Model release form
A model release asks what a photographer or brand may do with someone's image — and for how long. This form records that specific answer so six months later, when an old photo surfaces in a campaign, the release is there to show what was agreed to. This form is not a legal document and collecting a typed name is not an e-signature. Jurisdiction rules on releases vary widely. The photographer or brand remains responsible for knowing their own legal requirements and consulting counsel about what a release should include.
The form beside this text is live. Fill it in and submit it — it validates exactly as it would for a real respondent, and saves nothing.
Checkboxes for each usage type, not a yes/no for all use
A model who agrees to appear on a website might not agree to advertising, and a portfolio-only release is a third distinct answer. Checkboxes with options — portfolio, website, advertising, print — capture those distinctions; a single "may we use your image?" yes/no loses all three.
A duration dropdown separate from the usage itself, so one-time does not become forever
A dropdown for "how long?" — this shoot, one year, indefinite — is what stops a one-time photo approval from sliding into an archive license years later. Without a duration field, every release defaults to forever and there is no record of what was actually agreed to.
No card required.
Model Release Form
Live previewHow to build this form
5 steps in the editor. Nothing here needs a paid plan.
- Add a text field for the model's name and an email field so you can contact them later.
- Add a date field for the shoot date and a text field for what was being shot — a campaign, a product line, a photo session — so the release is tied to a specific occasion.
- Add checkboxes for exactly how the images may be used: portfolio, website, social media, advertising, or print — so the model can allow some uses but not others.
- Add a dropdown for how long the release lasts: this shoot only, one year, or indefinitely, so one-time permission does not quietly become an archive license.
- Add an optional text field for guardian name (for under-18s), a required checkbox for overall consent, a text field for typed name, and send confirmations to your email so releases are kept alongside the shoot files.
Fields in this form
9 fields, using 5 of the 19 field types available.
| Question | Field type | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Model name | Short text | Yes |
| Yes | ||
| Date of shoot | Date | Yes |
| What was this shoot for? (campaign, product, portfolio, etc.) | Short text | Yes |
| How may these images be used? | Checkboxes | Yes |
| For how long may these images be used? | Dropdown | Yes |
| Parent or guardian name (if model is under 18) | Short text | Optional |
| I consent to the use of these images as indicated above | Checkboxes | Yes |
| Your name (typed) | Short text | Yes |
What goes wrong with this form
Specific to a model release form, not general advice about forms.
A single "may we use your image?" checkbox instead of specific usage rights
A checkbox that says "I consent to use of my image" does not distinguish between a portfolio show, a website, advertising, or a merchandise archive — all the same single tick. Checkboxes for each specific use — portfolio, website, social media, advertising, print — are what let a model grant permission for some uses but not others.
No duration field, so every release defaults to unlimited use
Without a separate dropdown for "how long?", a model release has no expiry and becomes an indefinite license. A separate duration field — this shoot only, one year, indefinite — is what keeps a one-time approval from quietly becoming an archive license a year later when nobody remembers what was agreed to.
No guardian name field, so minors can appear to release themselves
A form that asks "your name" and a model types their parent's name, or a minor types their own and the photographer assumes a guardian approved it, creates liability. An optional guardian name field surfaces the question "is this a minor and who approved it?" so a photographer can ask before the shoot if one is required.
Questions about this form
Is a typed name on this form a valid signature?
No. A typed or printed name in a text field is a claim the person made that name, not a signature. What's valuable about this form is the combination: the model's name, the shoot, the specific usage rights checked, the duration, and the exact time the form was submitted. That is a timestamped record; jurisdiction rules differ on whether it meets a legal standard for a release, so consult your local counsel.
Can a model consent to portfolio use but not advertising?
Yes — the usage field is checkboxes, not a single yes/no, so portfolio, website, advertising and print are four separate options. A model can check any combination and decline the rest; each response stores exactly which uses were approved.
Should I collect a guardian signature for under-18 models?
This form collects a guardian's name in an optional field; it does not collect a signature. If your jurisdiction or your insurance requires a guardian to sign a release, you need a separate process outside this form that involves legal review and wet-ink or certified e-signature. This form documents that you asked; it does not replace a legal release process.