Hold Harmless Affidavit

Use a Hold Harmless Affidavit 2018 template to make your document workflow more streamlined.

What a hold harmless affidavit does

A Hold Harmless Affidavit is a written promise that one party will not hold another responsible for specified losses, injuries, or claims. It identifies the parties, the covered activity or property, assumed risks, indemnity language, signatures, and dates. The document does not automatically eliminate liability: enforceability depends on its wording, consideration, applicable state law, public policy, and any required notarization. Businesses use it for activities such as property access, events, construction, and services, then retain the signed record and evidence of consent. ESIGN and UETA may support electronic signing when their requirements and applicable exclusions are satisfied.

Why teams look for DocuSign alternatives

Organizations seek alternatives when they need different pricing models, stronger native automation, simpler bulk affidavit workflows, or more flexible identity-verification options than those available in a legacy envelope-based vendor.

Real estate

Real estate operators use the affidavit for property access, tenant activities, contractor work, or events. Identify the premises, activity, assumed risks, release language, parties, and dates before collecting signatures. State recording or acknowledgment rules may apply when the document relates to a deed or property interest.

Construction

Construction companies use it for site access, bids, subcontractor work, and service activities. The document should identify the project, responsible parties, covered risks, insurance expectations, and duration. It does not replace a construction contract, required safety duties, or state-specific notarization and witness requirements.

Business types that use this affidavit

The Hold Harmless Affidavit is most useful when a business must document a defined assumption of risk before access, services, construction, or an event.

Solo contractors use a Hold Harmless Affidavit before entering client property or performing defined services, documenting the activity, assumed risks, and parties without adding a separate paper exchange to each appointment.
Construction businesses use project-specific affidavits for site access, subcontractor activities, or equipment work, connecting each signed record to the project, responsible parties, and applicable insurance or safety documentation.
Enterprise legal and operations teams use templates, role-based sending, and audit trails to manage recurring affidavits across facilities, vendors, events, and contractors while preserving consistent wording and approval evidence.

Defined scope

Place the indemnifying party, protected party, activity, property, covered risks, and effective dates into defined fields so the waiver’s scope is readable.

Field assignment

Assign each signature, initials, date, and acknowledgment field to the correct party before sending the affidavit for execution.

Electronic signing

Collect signatures remotely while preserving signer intent, timestamps, action history, and the completed document for later review.

Reusable template

Use a reusable Hold Harmless Affidavit template for recurring property, construction, event, or service workflows without re-creating fields.

Audit evidence

Retain the final PDF together with its signNow audit trail and any applicable witness or notarization evidence.

Workflow integration

Connect completed records with supported services such as Google Drive, Box, or NetSuite when the workflow requires centralized storage.

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Complete and sign the affidavit

Use this workflow to prepare the Hold Harmless Affidavit, collect the required signatures, and preserve evidence of completion.

Upload document:
Upload the completed affidavit template to signNow.
Check fields:
Use auto-detection and confirm name, signature, date, and acknowledgment fields.
Assign signers:
Assign each field to the correct indemnifying and indemnified party.
Complete record:
Send by email, collect signatures, and store the completed PDF with its audit trail.

Setting	Recommendation
Authentication method	Email verification with SMS authentication
Signature type	Electronic signature with explicit intent
Audit trail	Export with the completed affidavit
Document retention	Follow transaction-specific state requirements
Encryption and provisioning	AES-256 storage with role-based access

Find and fill out the correct hold harmless affidavit

airSlate SignNow helps you fill in and sign documents in minutes, error-free. Choose the correct version of the editable PDF form from the list and get started filling it out.

Versions	Form popularity	Fillable & printable
LA DPSMV 1976 2018	4.8 Satisfied (1209 Votes)
LA DPSMV 1976 2009	4.8 Satisfied (119 Votes)

Authenticate signer:

Records the signer’s email, authentication event, and assigned role.

Timestamp actions:

Captures the exact time of each affidavit action.

Track document history:

Maintains document history as fields are completed and signed.

Seal completion:

Links the final affidavit to a completion record.

Export evidence:

Preserves the signed PDF and audit evidence for retrieval.

Review trail:

Supports later review of signer actions and document events.

Security for signed affidavits

Data encryption:

Encrypted in transit and at rest

Security certification:

SOC 2 Type II certified controls

Information security:

ISO 27001 certified information security

Signature framework:

ESIGN and UETA compliance support

Health information:

HIPAA compliance requires a BAA

Transport protection:

TLS 1.2/1.3 and AES-256 protection

Record-keeping practices for affidavits

Retain the signed affidavit with its audit evidence, classify the record correctly, and apply the controlling industry and state requirements.

Classify the record before retention

Keep the executed affidavit, completion certificate, audit trail, witness details, and notarization evidence together. The governing retention period depends on the transaction and industry; do not apply a federal period without identifying the applicable record category and state rule.

Export the audit trail

Export the signNow audit trail with the completed PDF after every signature cycle. Preserve timestamps, signer actions, authentication details, and document history in a controlled repository with access limited to authorized personnel.

Apply HIPAA retention when applicable

For HIPAA-covered records, retain required documentation six years from creation or the last effective date under 45 CFR 164.530(j). Apply this only when the affidavit is part of a covered entity’s HIPAA documentation.

Secure the archived affidavit

Use encrypted storage and a documented disposition process. Review state requirements before deleting an affidavit, especially when it relates to property, construction, litigation, insurance, or a continuing indemnity obligation.

Legal risks to review

Unclear scope

Waiver ambiguity

Missing intent

Disputed consent

Weak attribution

Signature challenge

Invalid formalities

State-law conflict

Features	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Acrobat Sign
Annual Business price	$8/user/month annually	Not verified	Not verified
Free trial	7 days, no card	Not verified	Not verified
Audit trail	Included in Business	Not verified	Not verified
Bulk send	Business Premium	Not verified	Not verified

Hold harmless affidavit troubleshooting

Resolve signing, notarization, field, plan, and legal-scope questions before relying on a completed Hold Harmless Affidavit.

Upload the affidavit to signNow, use the editor to place required name, signature, date, and acknowledgment fields, then send it through the Business plan. The audit trail records signer actions and timestamps, supporting ESIGN and UETA evidence requirements.

A typed name or click-to-sign event can qualify as an electronic signature when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are established. signNow’s Business plan includes legally binding eSignatures and audit trails; confirm state-law requirements for this affidavit.

If a state requires notarization or witnesses for the specific transaction, an ordinary signNow signature does not replace those formalities. Use applicable notary procedures, including authorized electronic notarization where permitted, and verify the state rule before sending.

Signers can receive the Hold Harmless Affidavit by email or a quick invite link. If identity assurance is insufficient, Business Premium or Enterprise features may provide stronger workflow controls; signNow identifies advanced signer authentication as an Enterprise addition.

The Business plan is listed at $8 per user per month with annual billing and includes templates and audit trails. Business Premium adds bulk send at $15 per user per month annually; use it when sending the same affidavit repeatedly.

Do not use this affidavit as a substitute for a will, codicil, testamentary trust, court filing, or family-law decree. ESIGN’s statutory exclusions apply, and state law may impose additional limits on liability waivers.

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