This is general information, not legal advice. Have a local attorney review your waiver wording.
Gyms, trampoline parks, boat and bike rentals, yoga studios and tattoo shops all collect liability waivers. More and more are moving them online so customers sign before they arrive instead of at a crowded front desk.
Are electronic signatures valid?
In the United States, the federal E-SIGN Act and state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) generally recognize electronic signatures. In most situations a signature does not lose its force just because it is electronic.
Whether a particular waiver holds up in court is a different question. That depends on your state and on the wording of the waiver itself, which is why an attorney should review your text.
What a good digital waiver records
- The signer's name and the exact time they signed
- The IP address the signature came from
- The exact waiver text they agreed to
- A tamper-evident record, so nobody can quietly change it later
- A PDF copy you can produce if you ever need it
Minors and guardians
For participants under 18, a parent or guardian usually signs. Your waiver tool should record both the guardian and the participant.
Why go digital
- Customers sign at home, so check-in is faster.
- No lost, damp or unreadable paper forms.
- Look up any signature in seconds, by name or date.
Try it
PowerWaivers saves every signature as a PDF with an audit certificate showing name, time, IP address and a tamper-evident fingerprint, and supports guardian signing on every plan. There are ready-made waiver templates to start from, which you should still have your attorney review.