We need this so we can issue your 1099 at year-end. We'll fill out the official IRS Form W-9 for you based on your answers and stamp your signature on it. Required to continue.

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This is the agreement between you and Hempire Innovations LLC. You must read and accept it before you can begin claiming deliveries.

This Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into between you, the undersigned contractor ("CONTRACTOR" or "DRIVER"), an independent contractor engaged in the business of performing local delivery services, and Hempire Innovations LLC ("HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS", "COMPANY", "we", "us", or "our"), a North Carolina limited liability company. CONTRACTOR may enter this Agreement either as an individual sole proprietor or a corporate entity. This Agreement becomes effective on the date it is accepted regardless of whether CONTRACTOR is eligible to, or ever does, perform any Contracted Services.

PLEASE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY. BY ACCEPTING IT IN THE HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS DRIVER APP, OR BY SIGNING BELOW, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY ITS TERMS.

Recitals

HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS is a licensed retailer of hemp-derived cannabinoid products operating a single retail location in Wilmington, North Carolina. From that location, HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS offers a local delivery option to qualifying purchasers in the surrounding area. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS prepares orders for delivery in-house and uses an internal driver application (the "Driver App") and approved private channels (such as Discord) to make ready-to-go local delivery assignments and grouped local routes available to qualified independent contractors.

CONTRACTOR is an independent provider of local delivery services, authorized to perform such services in the geographic location(s) in which CONTRACTOR operates. CONTRACTOR has all equipment and personnel necessary to perform the delivery services contemplated by this Agreement in accordance with applicable law. CONTRACTOR desires to enter this Agreement for the right to receive Delivery Opportunities (as defined below) made available by HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS through the Driver App and approved channels. CONTRACTOR understands and expressly agrees that they are not an employee of HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS, and that they are providing delivery services on behalf of themself and their own business, not on behalf of HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS.

CONTRACTOR understands that: (i) they are free to choose when to be available in the Driver App to receive Delivery Opportunities; (ii) they are free to accept or decline any Delivery Opportunity offered through the Driver App or approved channels and may make those decisions to maximize their opportunity to profit; and (iii) they have the sole right to control the manner and means by which accepted deliveries are completed, subject only to the limited delivery, safety, age-verification, customer-privacy, and product-handling standards set out in this Agreement.

In consideration of the above and the mutual promises in this Agreement, the parties agree as follows.

I. Purpose of the Agreement

This Agreement governs the relationship between HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS and CONTRACTOR and establishes the parties' respective rights and obligations. In exchange for the promises contained in this Agreement, CONTRACTOR shall have the right and opportunity to perform the Contracted Services defined below. Nothing in this Agreement requires CONTRACTOR to perform Contracted Services during the term, and nothing in this Agreement guarantees CONTRACTOR any particular volume of work or earnings for any time period.

CONTRACTOR has no obligation to accept or perform any particular Delivery Opportunity offered by HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS through the Driver App or approved channels. However, once a Delivery Opportunity is accepted, CONTRACTOR is contractually bound to complete the corresponding Contracted Service in accordance with the customer's reasonable specifications, applicable law, and the terms of this Agreement.

II. CONTRACTOR's Operations

1. CONTRACTOR represents that they operate an independently established enterprise that provides delivery services, and that they satisfy all legal requirements and hold all necessary licenses and permits to perform the services contemplated by this Agreement. As an independent contractor, CONTRACTOR is solely responsible for determining how to operate their business and how to perform the Contracted Services.
2. CONTRACTOR agrees to provide HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS with information that is true and accurate, and to promptly update that information when it changes.
3. CONTRACTOR agrees to fully perform the Contracted Services in a timely, efficient, safe, lawful, and discreet manner. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS does not control the manner, method, or means CONTRACTOR uses to perform the Contracted Services. CONTRACTOR is solely responsible for determining the most effective, efficient, and safe means of performance, including pickup timing, route selection, and delivery method.
4. As an independent business, CONTRACTOR retains the right to perform delivery or other services for other businesses, including competitors of HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS, and may hold themself out to the public as a separately established business. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS does not have the right to restrict CONTRACTOR from performing services for other businesses or customers at any time, including during periods when CONTRACTOR is logged into the Driver App, so long as those activities do not violate the confidentiality, non-solicitation, non-diversion, or operational-conflict obligations of this Agreement. This right survives termination of this Agreement.
5. CONTRACTOR is not required to purchase, lease, or rent any product, equipment, or service from HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS as a condition of doing business with HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS or entering this Agreement.
6. CONTRACTOR agrees to immediately notify HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS in writing if CONTRACTOR's right to control the manner or method they use to perform Contracted Services differs in practice from the terms in this Section.
7. CONTRACTOR acknowledges that when using the Driver App on a mobile device, mobile data and carrier rates may apply, and those costs are CONTRACTOR's responsibility.

