Bike rental agreement and waiver template
A bike rental waiver does two things at once: it records which bikes went out with whom, and it gets the rider's signed acceptance of the risks of riding. This one is built for bike shops, beach and resort rentals and e-bike fleets. Read it below, then open it in SignMaster and have riders sign at the counter or before they arrive.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Rider
Bike Rental Agreement and Waiver
This Bike Rental Agreement and Waiver is between Rental shop name (the "Shop") and the rider who signs below (the "Rider"). Please read it carefully: it includes a release of legal claims.
1. The rental
- Bikes and equipment: Bikes and equipment rented
- Bike or frame numbers: Bike numbers
- From Rental start until Return by
- Rental fee: Rental fee. Deposit or card hold: Deposit or card hold
2. Who is riding
Rider's full name: Rider name. Children under 18 riding under this agreement, with their ages: Children riding. The Rider confirms they are at least 18 years old and are the parent or legal guardian of each child listed, or have the parent's permission to sign for them. Every other adult in the group signs their own copy.
3. Checking the bike
Before riding away, the Rider will check the brakes, tires, gears, seat height and any child seat or trailer, and tell the Shop about anything that doesn't feel right. If a problem comes up during the ride, the Rider will stop riding and call the Shop. Electric bikes, if rented: E-bike class and speed; the Rider will ride them at a safe speed and only where e-bikes are allowed.
4. Helmets
The Shop offers a helmet for every rider and strongly recommends wearing one. Children must wear a helmet wherever local law requires it. Please tick one:
- I took a helmet for every rider in my group.
- I declined a helmet for one or more adult riders, and accept the added risk.
5. Rules for the ride
- Obey traffic laws, signals and trail signs, and ride with traffic.
- No riding after drinking alcohol or using drugs.
- One rider per bike, except on bikes built to carry a child or a passenger.
- Use lights after dark and lock the bike, with the lock supplied, whenever it is left unattended.
- Areas to avoid: Areas to avoid
6. Damage, loss and late return
Normal wear, including a flat tire from ordinary riding, is the Shop's cost. The Rider pays for damage caused by misuse or a crash, and for a bike lost or stolen while in the Rider's care, up to Replacement value per bike per bike. Bikes returned late cost Late fee per hour for each hour or part of an hour.
7. Risks of cycling
Cycling has real risks, including falls, collisions with cars, other cyclists and pedestrians, potholes, gravel, wet surfaces, animals, sudden mechanical failure, heat and weather. These can cause serious injury or death. The Rider understands these risks and chooses to accept them for themselves and any child listed above. Initials: Initials after the risks
8. Release
To the extent the law allows, the Rider releases the Shop, its owners and its staff from all claims for injury, illness, death or property loss that arise from the rental or the ride, including claims that the Shop was negligent, but not claims of gross negligence or deliberate misconduct. Where the law allows a parent to do so, the Rider also gives this release for each child listed. Initials: Initials after the release
9. Emergencies
If a rider is hurt, the Shop may call emergency services, and the Rider pays any resulting medical or transport costs. Health conditions the Shop should know about: Health conditions.
10. General
This agreement is governed by the laws of the state of State. If any part of it can't be enforced, the rest still applies. Electronic signatures count as original signatures.
Contact details
Rider phone: Rider phone Email: Rider email
Where you're staying locally: Local address Emergency contact: Emergency contact
I have read this agreement, I understand that I am giving up legal rights in section 8, and I sign it of my own free will.
Rider, and parent or guardian of any child listed
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
Why rentals need more than a release
A plain liability waiver covers injuries but says nothing about the bike. Rental shops also need to know which frame numbers left with which customer, when they're due back, what a stolen bike costs and whether the rider took a helmet. Putting the rental terms and the waiver in one signed document means a single signature at the counter covers both, and a returned bike with a taco'd wheel can be matched to the right agreement.
What the template covers
- The rental: the bikes and extras such as child seats or trailers, frame numbers, start and return times, the fee and any deposit or card hold.
- Who rides: the adult signer, any children riding with their ages, and a reminder that other adults sign their own copies.
- Checking the bike: brakes, tires and fit before leaving, and your e-bike class and assisted speed if you rent them.
- Helmets: a tick box for taking helmets, or a recorded decline for adults.
- Rules for the ride: traffic laws, no riding impaired, one rider per bike, lights and locks, and areas to avoid.
- Damage and theft: normal wear and flats are yours; crashes, misuse and unlocked thefts are the rider's, capped at a replacement value per bike.
- Risks and release: a plain list of cycling risks and a release, each initialed by the rider.
- Emergencies: health conditions to know about, a local address and an emergency contact.
Mistakes rental shops make
- Letting one adult sign for a group of friends. A release generally binds only the person who signs it, so every adult rider needs their own.
- Writing down the bike type but not the frame number. When two identical cruisers come back, you can't tell whose crash bent the fork.
- Handing out e-bikes with no speed or area rules. Write the class and top assisted speed into the agreement and say where they may go.
- Offering helmets out loud only. Have riders tick whether they took one, so a decline is on record.
- Counting on the waiver for gross negligence. Releasing a shop from its own serious carelessness, like handing out bikes with known brake faults, generally won't hold.
Waivers vary by state
How far a release reaches, and whether a parent can sign one for a child, depends on your state. A few states enforce them narrowly or not at all for negligence. Wherever you are, keep the risks in section 7 true to the bikes and routes you actually rent; a release reads strongest when the dangers it names are real.
How to use it with SignMaster
- 1
Open the template
Choose Use this template above. It opens in your SignMaster account with one signer, the rider.
- 2
Add your shop's terms
Fill in your shop name, replacement value, late fee, state and any routes to avoid, then save. Those stay the same for every rental.
- 3
Fill in the rental at the counter
For each customer, fill the gray blanks for bikes, frame numbers, times and fee, and add the rider's name and email.
- 4
Hand over the iPad
Choose Sign in person. The rider lists any children, picks a helmet option, initials the risks and the release, and signs, with the device guiding them field by field.
- 5
Check the bikes back in
The rider and your shop each get the signed PDF with its certificate of completion, listing the frame numbers that went out.
Tour groups and a QR code at the door
For a booked group ride, send each adult their own copy ahead of time so the morning starts with bikes, not paperwork. If you'd rather riders sign from a QR code on the counter, save a copy with the section 1 blanks filled with something general, such as As listed on your rental ticket, and turn that copy into a public signing link; every person who scans it gets their own envelope and signed copy, and you can pause the link at closing time.
Questions? Answers.
Is a bike rental waiver signed on a tablet valid?
Electronic signatures are generally as valid as ink under the federal ESIGN Act and state law. Whether the release itself holds up depends on your state's rules for waivers, not on how it was signed.
Can a parent sign the waiver for a child?
Yes, the template lets the adult list children riding with them. Whether a parent's release stops a child's own claim depends on the state, so treat it as proof of informed consent at minimum.
Do I need a separate waiver for e-bikes?
Not necessarily. Section 3 has a blank for the e-bike class and top assisted speed, and you can add any extra rules for e-bikes in section 5.
Who fills in which blanks?
You fill the gray ones: the bikes, numbers, times, fees and rules. The rider fills in their name, any children, the helmet choice, health notes and contact details, initials twice and signs.