Waivers for minors in a rental business

A family rents four kayaks. Two of the paddlers are children. Who signs?

Rules on waivers for minors differ a lot from place to place. In some places a parent’s signature may not have the effect you expect. So start with a lawyer who knows your location and your activity. This article covers the practical side: what to ask, what to record, and how to run it at the counter.

Ask your lawyer first

Bring these questions:

• Can a parent or guardian sign for a minor here?
• Does the answer change for this activity?
• What age counts as a minor here?
• Do you need both parents, or one?
• Should a minor over a certain age also sign?
• How long should you keep the signed record?

Their answers shape your document. Do not copy a waiver from another shop or another state.

Decide your house rules

Some questions are yours to answer:

• What is your minimum age? Decide it for each type of gear.
• Must the guardian be on site? A signature from home may not suit a child on the water.
• Who can be a guardian? A grandparent or a coach may bring the child. Decide what you accept.

Write these down, and train staff on them. A rule that one person applies and another does not gives you little protection.

Record the right details

A useful waiver for a minor names everyone. At a minimum, consider:

• The guardian’s full name
• The guardian’s relationship to the minor
• The minor’s full name
• The minor’s date of birth
• An emergency contact
• Relevant medical information
• The guardian’s signature and the date

If a guardian signs for two children, make sure both names are on the record. A signature that says “and kids” helps nobody later.

Run it at the counter

The morning rush is when mistakes happen. Three habits help:

1. Ask for signatures before pickup, so the counter only checks.
2. Check the minor’s age against your gear rule.
3. Do not hand over gear until the record is complete.

How to set this up in WaiverBee

WaiverBee does not have a special minors step. You build this into your document with the standard fields: name, text, date of birth, medical information and emergency contact. Add one set of fields for each minor you want to allow on one waiver.

The guardian signs, and the signed PDF holds every value they entered. See the rental shop setup for the rest.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Waiver rules differ by place and by activity. Have a lawyer review your waiver.