III. Contracted Services

1. From time to time, HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS will notify CONTRACTOR through the Driver App or an approved channel that a ready-to-go local delivery, or a grouped local route, is available (each, a "Delivery Opportunity"). By logging into the Driver App after accepting this Agreement, CONTRACTOR is making themself available to receive Delivery Opportunities, which CONTRACTOR may accept or decline at their discretion. For each Delivery Opportunity that CONTRACTOR accepts (a "Contracted Service"), CONTRACTOR agrees to proceed to the designated HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS pickup location to retrieve the prepared order in a safe and timely fashion, and to complete delivery to the customer's designated location safely, timely, and discreetly, without taking any action that would change the quality, presentation, or condition of the goods, and while adhering to reasonable expectations on safety, quality, age-verification, and applicable law.
2. A Contracted Service is considered complete when (a) the goods have been delivered to the verified customer at the location identified in the Driver App, (b) any required age-verification procedure has been completed, and (c) CONTRACTOR has timely marked the delivery as completed in the Driver App. CONTRACTOR agrees to mark each delivery as completed, attempted, failed, or returned through the Driver App or another approved workflow promptly upon performing the relevant action.
3. The parameters of each Contracted Service displayed in the Driver App (delivery address, customer-handoff requirements, age-verification flag, etc.) reflect requirements of the customer and applicable law, not direction from HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS as to means and manner. They represent the end result desired, not the means by which CONTRACTOR is to accomplish that result.
4. CONTRACTOR has the right to cancel a Contracted Service when, in CONTRACTOR's reasonable discretion and business judgment, it is appropriate to do so (for example, where the recipient cannot pass age verification, where the address is unsafe, or where CONTRACTOR cannot complete the delivery for other lawful reasons). CONTRACTOR agrees to use the Driver App to mark the delivery as failed, attempted, or returned, and to return any undelivered product to HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS as instructed.
5. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS has discretion as to which, if any, Delivery Opportunity to present to CONTRACTOR, just as CONTRACTOR has the discretion whether and to what extent to accept any Delivery Opportunity.
6. CONTRACTOR warrants that CONTRACTOR is engaged in CONTRACTOR's own business, separate and apart from HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS's business, which is the retail sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products and the operation of the Driver App through which delivery contractors may receive Delivery Opportunities.
7. CONTRACTOR authorizes HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS to communicate with CONTRACTOR and the customer through the Driver App or by phone or message during the course of a Contracted Service to assist CONTRACTOR or facilitate communication, to the extent CONTRACTOR permits. Such facilitation does not give HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS the right to control the manner or means by which CONTRACTOR performs Contracted Services. In particular:
   • HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS does not require any specific type or quality of vehicle, beyond a road-legal vehicle suitable for completing the assignment.
   • CONTRACTOR does not have a supervisor or any individual at HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS to whom CONTRACTOR reports.
   • CONTRACTOR is not required to wear or display any HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS signage, logo, or uniform on their person or vehicle.
   • HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS does not control CONTRACTOR's personal appearance.
   • CONTRACTOR does not receive performance evaluations from HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS in the manner of an employee.
8. Activities not within scope. CONTRACTOR's engagement is strictly limited to local-delivery driving services for ready-to-go orders prepared by HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS. CONTRACTOR does not, and is not authorized to, perform any of the following on behalf of HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS: retail sales or storefront work; product preparation, packaging, or order fulfillment; inventory management; ecommerce or order-management system administration (including but not limited to Shopify); customer service beyond delivery-related communication necessary to complete a claimed assignment; dispatch management; administrative or back-office work; marketing or promotional activity; product substitutions; payment verification, refunds, replacements, or pricing adjustments; or route creation, unless separately authorized in writing by HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS.
9. In the event CONTRACTOR fails to fully perform any Contracted Service due to CONTRACTOR's action or omission (a "Service Failure"), CONTRACTOR may forfeit all or part of the agreed-upon fee for that service, as further described in Section VI. If CONTRACTOR disputes responsibility for a Service Failure, the dispute shall be resolved pursuant to Section VI.

