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Camp liability waiver (sample)

A sample release of liability and assumption of risk form for camps and youth activities, to adapt with your lawyer and insurer before you use it.

Download PDF Word version

What's in it

What the liability waiver covers

At the top: Sample template, not legal advice. Whether a waiver signed by a parent holds up, and what wording it needs, depends on your state's law. Have a lawyer in your state and your insurer review it before you use it.

Participant

Child's full name
Date of birth
Program, session and dates

Activities

[Program name] activities may include [list them: for example, sports and games, swimming, hiking, climbing, arts and crafts, cooking, field trips and bus travel].

Risks

I understand that these activities carry risks, including falls, collisions, sprains, broken bones, sunburn, insect bites, allergic reactions, drowning and, rarely, serious injury or death. Staff work to lower these risks but cannot remove them.

Assumption of risk

I agree to let my child take part, knowing these risks. I have told the program about my child's health conditions, allergies and physical limitations in writing.

Release

To the extent the law allows, I release [organization's legal name], its staff, volunteers and board from claims for injury or loss arising from my child's participation, except claims caused by their gross negligence or willful misconduct. [Have your lawyer adjust this paragraph for your state.]

Medical care

If my child needs emergency care and the program can't reach me, I authorize staff to get it, including ambulance transport, and I agree to pay for that care.

Rules

I have read the program's rules and safety policies and gone over them with my child

Signature

Parent or guardian printed name
Parent or guardian signature
Date
Participant signature (for teens, optional)

Free to use and change, but not legal or medical advice. Check your state's licensing rules and your insurer's requirements, and have a lawyer review any consent or waiver language.

Tips

How to use it well

Don't copy this as is. Rules on waivers that parents sign for their children differ a lot between states, and some states don't enforce them.
Ask your insurer whether they require their own waiver wording.
Use plain, readable type. Don't hide the release in small print.
A waiver doesn't replace safe practice: trained staff, written safety rules and good supervision.

Rules on ratios, medication and reporting vary by state. See your state in our state-by-state rules for youth programs.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Do summer camps need a liability waiver?

Most camps ask families to sign one, and many insurers expect it. How much protection it gives depends on your state's law, so have a local lawyer review the wording.

Is a parent's signature on a waiver valid?

It depends on the state. Some courts enforce waivers parents sign for their children and some don't. That's why this is a sample to adapt with a lawyer, not a ready-to-use legal form.