Photo release form template
Ask before you publish anyone’s photo: a yes or no for each place it may appear, and a parent’s signature for children.
Name of the person in the photos
Is this person under 18?
Class, group or event
Write to us from this address to change your answers later.
11 questions · about 2 min · logic · signature · prefill from the link
- No sign-up to start
- Unlimited responses on Free
Print it as a PDF Word version
Change the questions in Word, then print.
What you get back
Every response lands in your results the moment it is sent. Turn on email notifications and each one arrives like this, and the same answers become a row in your spreadsheet.
From PulseFormCreator
Subject New response to Photo and video release
- Name of the person in the photos
- Leo Martin
- Is this person under 18?
- Yes
- Parent or guardian’s name
- Sarah Martin
- Your relationship to them
- Parent
- Class, group or event
- Grade 4 – Ms Okafor
- sarah.martin@example.com
and 3 more answers
| submitted_at | Name of the person in the photos | Is this person under 18? | Parent or guardian’s name | Your relationship to them | Class, group or event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Sep 2026 09:41 | Leo Martin | Yes | Sarah Martin | Parent | Grade 4 – Ms Okafor |
Export to CSV or Excel, or send responses to Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Slack or a webhook. All free.
What happens after someone submits
Set it up once in the Workflows tab, and every answer reaches the people who post photos.
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Submitted
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A parent sends the form
The office gets it by email, with a PDF of the signed release attached for the file.
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A parent gives a reason
Reply from their response in Results to arrange a call, and their answer comes back into the same thread.
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A new school year starts
Parents are in People, so one bulk email reminds them all how to change their answers.
What this form asks, and why
A photo release form says who takes the photos and where they may appear, then gets a yes or no for each place, whether the person may be named, how long consent lasts, how to withdraw and a signature, from a parent for children. 4 of 30 forms also set rules for parents’ own photos.
The last column shows how often real photo release forms ask for it.
| Question | Why it is there | Real forms |
|---|---|---|
| Name of the person in the photos Required | Staff match the answer to a face before anything goes out. | 26 of 30 forms |
| Is this person under 18? Required | Opens the parent questions only for children, instead of a date of birth. | 4 of 30 forms |
| Parent or guardian’s name Required Only when “Is this person under 18?” is Yes | 67% of forms have one. In New York, a child’s picture in advertising needs a parent’s written consent. | 20 of 30 forms |
| Your relationship to them Required Only when “Is this person under 18?” is Yes | Shows the person signing has the authority to. | 20 of 30 forms |
| Class, group or event Required | Tells the office which list the answer belongs to. A link with ?event= fills it in. | 7 of 30 forms |
| Email Required | Where a change of mind comes from. | 10 of 30 forms |
| Where may we use photos and videos of them? Required | One yes or no per place, not one blanket grant. 15 of 30 forms work this way, almost all of them British. | 15 of 30 forms |
| May we use their name with a photo? Required Only when any row in “Where may we use photos and videos of them?” is marked “Yes” | Face and name are separate permissions; 19 of 30 forms deal with naming. Hidden when every place is a no. | 19 of 30 forms |
| Is there a reason they must not be photographed at all? | Lets a parent flag a custody or safeguarding issue quietly. Only 1 of 30 forms asks directly. | 1 of 30 forms |
| Your choice Required | An unchecked box the signer checks. 2 of 30 forms still count an unreturned form as a yes. | 17 of 30 forms |
| Signature Required | 26 of 30 forms are signed. The response records how and when. | 26 of 30 forms |
What we left out
- An irrevocable, royalty-free grant. The US insurer model: 3 of 30 forms make the grant permanent and 9 of 30 forms add a release of claims. For advertising or paid rights, use a model release.
- Home address and phone. 8 of 30 forms ask for an address and 11 of 30 forms for a phone. Neither is needed to record consent.
- A date beside the signature. 26 of 30 forms have one. Every response is stamped with the time it was sent.
What 30 real photo release forms ask
How often each field appears, from forms organizations use today. Part of the Form Field Index.