IV. Relationship of the Parties

1. The parties acknowledge and agree that this Agreement is between two co-equal, independent business enterprises that are separately owned and operated. The parties intend this Agreement to create the relationship of principal and independent contractor and not that of employer and employee. The parties are not employees, agents, joint venturers, or partners of each other for any purpose. Neither party shall have the right to bind the other by contract or otherwise except as specifically provided in this Agreement.
2. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS shall not have the right to, and shall not, control the manner or method of accomplishing the Contracted Services to be performed by CONTRACTOR. The parties acknowledge that any provision of this Agreement reserving any ultimate authority in HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS has been included solely for the safety of customers and the public, the protection of confidential customer information, age-verification compliance, product-handling compliance, or compliance with federal, state, or local law.
3. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS shall report all qualifying payments made to CONTRACTOR on a calendar-year basis using an appropriate IRS Form 1099, where required. CONTRACTOR agrees to report all such payments and any cash gratuities to the appropriate federal, state, and local taxing authorities and is solely responsible for paying all taxes due, including self-employment taxes.

V. Payment for Services

1. Unless a different rate of pay is negotiated in writing or CONTRACTOR is notified otherwise by HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS in writing, CONTRACTOR will receive payment per accurate Contracted Service completed in an amount consistent with the published HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS driver compensation schedule, which is available in the Driver App and may be updated from time to time. As of the effective date of this Agreement, that schedule pays a base amount per claimed delivery or route, an additional amount for each additional stop on a grouped route, a per-mile component, optional bumps for zone, urgency, or pickup, and a minimum payout floor before tip. Pay typically ranges from approximately $8 to $25+ per claimed delivery or route depending on those factors. The published range is informational and does not guarantee a minimum or maximum payout for any particular assignment.
2. CONTRACTOR shall retain 100% of any gratuity paid by the customer for the benefit of CONTRACTOR, whether by cash, card, or other electronic method. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS acknowledges it has no right to interfere with the amount of gratuity given by a customer to CONTRACTOR.
3. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS will use the Driver App and an approved disbursement provider (currently Gusto Contractor Payments, subject to change) to facilitate and transmit payment for Contracted Services. Payment for all Contracted Services completed in a given pay cycle will be transferred on the Company's normal payout schedule, unless HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS notifies CONTRACTOR otherwise in writing.
4. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS reserves the right to adjust or withhold all or a portion of payment owed to CONTRACTOR if HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS reasonably believes that CONTRACTOR has defrauded, manipulated, or abused, or attempted to defraud, manipulate, or abuse, the Driver App or compensation schedule. Examples of prohibited manipulation include but are not limited to (a) tampering with the location or proof-of-delivery features of the Driver App, (b) submitting false delivery confirmations, (c) creating multiple driver accounts, (d) collecting incentive or promotional pay when not eligible, or (e) collusion to inflate pay. Manipulation or abuse is a material breach of this Agreement and may lead to termination.
5. No guaranteed work. The parties acknowledge: (a) no guaranteed hours, (b) no guaranteed routes, (c) no guaranteed minimum work or earnings, and (d) no payment for waiting time, idle time, or unclaimed availability, except as separately stated in writing. Final compensation is not accelerated upon termination of this Agreement and will be paid on the normal payout schedule, except as required by applicable law.

VI. Payment Disputes

CONTRACTOR's Failure. In the event of a Service Failure, CONTRACTOR may not be entitled to payment for the affected assignment, as determined in HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS's reasonable discretion based on proof provided by the customer, CONTRACTOR, and any other party with information relevant to the dispute. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS shall make the initial determination as to whether a Service Failure was the result of CONTRACTOR's action or omission. CONTRACTOR has the right to challenge that determination by submitting a written dispute through the Driver App or by emailing the Company support address, including any documents or information supporting the challenge. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS will review the challenge in good faith and respond.

