Participant Waivers let you send the people you serve or host — parents, attendees, event participants — a document to review and e-sign before your event. It's a free perk included with every account. (Waivers are for participants and are separate from volunteer background checks; internal organization policies live under the Policies perk.)
Where to find it
1. Choose your waiver
Pick whichever source fits your event:
- Choose a template — ready-made waivers organized by category: Sports & Athletics (hold-harmless / assumption-of-risk, concussion awareness), Youth & Children (parental consent & participation for minors), Elderly & Vulnerable Adults (elder-care activity waiver), Media & Privacy (photo & media release), General (release & hold-harmless), and Transportation (volunteer driver). Each is auto-branded with your organization's name and location.
- Generate with AI — describe your event and who's signing, and VolunteerBadge drafts a custom waiver for you.
- Upload your own — upload your exact PDF (up to 10 MB; every file is virus-scanned) to collect signatures on your own document. Custom waivers appear under Your waivers in the dropdown.
2. Send it — three ways
| How to send | Best for | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Sending to one participant you know | Unlimited, free | |
| Text (SMS) | A quick mobile signature (requires their consent) | Shares your org’s daily SMS allowance |
| Shareable link + QR code | An event page, flyer, or check-in table — many signers | Unlimited, free |
Email and shareable links are unlimited. Texting shares your organization's daily SMS allowance (email and links are always the unlimited fallback). A shareable link comes with a downloadable QR code you can print.
3. The participant signs
No account needed. The participant opens the link (from the email, text, or QR code), reviews the document, checks the agreement box, and types their full name — a legally binding electronic signature under the federal E-SIGN Act. It works on any phone or computer.
Every signature is certified
4. Track & download
The Sent & links panel shows every request and its status — awaiting signature, signed, or how many people have signed a shareable link. From there you can download the completed, e-signed PDF (with its Certificate of Completion), copy a link to resend, or revoke a link you no longer want active.
Waivers are free — the only thing you ever pay for is background checks, at $5 each.