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Escape Room Waiver Template (Free PDF and Word Download)
An escape room waiver is unusual in that it has to cover both physical risks (crouching, climbing, crawling, stage lighting) and psychological risks (confinement, horror theming, jump scares). This template covers assumption of risk, emergency exit acknowledgement, phone and media policy, minor participation, and photo release. Swap in your venue name and state before using.
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A PDF is a starting point. Signed records are the product.
Each signed PDF carries its own evidence record.
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What the template covers
Clauses and risks addressed in this Escape Room waiver
Risks disclosed
- Trip, slip, and fall within themed rooms with low light and set pieces
- Bumps, bruises, and minor injury from physical puzzles (crawling, ducking, climbing props)
- Psychological distress from confinement, darkness, horror themes, or jump scares
- Aggravation of claustrophobia, panic disorders, or heart conditions
- Injury from rough handling of set pieces, props, or puzzle mechanisms
- Exposure to strobe lights, fog effects, or loud audio cues
- Damage to personal items (phones, glasses, clothing) during gameplay
Clauses included
- 1.Assumption of Risk
- 2.Emergency Exit and Non-Lock Acknowledgement
- 3.Physical Fitness and Medical Self-Disclosure
- 4.Phone, Recording, and Spoiler Policy
- 5.Set Piece and Prop Care
- 6.Horror, Scare, and Actor Experiences
- 7.Release of Claims
- 8.Indemnification
- 9.Media Release
- 10.Governing Law, Venue, and Severability
- 11.Electronic Signature Consent
Full text preview
Read the template before you download it
This is the full clause text of the PDF and DOCX. The files add signature, date and printed-name lines for the participant and a guardian, and a short disclaimer. Placeholders in brackets are yours to fill in.
Free Escape Room Waiver Template · PDF and Word
An escape room waiver is unusual in that it has to cover both physical risks (crouching, climbing, crawling, stage lighting) and psychological risks (confinement, horror theming, jump scares). This template covers assumption of risk, emergency exit acknowledgement, phone and media policy, minor participation, and photo release. Swap in your venue name and state before using.
1. Assumption of Risk
Participant understands that an escape room experience involves physical activity in a themed environment with reduced lighting, staged set pieces, and time pressure, and may include elements such as confinement, darkness, sudden sound or light effects, and themed horror content. Participant voluntarily assumes all such physical and psychological risks as a condition of entering the room.
2. Emergency Exit and Non-Lock Acknowledgement
Participant understands that, in accordance with applicable fire and life-safety codes, no room at [Venue Name] is actually locked from the inside. Each room has a clearly marked emergency exit that Participant may use at any time without penalty. Game masters monitor every session and may pause or end the experience if safety requires.
3. Physical Fitness and Medical Self-Disclosure
Participant represents that they are physically capable of light crouching, climbing, and crawling as the room design may require. Participant has disclosed any relevant medical condition, including but not limited to heart conditions, epilepsy, claustrophobia, anxiety or panic disorders, or pregnancy, where participation could present a risk. [Venue Name] may decline service where disclosed conditions present an unreasonable risk.
4. Phone, Recording, and Spoiler Policy
Participant agrees not to record the interior of the rooms, to respect the experience for future guests by not sharing puzzle solutions, and to secure phones in provided lockers when requested. [Venue Name] is not liable for damage to personal electronics, glasses, or clothing during gameplay.
5. Set Piece and Prop Care
Participant agrees to operate puzzle mechanisms as intended, not to force locks, not to remove ceiling tiles or wall panels, and to report any mechanical issue to the game master rather than attempting repair. Participant may be held financially responsible for willful damage to set pieces.
6. Horror, Scare, and Actor Experiences
For themes that include horror content, actor scares, or intense audio-visual effects, Participant acknowledges they have been informed of the content level and voluntarily consent to participate. [Venue Name] staff will not make physical contact with guests except for routine game logistics.
7. Release of Claims
Participant releases, waives, and discharges [Venue Name], its owners, game masters, actors, and employees from any liability, claim, or demand arising out of participation in the experience, including claims arising out of the ordinary negligence of the released parties, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
8. Indemnification
Participant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless [Venue Name] against any claim brought by Participant or a third party on account of Participant's activities at the facility, to the extent not caused by the gross negligence or willful misconduct of [Venue Name].
9. Media Release
Participant grants [Venue Name] the right to photograph or record the celebratory post-game group photo and to use it for marketing purposes unless Participant opts out in writing.
10. Governing Law, Venue, and Severability
This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of [State]. Any dispute shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts of [County, State]. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remainder shall remain in effect.
11. Electronic Signature Consent
Participant consents to sign this agreement electronically under the federal ESIGN Act and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), and agrees that an electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten one.
State variations
State law that affects this waiver
What the law says where you operate
Primary-source rules link to the statute, regulation or court opinion itself, on the government or court publisher's own site. Template notes are our summary. Open the source before you rely on it.
Confirm enforceability in your state with local counsel. Waiver law changes, courts reinterpret statutes, and one bad clause can void the whole agreement. This template is a starting point, not legal advice.
New York
Template noteN.Y. General Obligations Law section 5-326 voids liability waivers for places of public amusement charging an admission fee. Escape rooms fall within this statute. A New York escape room waiver cannot release ordinary negligence claims, though it retains value for risk disclosure and informed consent.
