Skip to content
PDFinish
Everyone

Photo Release Form

This fillable photo release form, also called a media release, records who was photographed, where, and what the organizer may do with the media. Each use gets its own yes or no: internal, editorial, and marketing or advertising. A guardian section covers minors. 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.

Last updated:

Fill in any template free, no account. One blank download is free, then Pro.

Popular with small business. See PDF tools and templates for small business.

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 photo Release Form template

What this template is for

  • Photos and video at an event, class, tour or open house
  • A portrait or product shoot with a model, with an optional payment line
  • Pictures of children, with a parent or legal guardian signing for them

What is included

32 fillable fields and 2 signature areas, on US Letter paper.

Details

  • Organizer or photographer name
  • Event or shoot
  • Date of event or shoot
  • Location

Person photographed or recorded

  • Full name
  • Phone
  • Email

2. How the media may be used

  • Internal use: yes
  • Internal use: no
  • Editorial use: yes
  • Editorial use: no
  • Marketing or advertising use: yes
  • Marketing or advertising use: no

3. My name

  • My name may be shown with the media
  • Do not show my name

4. Where and for how long

  • Where the media may be used (for example website, social media, print)
  • For how long (for example two years)

5. Taking back my consent

  • Contact for taking back consent (email or phone)

6. Payment (optional)

  • Payment, if any (amount and how paid)

Signature

  • Date signed

Parent or legal guardian (if the person is under 18)

  • I am the child's parent
  • I am the child's legal guardian
  • Parent or legal guardian full name
  • Guardian phone
  • Guardian email
  • 3 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. Ask the person to choose for each use, and keep a copy for your records. A blank choice counts as no. If you plan to use the media in ads, say so out loud as well, so the choice is an informed one.

  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

Rights over a person's name and image are set by each state, and the rules differ. This note is one example from a statute, not a list of every state. It is general information, not legal advice.

  • California's Civil Code section 3344 says a person who knowingly uses another's name, voice, signature, photograph or likeness for advertising or selling, or on products, without that person's prior consent (for a minor, the prior consent of a parent or legal guardian) is liable for damages of at least $750. It says news, public affairs and sports accounts do not need that consent, and that a person shown only as part of a crowd or other definable group is treated as a member of the group. Source: California Civil Code section 3344, as published by California.Public.Law, read .

Questions about this template

Do I need a photo release for event photos?

Often yes, when you plan to use the photos to advertise or sell. Rights over a person's image are set by each state. California's Civil Code section 3344 is one example: it requires prior consent for advertising use, and a parent's consent for a minor, but exempts news and public affairs. Get consent in writing and check your state.

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

The names overlap. A photo release covers pictures of a person. A media release also covers video and sound. A model release is usually for a posed shoot, often with payment and wider uses. This one form covers photo, video and sound, lets you choose each use, and has an optional payment line. Pick the name your audience searches for.

Can a parent sign a photo release for a child?

Yes. A child usually cannot give binding consent, so a parent or legal guardian signs for them. California's section 3344, for example, asks for a parent's or guardian's prior consent for a minor. This form has a guardian section that records the adult, the relationship and each child. A minor's release without that signature may protect you very little.

Can someone take back their consent for photos?

This form says yes, for future uses. The person can write to the contact on the form and withdraw, and the organizer then stops new uses within a reasonable time. It may not be able to pull back things already printed or shared. Say so plainly at signing, so no one is surprised later.

What should a photo release form include?

A good release names the person, the organizer, the event or shoot and its date. It gives a separate yes or no for internal, editorial and marketing use, says whether the name may be shown, and states where, for how long and how to withdraw. Add any payment, a signature, a date and a guardian section.

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.

More templates

  • Release of Liability Form

    A liability waiver: the participant accepts the risks of an activity and releases the organizer from claims for ordinary negligence, with a section for a parent or guardian.

  • Sign in sheet

    A printable visitor sign-in sheet for an office or front desk: name, company, who they are visiting, time in and time out.

  • Visitor NDA

    A one-page NDA for a visit to non-public areas, with a choice of guest, interview candidate or contractor.