Read September 2026 · UK 15, US 13, Australia 1, Canada 1 · Sources
- White Pass School District · school district, US
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration · federal agency, US
- HOSA-Future Health Professionals · student organization, US
- After School Kicks (Pinellas Park, FL) · after-school program, US
- Burlington Infant and Nursery School (New Malden) · primary school, UK
- Highfields Primary School (Leicester) · primary school, UK
- Oak Bank School · school, UK
- Trumps Green Infant School · infant school, UK
- Wembrook Primary School · primary school, UK
- St John's C.E. Primary School (Stockport) · primary school, UK
- Australian Science Teachers Association · professional association, Australia
- Federal Bar Association · professional association, US
- St Michael's CE (C) Primary School (Lichfield) · primary school, UK
- City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department · city parks department, US
- University of Southern California · university, US
- California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) · state agency, US
- Momentum Children's Charity · children's charity, UK
- LiveWest Homes Limited · housing association, UK
- Museums Worcestershire · museum service, UK
- Barts Charity · hospital charity, UK
- University of Michigan Children on Campus · university youth programs, US
- The Janus School · private school, US
- Nevada Volunteers (Governor's Commission on Service) · state service commission, US
- de Stafford School (GLF Schools) · secondary school, UK
- Sport for Life Society · nonprofit, Canada
- Motor Neurone Disease Association · charity, UK
- Warwick District Council · local council, UK
- Royal Horticultural Society · charity, UK
- William & Sheila Konar Foundation · foundation, US
- Edgenuity Inc. · education technology company, US
How the form changes as people answer
Most people see a shorter form. These questions and screens only appear when an answer calls for them.
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When “Is this person under 18?” is Yes
shows “Parent or guardian’s name” and “Your relationship to them”
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When “News media (newspapers, TV, radio)” is marked “Yes”
shows “Newspapers and TV usually print full names, whatever you choose next”
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When any row in “Where may we use photos and videos of them?” is marked “Yes”
shows “May we use their name with a photo?”
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When no row in “Where may we use photos and videos of them?” is marked “Yes”
shows the “We have recorded that no photos of Leo will be used” ending
Make it yours
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One link per event
Add ?event=Sports day to the link and the class or event box fills itself in, so each answer lands in the right list.
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Keep the list staff check
Export CSV or Excel from your results: each place gets its own column, so staff filter out the No answers before posting.
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Set how long it lasts
Edit the “How long this lasts” paragraph to your school year or your own term, and to the address people write to.
Good practice and the law
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and state, so check anything important where you operate.
- UK
Silence, pre-checked boxes and inactivity are not consent, and withdrawing must be as easy as agreeing. ICO, what is valid consent
- UK
Photos a school takes for its prospectus are likely to fall under data protection law; photos parents take for their own family do not. ICO, taking photos in schools
- US
In New York, using someone’s picture for advertising or trade without written consent (a parent’s, for a child) is a misdemeanor. New York Civil Rights Law §50
- Australia
The Privacy Act covers a photo when the person can be identified, for organizations with annual turnover above $3 million, and some smaller ones. OAIC, photos and videos
Questions about this template
Do I need a photo release to post on social media?
If people can be recognized and you post for an organization, yes, with social media as its own yes or no, so a parent can say yes to a hallway display and no to Instagram.
What if a parent never returns it?
Treat it as a no: the ICO says silence is not consent. Compare your class list with your responses and chase the gaps.
Can one form cover brothers and sisters?
Use one response per child, so each answer can change on its own.
Do adult volunteers need one?
If you feature them in your own channels, yes. Pick “Adult or event” above the preview: no parent questions, and a box for what they are wearing. The volunteer application form has the same photo checkbox.
Which form do you need?
Not quite the job? One of these may fit, or browse all release and consent forms.
- Commercial model release
When a photographer or brand needs commercial rights from a model, often for a fee.
- School trip permission slip
For one school trip, with the contacts staff carry that day.
- Testimonial consent form
When a customer lets you publish their review or quote, with their name.
Start with the photo release form template
Open it in the editor, fill in the first paragraph and send the link before the event.
By Michael Hodge, founder of PulseFormCreator. Updated 23 Sep 2026.