Primary sourceAgreements exempting pools, gymnasiums and places of public amusement or recreation from liability for their own negligence are void and unenforceable where the operator receives a fee for use of the facilities.
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-326Primary sourceAn owner, lessee, manager or employee of a place where alcoholic beverages are sold or given away commits unlawfully dealing with a child in the second degree by permitting a child under sixteen to enter or remain there.
N.Y. Penal Law § 260.21Virginia
Template noteVirginia courts do not enforce pre-injury personal-injury waivers. Use the waiver for informed consent; it will not shield your venue from negligence claims.
Louisiana
Template noteLouisiana Civil Code article 2004 voids clauses that exempt a party from liability for physical injury. Pre-injury negligence waivers are unenforceable for bodily injury.
Primary sourceA contract clause is null if it excludes or limits, in advance, one party's liability for causing physical injury to the other party (and likewise null for intentional or gross fault causing damage), so a pre-injury release of bodily-injury negligence claims is unenforceable.
La. Civ. Code art. 2004Fire and life-safety codes, all states
Template noteUnder NFPA 101 and most state adoptions, escape room doors must never be lockable from the inside in a way that delays egress during an emergency. The waiver includes an acknowledgement of this fact because many plaintiffs falsely claim they were 'locked in' after an incident. Your build-out must match what the waiver says.
California and Florida
Template noteCalifornia and Florida enforce well-drafted recreational waivers for adults but void waivers of gross negligence (City of Santa Barbara v. Superior Court, California, 2007). Both states have active premises liability case law; keep the waiver conspicuous, plain-language, and separate from any booking confirmation or receipt.
California
Primary sourceA contract that tries, directly or indirectly, to exempt anyone from responsibility for their own fraud, willful injury to another's person or property, or violation of law (whether willful or negligent) is against the policy of the law.
Cal. Civ. Code § 1668Florida
Primary sourceNatural guardians may waive and release in advance a minor child's claims against a COMMERCIAL activity provider for injury, death or property damage resulting from an inherent risk of the activity, but only if the release contains a prescribed all-uppercase NOTICE TO THE MINOR CHILD'S NATURAL GUARDIAN in type at least 5 points larger than the surrounding text; a compliant release earns a rebuttable presumption of validity.
Fla. Stat. § 744.301(3)Wisconsin
Primary sourceA recreational facility's pre-injury exculpatory clause is void as against public policy where it releases broad "fault" rather than clearly waiving negligence, where the same form serves a second purpose (guest registration) so the waiver is not highlighted and has no separate signature line, and where the signer had no opportunity to bargain; such clauses are construed strictly against the party relying on them.
Atkins v. Swimwest Family Fitness Center, 2005 WI 4, 277 Wis. 2d 303, 691 N.W.2d 334 (2005)Primary sourceA release embedded in a family season-pass application signed by a parent is void as against public policy unless it (1) clearly, unambiguously and unmistakably informs the signer of what is being waived — the word "negligence" must appear, "inherent risks" is not enough — and (2) is conspicuous in the form as a whole; the court expressly declined to decide whether one family member's signature binds non-signing family members.
Yauger v. Skiing Enterprises, Inc., 206 Wis. 2d 76, 557 N.W.2d 60 (1996)West Virginia
Primary sourceAn express agreement accepting a risk of harm is generally upheld where it is freely and fairly made between parties in an equal bargaining position and no public interest is interfered with; a clause exempting a party from tort liability is unenforceable on public-policy grounds where, for example, that party owes a duty of public service to the person injured.
Kyriazis v. University of West Virginia, No. 22086 (W. Va. Oct. 28, 1994)Montana
Primary sourceExcept as provided in 27-1-753, all contracts having for their object, directly or indirectly, to exempt anyone from responsibility for their own fraud, for willful injury to the person or property of another, or for violation of law — whether willful or negligent — are against the policy of the law.
Mont. Code Ann. § 28-2-702
Common questions
Escape Room waiver FAQ
Are escape room doors actually locked?
No, and your waiver and your staff must both say so. Every US fire code requires an always-openable emergency exit. This template includes a clause acknowledging this, which short-circuits the most common escape-room plaintiff theory ('I was trapped in a locked room'). The physical build-out has to match, including clearly marked exits and monitoring staff.
What about minors and parent-accompanied groups?
Most escape rooms allow minors with a parent or guardian present. This template includes a separate parent signature line. Check your state's age of majority and any local amusement-venue regulations. Birthday parties with unaccompanied minors typically require individual parent waivers for each child, which is where a digital QR code flow saves 30 minutes per party.
Does the waiver need to mention claustrophobia specifically?
Yes. Escape rooms regularly see panic attacks and medical calls from undisclosed anxiety disorders. The medical self-disclosure clause names claustrophobia and panic explicitly so that customers cannot later claim they were not warned. Keep your emergency exit procedure posted at the entrance.
How do I handle horror-themed rooms?
The template includes a horror content clause. For rooms with actor scares, strobes, or intense themes, add a content rating (mild/moderate/extreme) and a separate checkbox confirming the guest understands. WaiverKit supports conditional fields so the horror acknowledgement only appears on bookings for horror themes.
Can I use a single waiver for a group of six?
No. Each participant signs their own waiver. Paper waivers turn a six-person booking into six clipboards and five minutes of pre-game friction. WaiverKit's QR code lets everyone sign on their own phone in parallel, and the dashboard shows which guests have signed before the game starts.
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