Photo release form
Get written permission to use someone's photo or likeness.
A photo release form is written permission from a person to use their image. Photographers, small businesses, schools and event organizers use it before publishing photos or video, because using someone's likeness to promote something without consent can create legal problems in both Canada and the US.
Opens a fillable version in your browser. Free, no account, nothing uploaded.
Fields in this form
- Date
- Person in the photo (name)
- Person address
- Photographer or organization
- Description of images
- How the images may be used
- I grant permission for the uses above
- Signature
- Parent or guardian signature (if a minor)
About the photo release form
A photo release form is written permission from a person to use their photo or likeness. Photographers, businesses, and event organizers use it before publishing images.
This fillable template captures who is giving permission and how the images may be used, then produces a clean PDF to sign.
When you need it
- A photographer wants to share client photos in a portfolio.
- A business wants to use event photos in marketing.
- You need consent before publishing someone's image.
Where it stands legally
Canada: several provinces (British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador) have privacy statutes that make it a tort to use a person's name or likeness for advertising or promotion without consent, Quebec's Civil Code protects the right to one's image, and courts elsewhere recognize appropriation of personality. Federal and provincial privacy laws also treat an identifiable image collected in a commercial context as personal information that needs consent.
United States: most states recognize a right of publicity or privacy that bars commercial use of a person's likeness without consent. Editorial and news uses are treated differently from advertising. A signed release is the standard way to prove consent.
A release does not transfer copyright. The photographer owns the photo; the release is the subject's permission for it to be used. Businesses hiring a photographer need a separate licence or assignment from the photographer.
Minors cannot give binding consent, so a parent or guardian signs. Some uses (schools, sports leagues) also have their own policies that go beyond the law.
General information, not legal advice. Rules differ by province, state and city, and they change. Confirm the current rule where the document will be used.
What each field means and how to fill it
| Field | What it means | How to fill it |
|---|---|---|
| Date | When consent was given. | Sign before or at the shoot or event. |
| Person in the photo (name) | The subject giving consent. | Full name. For a minor, the child's name here and the guardian's signature below. |
| Person address | Contact details for the subject. | Address and email, in case you need to confirm or they wish to revoke. |
| Photographer or organization | Who receives the permission. | The business or person who will use the images. Include successors and assigns if you want the permission to travel with the business. |
| Description of images | What is covered. | Event or shoot name, date and location. Say whether video and audio are included. |
| How the images may be used | The scope of consent. | Media (website, social media, print, advertising), territory, duration, and whether the subject's name will appear. Say whether the use can be paid or unpaid and whether the subject gets any payment. |
| Permission checkbox | Clear affirmative consent. | The subject ticks it after reading the uses. |
| Signature | The subject agrees. | Sign and date. |
| Parent or guardian signature | Consent for a minor. | Required when the subject is under the age of majority where they live. |
How to fill this out
- 1Enter the date, the subject's name and contact details, and who is receiving the permission.
- 2Describe the images by event, date and location, and say whether video is included.
- 3List the permitted uses, media, territory and duration, and whether any payment is involved.
- 4Have the subject tick the permission box and sign; for a minor, the parent or guardian signs.
- 5Download the PDF and keep it with the images.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Getting the release after the photos are already published.
- A blanket any use forever clause with no description of the images, which subjects push back on and some courts read narrowly.
- No guardian signature for a minor.
- Assuming the release gives you the copyright. It does not.
- Not keeping the release with the image files, so nobody can find it years later.
- Using event photos in paid advertising when the release only mentioned the website.
What makes it hold up, and when you need a lawyer
Usually fine with this template
- Portfolio and website use of client photos by a photographer.
- Marketing use of event, workshop or customer photos by a small business.
- School, club and community group publications, alongside their own policies.
Use the official form or get advice
- Paid advertising campaigns, product endorsements or use with a person's name in a way that implies endorsement.
- Images of people in health care, legal or other sensitive settings.
- Use across many countries, or licensing images to third parties.
- Any situation where the subject is an employee, where consent can be harder to treat as freely given.
Worked example (illustrative)
Made-up names and figures to show what a completed photo release form looks like. Not a real transaction.
| Photo release, illustrative | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 10, 2026 |
| Subject | Mia Torres, 55 Example Street, mia@example.com |
| Photographer | Lakeside Photography (and its successors) |
| Images | Portraits taken at the Harvest Market event, October 10, 2026; stills only, no video |
| Permitted uses | Lakeside's website, social media and printed portfolio, worldwide, for 5 years. Name not to be published. No use in paid advertising for third parties. |
| Permission | Ticked and signed by the subject |
Related official forms, tools and guides
- Photo release form guide
- Contract template: the photographer's agreement with the client
- NDA template
- Watermark PDF: mark proofs before they are approved
- Sign PDF
Frequently asked questions
When do I need a photo release?
Before you publish or sell images of an identifiable person for marketing, advertising or other commercial use. Several Canadian provinces and most US states protect a person's likeness from commercial use without consent. News and editorial uses are treated differently.
What if the person in the photo is a minor?
A parent or guardian must give permission and sign. Use the guardian signature line.
Can permission be limited to certain uses?
Yes. Use the usage section to state exactly where, how and for how long the images may appear.
Can the person withdraw consent later?
The release is a contract, so a signed, clear scope usually holds. As a practical matter many photographers agree to stop future uses on request. Say in the form how revocation is handled if you want that to be clear.
Does the release give me the copyright?
No. Copyright stays with the photographer unless assigned in writing. The release is the subject's permission.
Sources checked
- Privacy Act (British Columbia), section 3 (using a name or portrait for advertising without consent is a tort)
Checked 2026-09-19. This page is general information and not legal, tax or financial advice.