Employee Photo Release Form

An Employee Photo Release Form is a document that lets a company take and use photographs of its staff, and the employee signs it to give that consent. This is a general grant that covers various conditions and has no lapse date. It also gives the organization and any photographers it assigns permission to use the image as the company chooses. Use this free photo release form template to download a PDF or create one online.

Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.

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When Should You Use an Employee Photo Release?

Use an employee photo release when your company plans to take photographs of its staff and share the images with the public. This release of liability form fits many cases, from a group photoshoot at a public conference or a business meeting to a Christmas party on company property.

Another vivid example is a new hire whose image has to be placed on the official website of the organization or on the office walls.

Photographs of staff often end up in more than one place, and a general release lets you keep one signed copy on file for each worker. Some companies call this paperwork a media release. Common places for a staff image include:

  • The company website and the office walls
  • Social media posts and newsletters
  • Brochures and advertising materials
  • Recruiting pages and job postings
Tip: Send the release to your team a few days before the event, and mention the subject of the photoshoot and whether video will be recorded. That gives each individual time to read the release and ask questions, so nobody has to decide on the spot.

Employee Photo Release Form Details

Document Name Employee Photo Release Form
Other Names Employee Photo Consent, Photo Release for Employees
Avg. Time to Fill Out 5 minutes
# of Fillable Fields 3
Available Formats Adobe PDF

The document should include the name of the worker and organization, the worker’s signature, a witness, and the date.

Filling Out the Employee Photo Release Template

These steps follow the FormsPal Employee Photo Release template that you can download on this page. The template is one page with only a few entries, so it takes about five minutes to complete. Fill it in with the FormsPal PDF editor, or print it and write by hand.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Employee Photo Release template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.

  1. EMPLOYEE PHOTO RELEASE: enter the Employer
    In the opening paragraph, type the name of the company in the blank before (“Employer”), which is the only blank in the body text. Then read the full release, from the permission to use an image of the worker to the closing statement, before you move on to the signature.
    Employee Photo Release: EMPLOYEE PHOTO RELEASE, filled with sample entries
    Step 1: sample entries, not a real document.
  2. Dated and Employee’s Signature
    Fill in the Dated line with the signing date, and ask the worker to sign on the Employee’s Signature line at the bottom of the page. Use a pen on a printed copy, or sign electronically on screen if you completed the PDF on a computer.
    Employee Photo Release: Dated, Employees signature, filled with sample entries
    Step 2: sample entries, not a real document.

How to Sign and Use the Employee Photo Release

Filling in the template is only part of the job. Use these steps to plan the photoshoot, collect the signed releases and keep them organized, whether you need one release for a single event or a release you collect when someone joins the team.

  1. Discuss the upcoming photoshoot. Think about the event where photographs will be taken, such as a party or a general meeting. Tell the staff ahead of time whether the day includes video, and that you will ask each individual to sign a photo release form.
  2. Take a head-count of members. Decide on the number of representatives you will require. Staff members may request individual copies of the release, so printing several additional copies is worthwhile.
  3. Prepare the photo release for workers. Keep the wording of the release general. You can describe the subject of the photoshoot, but a simple statement that the release covers taking and sharing pictures for business purposes usually works well.
  4. Build the release online. Press the Create My Document button on this page and answer the questions. First, fill out the name section with the full name. Then enter the name of the company on the next line.
    Step 1 to filling out an employee photo release form name
  5. Line up the signatures. Figure out who will fill in as a witness and let them sign the form. The consent is voluntary, so don’t judge anyone who decides not to sign the document.
  6. Sign and date the release. At the end of the paper, sign the document and write the date. The witness should do the same.
    Step 3 to filling out an employee photo release template signatures
  7. Keep the copies. Give each worker a copy of the signed release and keep the original with your company records. Store a scan next to the photographs you took on the camera or phone, so you can find it quickly.

Many businesses prepare a release for each event, although you may also ask new staff members to sign one during recruitment, so that documentation is already on file for later photography events.

Template Preview
Create a free high quality Employee Photo Release Form online now!

Frequently Asked Questions

Before a photoshoot, managers and staff usually want to know what the release covers, how quickly it can be filled in and who keeps the signed copy. These are the questions people ask most often.

What is an employee photo release form?

An employee photo release form is a signed note that records a worker’s consent to have photographs taken and used by the company. It is used when a company plans to post a staff image on its website, on social media or in print, and the company keeps it on file.

Why do companies ask staff for a photo release?

A signed release records the consent of each worker before an image appears on a website, in a social media post or in marketing materials for business purposes. It also gives the company a simple record to consult whenever someone asks later where the permission originally came from.

Can I fill out the employee photo release form online?

Yes. Press the Create My Document button at the top of this page to answer a few questions and build the release online. You can also download the PDF and complete it on your computer or by hand.

How long does it take to fill out the template?

Completing the template usually takes about five minutes, because it has only three fillable fields, which are the name of the employer, the date and the signature of the worker.

What kinds of images does the release cover?

The template wording covers photographs and other images of the worker, shown with or without a name. An image can appear in several formats. It also mentions the material that goes with those images:

  • Printed material
  • Social media material
  • Website material

Who keeps the signed release?

Keep the original with your company records and give the worker a copy. A scanned copy in a shared folder makes the release easy to find before the next photoshoot.

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Jennifer M. Settles
Jennifer M. Settles
Author & Attorney
With over 25 years of experience as a business and transactional attorney, Jennifer has mastered the craft of closing highly successful deals for her clients. Through her wide-ranging expertise in commercial contracts, real estate transactions, M&A and corporate law, Jennifer secures results that are second-to-none.
Published: Jun 19, 2022