COMPANY's Failure. In the event HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS fails to remit payment in a timely or accurate manner, CONTRACTOR has the right to seek proper payment by any lawful means, provided that CONTRACTOR first informs HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS in writing of the failure and provides a reasonable opportunity to cure it.

VII. Equipment and Expenses

1. CONTRACTOR represents that they have or can lawfully acquire all equipment necessary for performing Contracted Services, including but not limited to a road-legal vehicle and an active smartphone with reliable mobile service ("Equipment"). CONTRACTOR is solely responsible for ensuring that any vehicle used conforms to all laws regarding registration, safety, equipment, inspection, and operational capability.
2. CONTRACTOR is responsible for all costs and expenses arising from CONTRACTOR's performance of Contracted Services, including but not limited to fuel, vehicle maintenance and repair, mobile-data charges, taxes, insurance, and any costs related to CONTRACTOR's Personnel (defined below). Except as required by law, CONTRACTOR assumes all risk of damage to or loss of CONTRACTOR's Equipment.

VIII. Personnel

1. To perform any Contracted Services, CONTRACTOR must, for the safety of HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS's customers and the public, complete a background check administered by a third-party vendor, subject to CONTRACTOR's lawful consent.
2. CONTRACTOR is not required to perform Contracted Services personally and may, to the extent permitted by law and subject to this Agreement, hire or engage employees or subcontractors (collectively, "Personnel") to perform some or all Contracted Services. Any such Personnel must (a) be at least 21 years of age, (b) have completed a background check on the same terms applicable to CONTRACTOR, (c) hold an active Driver App account, (d) accept the terms of this Agreement, and (e) be eligible to perform deliveries in the geographic location.
3. CONTRACTOR is solely responsible for the direction and control of CONTRACTOR's Personnel and assumes full responsibility for all amounts due to Personnel, including wages, benefits, expenses, and all required tax withholdings, unemployment insurance contributions, and social-security taxes. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS is not an employer or joint employer of CONTRACTOR's Personnel and has no responsibility for any payments due to them.
4. Neither CONTRACTOR nor Personnel shall receive wages, vacation pay, holiday pay, or employee benefits from HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS, nor shall they participate in any benefit plan available to HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS employees.
5. CONTRACTOR and CONTRACTOR's Personnel are not required to wear a uniform or other clothing of any kind bearing the HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS name or logo.
6. If CONTRACTOR uses Personnel to perform Contracted Services, CONTRACTOR must make this Agreement enforceable against such Personnel by written agreement and provide a copy of that written agreement to HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS at least seven (7) days before such Personnel performs Contracted Services. The sole purpose of this requirement is to ensure CONTRACTOR's compliance with this Agreement.

IX. Insurance

1. CONTRACTOR agrees, as a condition of doing business with HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS, that during the term of this Agreement, CONTRACTOR will maintain current insurance, in amounts and of types required by law to perform the Contracted Services and to cover CONTRACTOR during performance of Contracted Services, at CONTRACTOR's own expense. Failure to secure or maintain satisfactory insurance is a material breach of this Agreement and may result in termination and the loss of CONTRACTOR's right to receive Delivery Opportunities.
2. Notification of coverage. CONTRACTOR agrees to deliver to HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS, upon request, current certificates of insurance as proof of coverage and to provide updated certificates each time CONTRACTOR purchases, renews, or alters coverage. CONTRACTOR will give HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice before cancellation of any insurance policy required under this Agreement.
3. Workers' compensation / occupational accident. CONTRACTOR is not eligible for workers' compensation benefits through HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS and is responsible for maintaining CONTRACTOR's own workers' compensation or occupational-accident insurance to the extent required by law or desired by CONTRACTOR.

X. Product Handling, Age Verification, and Customer Privacy

The products being delivered are hemp-derived cannabinoid products. They are age-restricted under applicable law and under HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS's policies. CONTRACTOR agrees to all of the following:

• Verify the recipient's identity and age (21+) at every delivery in accordance with the Driver App workflow and applicable law. The product must not be handed off to anyone under 21, anyone who appears intoxicated or impaired, anyone who fails required verification, or any unauthorized person.
• Treat all products as the property of HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS until lawfully handed off to the verified customer.
• Not open, keep, consume, tamper with, substitute, resell, divert, or otherwise misuse any HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS product at any time.
• Return all undelivered, refused, failed, or otherwise unaccepted orders to HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS as instructed, in original condition.
• Operate any vehicle used for deliveries in compliance with all traffic and motor-vehicle laws, and never perform delivery services while impaired by alcohol, controlled substances, or any product CONTRACTOR is delivering.

