Annual Release Forms
For your convenience, the AMA offers an Electronic Annual Release for both minor and adult racers to fill out in advance of their racing events. Details as follows:
ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST HAVE AN ACTIVE AMA MEMBERSHIP FOR THE ELECTRONIC ANNUAL RELEASE TO BE ACCEPTED.
Prior to submitting the request, you MUST first verify that the individual has an active AMA membership and that their online AMA membership profile includes both a current email address and correct date of birth. The date of birth submitted with the Smartwaiver application MUST match the date of birth in the member’s profile. (Waivers will not be processed if the date of birth does not match.)
Verify AMA profile information
To verify the information in your AMA membership profile, go to https://ama.users.membersuite.com/home Once logged in, under the “My Info” tab, click on the pencil icon. This will allow you to view and update your complete personal information, including your on-file email address and date of birth. Be sure to click the “update” button to save any changes you might make.
Upon submission of the electronic waivers, you will receive a confirmation email from Smartwaiver that you should save for your records. THIS IS NOT YOUR ANNUAL RELEASE CARD. If everything has been completed properly as described in the instructions, a digital release card will be emailed separately as a PDF attachment. This email with attachment will come from the AMA and will be sent directly to the email address in the individual’s AMA membership profile, as well as to the address used when submitting the Smartwaiver (if the two email addresses are different).
Annual Release Cards are only active for the current calendar year and expire every year on December 31.
Processing time for the Electronic Annual Release is typically 2–3 weeks. Turnaround may be even longer at the beginning of the racing season, when there is a higher volume of submissions to process.
Annual Adult Release Forms
Adult Release — This version requires the individual to sign and submit one form to complete the process.
Annual Minor Release Forms
Both Parents/Guardians Version — This version requires each parent/guardian to sign and submit a form individually to complete the process.
Sole Custody Version — This version requires the parent/guardian with legal sole custody to sign and submit one form to complete the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Claim: Injured motorcyclists are uninsured and disproportionately rely upon the public to pay for their injuries.
Response: Motorcyclists are just as likely to be privately insured as any other road user.
A medical center study1 reported that injured motorcyclists in the trauma center relied on public funds a lower percentage of the time than did automobile drivers to pay their hospital bills during the same time period.
A university study2 reported that automobile drivers and motorcyclists have their medical costs covered by insurance at a nearly identical rate.
Conclusion: Injured motorcyclists are less likely than the general population to use public funds to pay for injuries sustained in crashes, and no more likely to be uninsured than other vehicle operators.
The release card is a document that shows that you have already completed a liability release form to participate in American Motorcyclist Association-sanctioned events, and that form is kept on-file with the AMA. The AMA encourages all competitors to have a release form on–file for the current racing year if they are participating in AMA-sanctioned events. The event organizers may require additional documentation separate from the AMA.
Yes, every racer in your household is required to have their own release form on file with the AMA.
Yes, release cards are only valid if the racer has an active AMA membership and their own individual AMA membership number; we are not able to provide release cards to any individual that does not have an active AMA profile. Please visit the following link to sign up for an AMA membership: Join the AMA.
The release card expires at the end of every calendar year, on December 31. You must submit a new form every year to receive a valid card. You cannot reuse an expired release card.
Yes, both parents or guardians are required to sign the electronic forms, unless one parent or guardian has legal sole custody of the minor racer.
THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.
Please allow up to 2–3 weeks for processing. A digital release card will be emailed directly to the email address in the individual’s AMA membership profile, as well as to the address used when submitting the Smartwaiver (if those two email addresses are different).
Some event organizers and/or racetracks may choose to use their own insurance provider and, therefore, may have their own regulations and documentation for participants to adhere to beyond what the AMA requires. You are encouraged to reach out to each individual event organizer to confirm which forms they will or will not accept in advance of participating in any event.
Per Sections 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1, “No rider under the legal age of majority in the state in which the meet takes place may compete without the written consent (signature on liability releases and entry forms) of their parents or legal guardians present at the meet. An authorized adult acting on behalf of the parents or legal guardians must provide a notarized statement indicating they have been given the authority by the parent or legal guardian to be responsible for the minor during the meet. All releases and notarized statements must be forwarded to the AMA with the referee report and/or injury report. The parents, legal guardians or authorized adult must remain present while the AMA member who they are responsible for is at the meet.”
For any other questions or concerns, contact Connie Fleming at cfleming@ama-cycle.org.