The Ultimate Guide to Event Waivers - Now Available on Passage!

Tired of managing stacks of paper waivers, slowing down your check-in lines, and manually tracking signatures? We've got great news.

Introducing Event Waivers, a powerful new feature on Passage designed to give you peace of mind and your attendees a smoother experience.

Now, you can create and attach custom digital waivers directly to any ticket type. Attendees simply review and agree online, and you get a secure, digital record of every signature—all in one place.

Start creating your first waiver right now, or keep reading to learn more about how waivers work and how to decide if your event needs them.

What is a Liability Waiver?

A liability waiver is an agreement between two parties – in this case the event organizer and attendee – that acknowledges risks and releases liability before participating in an event. Waivers are sometimes called release forms or or release of liability forms. 

Digital waivers replace paper forms and create a secure, time-stamped digital record of the attendee’s consent. 

What are the Benefits of Digital Liability Waivers for Events?

Waivers can help protect your event when the unexpected happens. But there are several other benefits, too! 

• Peace of Mind, Built-In: From physical activities to photo releases, waivers ensure your legal bases are covered.

• A Greener Event: Digital waivers allow you to ditch the old paper forms and reduce your event's environmental footprint.

• The VIP Check-in Experience: No one likes filling out forms on a clipboard. Give your guests a modern, digital-first experience from the moment they buy a ticket.

• Stronger Insurance Compliance: Meet policy requirements and strengthen your position in a claim with a robust, time-stamped digital record of every signed waiver. Some insurance providers may even offer better rates or a discount if you use liability waivers!

• Centralized & Searchable Records: Instantly find any signed waiver right from your Passage dashboard. No more digging through boxes of paper to find a specific record.

Does My Event Need a Waiver?

While every event can benefit from clear terms, some have a greater need for a formal liability waiver. Ask yourself these questions:

• Is there physical activity? (e.g., races, yoga, dancing, obstacle courses, sports)

• Is there a potential for injury or fright? (e.g., haunted houses, axe throwing, escape rooms, rage rooms)

• Will you be serving alcohol? (e.g., beer festivals, wine tastings, cocktail classes)

• Will minors be attending, especially without a parent? (e.g., workshops, youth camps)

• Are you taking photos or videos for marketing? (You may need a media/photo release).

• Does your insurance provider require one?

If you answered "yes" to any of these, a formal digital waiver might be a good fit for your event. For other situations, our free event terms may be all you need.

(Disclaimer: We're event experts, not lawyers! This guide is for informational purposes. We always recommend consulting with a legal professional to draft your waiver or terms and ensure they meet your specific needs.)

Waivers vs. Event Terms: What's the Difference?

Your Passage account already comes with the option to include event terms on your ticketing page and in the checkout process. This option is completely free!

The biggest difference between event terms and waivers is that event terms are accepted by just one guest during the checkout process, while waivers are digitally sent to and signed by every ticketholder. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive solution, consider using waivers. 

Additionally, if you prefer to use a third party waiver system, that’s A-OK with us! You can even connect popular waiver platforms to your Passage account through Zapier. 

So…which one should you use? Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the options to help you decide which one is right for your event. 

1. Free Event Terms

This is the perfect, no-cost solution for setting basic ground rules. It requires attendees to scroll through your terms (like refund policies or event conduct rules) and click "I accept" at checkout. While it shows an agreement was made, it's best for lower-risk events where a formal liability release isn't necessary.

2. Passage's Integrated Waivers

This is our most powerful and seamless solution, designed for events where liability and proof of consent are critical (think fitness events, haunted houses, or festivals).

• The biggest benefit is integration. Every signed waiver is time-stamped and attached directly to the attendee's order in your Passage dashboard. Your ticket and waiver data all live in one secure, easily searchable place.

• The pricing is simple and fair. Instead of a recurring monthly fee, it's a straightforward pay-as-you-go model. You only pay for the waivers you actually collect.

• Covering the cost is effortless. You have the option to automatically pass the $0.50 fee on to the customer during checkout. No need to do complicated math or manually adjust ticket prices to cover your costs.

3. Third-Party Waiver Systems (Connected via Zapier)

If your organization is already subscribed to and using a dedicated waiver platform (like Smartwaiver, WaiverSign, etc.), you can connect it to Passage using our Zapier integration. When a ticket is sold, Zapier can trigger an action to send the waiver from your preferred platform to the attendee.

This is a great option for maintaining continuity if you're already locked into another system. However, it's important to remember that your attendee data will live in two separate places (order details in Passage, waiver signatures in the other platform). You'll also need to manage that platform's pricing structure and manually adjust your Passage ticket prices if you want to cover the cost.

How Do I Set Up a Digital Waiver for My Event? 

With Passage, it’s simple! Follow these four steps to get your digital waivers all set up:

1. Create: Log in to your Passage admin panel and go to your event settings. Navigate to the "Waivers" tab. Write or paste your waiver text into our simple editor. Create as many as you need!

2. Attach: Assign your waiver to an entire event or specific ticket types with one click.

3. Sell: Attendees review and accept your terms before they can complete their purchase.

4. Track: All signed waivers are digitally stored and linked to the attendee's order. It's that easy.

Check Out Our Help Article on Waivers

How Do My Attendees "Sign" the Waiver? 

After checkout, your guest will receive an email alerting them to sign your event waiver. They can also find waivers that need their signature under the “My Tickets” page if they have a Passage account. 

To complete their waiver, the guest clicks “Sign” to review and sign it. If multiple people need to sign waivers, the original ticket purchaser can assign waivers to the other guests and send them electronically. 

Do Waivers Work with In-Person Sales?

Absolutely! After processing payment in the Passage Manager app for a ticket that includes a waiver, a Sign Waivers button will be shown on the final screen along with the buttons to email or print a receipt. Tapping this will pull up the form to sign the waivers for each ticket where one is required.

Please Note: There will be an added service fee of $0.50 per ticket purchased when a waiver is required. If fees are being passed onto the consumer, they will also pay this fee.

How Can I Prove an Attendee Signed the Waiver? 

This is the key benefit of our Digital Waiver feature. Every time an attendee agrees, we create a time-stamped record of that specific agreement and attach it to their order details. You can pull up any order at any time to see the exact time and date they consented.

Are Digital Waivers Legally Binding? 

While digital agreements and e-signatures are widely accepted as legally valid, waiver laws can vary by state and jurisdiction. Features like a required checkbox and a clear, time-stamped record of consent (which our tool provides) are designed to create a strong audit trail. We always recommend having your waiver text reviewed by a legal professional.

Final Thoughts

Whether you need the simple protection of our free Event Terms or the ironclad security of a time-stamped digital waiver, Passage gives you the tools to run a smoother, safer event. Protect your business, speed up your check-in, and give yourself peace of mind.

Ready to get started?  Log in to your Passage account to add terms or a waiver to your event today!