Proof of Delivery.

CONTRACTOR must provide proof of delivery for every Contracted Service through the Driver App or another approved workflow. Proof may include any combination of timestamp, GPS or location confirmation, customer-handoff confirmation, age-verification confirmation, photo proof (where applicable), delivery note, return confirmation, or app-based "mark delivered" confirmation. Submitting a false delivery confirmation, performing an unauthorized drop-off, leaving products with an unverified recipient, or failing to return undelivered orders as instructed is a material breach of this Agreement and may result in immediate termination, withholding of compensation for the affected assignment to the extent permitted by law, and any other remedies available to HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS.

Customer Privacy and Data Access.

CONTRACTOR will see only the limited customer information necessary to complete an accepted assignment (such as the recipient's name, delivery address, phone number, and order summary). CONTRACTOR agrees that:

• Customer information and order details accessed through the Driver App are confidential.
• CONTRACTOR will not screenshot, save, export, photograph, transmit, or share customer information outside the Driver App's ordinary delivery workflow.
• CONTRACTOR will not access or attempt to access HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS's ecommerce systems, order-management or back-office tools, customer profiles outside the Driver App, payment information, inventory data, or internal order notes, whether through technical means, social engineering, or any other means.
• Status updates entered through the Driver App relate solely to the delivery task and do not give CONTRACTOR control over the underlying order, customer account, refund, replacement, inventory, or fulfillment decision, all of which remain exclusively with HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS.

XI. Confidentiality and Non-Solicitation

During the course of performing Contracted Services, CONTRACTOR will encounter confidential information, including customer names, addresses, phone numbers, order details, delivery details, route details, ID-verification information, app screens, internal communications, pricing, vendor relationships, business processes, and other non-public Company information (collectively, "Confidential Information"). CONTRACTOR agrees to keep all Confidential Information strictly confidential, to use it only as needed to complete Contracted Services, and to not disclose it to any third party. This obligation survives indefinitely, including after termination of this Agreement, until and unless the information becomes lawfully public through no fault of CONTRACTOR.

During the term of this Agreement and for two (2) years after it ends, CONTRACTOR will not, directly or indirectly, use any Confidential Information or any relationship learned about through Company work to: (a) solicit, divert, or attempt to divert any HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS customer; (b) solicit or recruit any HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS driver, contractor, employee, or vendor away from the Company; (c) build, sell, share, or commercialize a customer list derived from Company information; (d) contact HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS customers outside the strict scope of completing a Contracted Service; or (e) interfere with any HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS customer, vendor, or business relationship. This Agreement does not impose a general non-compete; CONTRACTOR remains free to provide delivery or other services to other businesses subject only to these confidentiality, non-solicitation, non-diversion, and operational-conflict obligations.

XII. Indemnity

1. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS agrees to indemnify, protect, and hold harmless CONTRACTOR from any and all claims, demands, damages, suits, losses, liabilities, and causes of action arising directly from HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS's actions in offering and facilitating Contracted Services to CONTRACTOR.
2. CONTRACTOR agrees to indemnify, protect, and hold harmless HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS, including its parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and their past and present successors, assigns, members, managers, officers, owners, directors, agents, representatives, attorneys, and employees, from any and all claims, demands, damages, suits, losses, liabilities, and causes of action arising directly or indirectly from, as a result of, or in connection with the actions of CONTRACTOR or CONTRACTOR's Personnel arising from the performance of Contracted Services under this Agreement, including personal injury or death (including to CONTRACTOR or Personnel), as well as any liability arising from CONTRACTOR's breach of this Agreement. CONTRACTOR's obligations include the cost of defense, including attorneys' fees, and the payment of any final judgment rendered against or settlement agreed to by HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS.
3. CONTRACTOR agrees to indemnify, protect, and hold harmless HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS from any and all tax liabilities and responsibilities for payment of all federal, state, and local taxes, including all payroll taxes, self-employment taxes, workers'-compensation premiums, and any contributions imposed or required under federal, state, or local law with respect to CONTRACTOR and CONTRACTOR's Personnel.
4. CONTRACTOR is responsible for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS from, all costs of CONTRACTOR's business, including all applicable insurance, local, state, or federal licenses, permits, taxes, and assessments of any regulatory agencies, boards, or municipalities.

