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Hold Harmless Agreement

This fillable hold harmless agreement is one-way by default: the signing party agrees not to hold the other party responsible for claims from a stated activity or use of premises, and to cover its costs. Tick the box to make it mutual. It has an insurance line and a guardian section. Filling in any template is free and needs no account: you type your answers in the browser and download the finished PDF. The blank PDF is free to download once, and every blank template is in Pro.

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Template for general use. Not legal advice. Laws vary by state; check your local rules or a lawyer.

Wording last reviewed by the PDFinish team on . This is not a review by a lawyer.

First page of the free hold Harmless Agreement template

What this template is for

  • A guest, renter or vendor who uses your space for an event
  • A contractor or volunteer who joins an activity you run
  • Two parties who each want protection for a shared event

What is included

32 fillable fields and 3 signature areas, on US Letter paper.

Details

  • Effective date
  • State whose law applies

The parties

  • Protected party name (is held harmless)
  • Protected party email
  • Protected party address
  • Signing party name (agrees to hold harmless)
  • Signing party email
  • Signing party address

The activity

  • Activity, event or use of premises
  • Location or premises
  • Date or dates

Terms

  • Insurance carried by the signing party (company and policy number, optional)

Initials

  • Initials: hold harmless
  • Initials: covering claims
  • Initials: limits
  • This agreement is mutual

Signatures

  • Signing party date
  • Protected party date

Parent or legal guardian (if the signing party is under 18)

  • I am the child's parent
  • I am the child's legal guardian
  • Parent or legal guardian full name
  • Phone
  • Email
  • 4 rows of: Child's full name, Date of birth
  • Guardian date signed

How to use it in 3 steps

  1. Open it

    Choose Fill it in free. No account is needed, and the template opens straight in our Fill PDF tool, with no download needed. You can also download the blank PDF once for free and open it in any PDF reader.

  2. Type into the boxes

    Click a box and type, or tick a checkbox. Describe the activity in one clear line, such as "set-up and use of the hall for a birthday party". A narrow description keeps the promise easy to understand. Give each signer a copy.

  3. Sign and save

    When you finish, enter your email: the download starts and we send you a link to the finished file. To sign it, open it in Sign PDF, or print it and sign by hand. Your file stays on your device unless you ask us to email it.

Useful next: Fill PDF, Sign PDF, Merge PDF.

What the law says in a few places

Rules on hold harmless and indemnity clauses are set by each state, and a court may refuse to enforce one that goes too far. In some states a court may also refuse to enforce a parent's promise on a child's behalf. These notes are examples from official texts, not a list of every state. They are general information, not legal advice.

  • Louisiana's Civil Code says any clause is null that, in advance, limits one party's liability for causing physical injury to the other, or for intentional or gross fault. Source: Louisiana State Legislature, Civil Code article 2004, read .
  • Montana's law says contracts that exempt a person from responsibility for their own fraud, for willful injury to another, or for violation of law are against public policy. Source: Montana Code Annotated 28-2-702, read .
  • Florida lets a parent release a child's claim against a commercial activity provider for the inherent risks of the activity, but only if the form includes a required notice to the parent in large uppercase type. This form does not contain that notice. Source: Florida Statutes 744.301(3), read .

Questions about this template

What is a hold harmless agreement?

A hold harmless agreement is a contract in which one party agrees not to hold another responsible for harm or loss from a stated activity, and usually to cover the other's costs if a claim is made. People also call it an indemnity agreement. It names the activity, the parties and any limits. Rules differ by state.

What does indemnify mean in a hold harmless agreement?

To indemnify means to pay someone back for a loss. In a hold harmless agreement, the signing party promises to cover the other party's reasonable costs, such as legal fees and any amount it must pay, when a third party makes a claim that arises from the activity. It is the part that goes beyond a simple release.

Is a hold harmless agreement one-way or mutual?

Both exist. A one-way agreement protects one party, which suits a venue lending space to a guest. A mutual one protects both sides, which suits two businesses working together on an event. This template is one-way by default, and a tick box makes it mutual. Choose the version that matches the risk each side takes on.

Does a hold harmless agreement cover gross negligence?

No. This template leaves out gross negligence, recklessness and intentional harm. Most states refuse to enforce a promise that covers them, and a clause that tries to can put the rest of the agreement at risk. The agreement covers only ordinary negligence, and a few states limit even that. Ask a lawyer about yours.

Can a parent sign a hold harmless agreement for a child?

A parent or legal guardian can sign to allow a child to take part, but state rules differ on how far that goes. In some states a parent cannot give up a child's claims, or promise to repay the other side for them. This template records the guardian and each child, and keeps the parent's promise narrow.

Is this template free?

Filling it in is free, and you do not need an account. You type your answers in your browser and download the finished PDF. The blank PDF is free to download once; after that, Pro, Lifetime and Team unlock every blank template.

What if I only want the blank PDF?

One blank download is free for each visitor. After that, Pro gives you every blank template, plus unlimited uses. You can still fill any template in free.

Does PDFinish see what I type?

Not while you fill it in. The template opens and fills in your browser. If you ask us to email the finished file, it goes through our server, stays encrypted for 7 days so the link works, and is then deleted.

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