media.

11.2 Amendments. Changes must be in writing and signed by both parties (and by the parent or guardian, for a minor).

11.3 Governing law. The laws of [State] govern this Release.

11.4 Severability. If any part is unenforceable, the rest stays in effect.

11.5 Electronic signatures. The parties agree this agreement may be signed electronically and in counterparts, and an electronic signature has the same effect as a handwritten one.

Signatures

Model
Signature: ______________________________
Name: [full name]
Date: [date]

Parent or Guardian (only if the model is a minor)
Signature: ______________________________
Name: [full name]
Date: [date]

Photographer
Signature: ______________________________
Name: [full name]
Date: [date]

Quick answers

What is the difference between a photo release and a model release?

They're usually the same document. "Model release" is the photography term; "photo release" or "media release" is what schools, nonprofits and businesses tend to call it. Each one is the subject's permission to use their image.

Does a minor need a parent to sign a photo release?

Yes, you should get a parent or legal guardian to sign. Contracts made by minors are generally voidable because the law presumes a minor lacks capacity to contract, so a release signed only by a child is weak protection.

Does a photo release transfer copyright in the photos?

No. A release is permission from the person in the photo to use their likeness. Copyright in the photo itself generally stays with the photographer unless there's a separate signed written transfer.

Can a photo release form be signed electronically?

In general, yes. Under the federal ESIGN Act, a signature or contract relating to a transaction in interstate commerce can't be denied legal effect just because it's electronic.

Sources

This template and guide are general information, not legal advice. Laws vary by state; for anything important, have a lawyer licensed where you are review it.

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