XIII. Driver App and Channel Access; Inactivity

Approved CONTRACTORS may be added to the Driver App and to private Company channels (such as Discord) where ready-to-go Delivery Opportunities are posted. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS may, in its discretion, suspend, limit, or revoke Driver App or channel access at any time for breach of this Agreement, for any safety, compliance, or legal concern, or for any other lawful reason.

CONTRACTORS who remain inactive for an extended period (for example, by not claiming any assignments or by not responding to availability check-ins) may be moved to an inactive list, removed from active rotation, or have access limited or revoked. Moving CONTRACTOR to inactive status, removing access, or limiting visibility into available assignments is an operational adjustment. It does not, by itself, create employment, and it does not necessarily constitute termination of this Agreement.

XIV. Term and Termination

This Agreement begins on the date CONTRACTOR accepts it (whether by signature or by tapping "I Agree" in the Driver App) and continues until terminated. Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time, with or without cause, by written notice (email or Driver App message is sufficient). Termination does not relieve either party of obligations that, by their nature, should survive, including confidentiality, non-solicitation, non-diversion, indemnity, and final compensation.

XV. Eligibility

To be engaged and to remain engaged as a Driver, CONTRACTOR represents and continually warrants that CONTRACTOR:

• Is at least 21 years of age.
• Holds a valid driver's license issued by a U.S. state or territory.
• Has access to reliable transportation suitable for completing local deliveries and an active smartphone with reliable mobile service.
• Is comfortable performing deliveries in Wilmington, North Carolina and surrounding areas.
• Is comfortable working around hemp-derived cannabinoid products.
• Maintains all legally required automobile insurance and keeps any vehicle used in legal, road-worthy condition.
• Will pay CONTRACTOR's own fuel, vehicle expenses, phone and data expenses, taxes, and other contractor business expenses, except as separately agreed in writing.

XVI. General Provisions

Governing Law and Venue. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. The parties will first attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute through direct discussion. Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in New Hanover County, North Carolina, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction and venue there. Each party waives any right to a jury trial to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the current published HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS driver compensation schedule and any written Company policies expressly referenced here, is the entire agreement between the parties regarding CONTRACTOR's engagement and supersedes any prior or contemporaneous communications, drafts, or agreements on the same subject.

No Waiver. A party's failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of that provision or any other right.

Severability. If any provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force, and the unenforceable provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable while preserving the parties' intent.

Amendment. This Agreement may be amended only in writing or, where HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS updates the published driver compensation schedule or written policies referenced here, by CONTRACTOR's continued performance after notice of the update.

Assignment. CONTRACTOR may not assign this Agreement without HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS's prior written consent. HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS may assign this Agreement to an affiliate or successor.

Notices. Notices may be given by email to the address each party uses to administer this engagement, or by message inside the Driver App.

Counterparts; Electronic Acceptance. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts and accepted electronically. Tapping "I Agree" inside the HEMPIRE INNOVATIONS Driver App has the same effect as a handwritten signature.

Acceptance below is recorded with timestamp, device, and app version for audit.

↓Scroll to the bottom of the agreement to enable acceptance

I have read and understood this Independent Contractor Agreement. I am at least 21 years old. I am signing as a 1099 independent contractor, not an employee. * I understand my role is limited to local-delivery driving for ready-to-go orders. I will not perform retail, fulfillment, packaging, dispatch, or ecommerce-administration work, and I will not access customer data outside the Driver App's ordinary delivery workflow. * I understand pay is per claimed delivery or route under the published compensation schedule, plus 100% of tips, with no guaranteed hours, routes, or minimum earnings. * I understand my confidentiality and non-solicitation obligations survive after I stop driving for Hempire Innovations. *

Type your full legal name * Your signature