Free Washington DC Power of Attorney (POA) Form

Start a Washington DC Power of Attorney (POA) form now to appoint a trusted individual to manage your estate, act for you professionally, or make medical decisions on your behalf.

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Last Update September 1st, 2023

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Table of Contents:

Types of Power of Attorney in Washington DC
How to Get a Power of Attorney in Washington DC
Washington DC Power of Attorney Requirements
Washington DC Power of Attorney Sample
FAQs About Washington DC Power of Attorney Forms

Types of Power of Attorney in Washington DC

There are many types of POA that can be used in Washington DC to appoint an Agent or Attorney-in-Fact to make decisions and to manage essential financial and/or medical responsibilities for a principal.

Type of Document	Uses	Usable After Incapacity?
Durable Power of Attorney	A durable POA allows an Agent to manage your estate for you at all times, even if you fall unconscious or become medically incapacitated.	Yes
General Power of Attorney	General POAs give Agents control over a wide range of your financial responsibilities. This expires, however, if you fall unconscious or are incapacitated.	No
Limited Power of Attorney	Limited POAs grant an Agent responsibility over specific, normally one-off, tasks. These forms are usually time limited, only giving your representative authority for a short period of time.	Yes (if durable)
Medical Power of Attorney	Medical POAs allow you to delegate important healthcare decisions to your Agent. This can then be used when urgent choices regarding treatment need to be made when you’re unconscious.	Yes
Advance Directive	Combines a Medical Power of Attorney with elements of a living will, allowing the principal to specify their end-of-life care and choose an agent to manage their wishes.	Yes
Living Will	A living will allows you to provide clear instructions on your treatment preferences to medical professionals for when you are unconscious and gravely ill. This includes options such as artificial nutrition and hydration and organ donation.	Yes
Real Estate Power of Attorney	Real Estate POAs let your Agent manage tasks related to the buying and selling of property on your behalf.	Yes (if durable)
Vehicle (DMV) Power of Attorney	Using a Vehicle POA allows an Agent to buy and sell vehicles for you and to manage other ownership tasks such as registering titles with the DMV and updating official documentation.	Yes (if durable)
Springing Power of Attorney	A Springing POA allows an Agent to act for you when certain conditions or criteria occur. For example: the Power of Attorney may only become active if you are unconscious or are unavailable for a period of time.	Yes (if durable)
Minor (Child) Power of Attorney	With a Minor POA, you can delegate your parental rights over a child to your Agent temporarily. This might be necessary if you are seriously ill, serving in the military or have to travel for work purposes.	Yes (if durable)
Tax Power of Attorney	With a Tax POA, your Agent may represent you and sign documents on your behalf at a local DC Office of Tax and Revenue.	Yes (if durable)

How to Get a Power of Attorney in Washington DC

A Washington DC Power of Attorney can be filled-in fully online with our step-by-step form completion survey. All you need to do is answer the questions and add in your own information to create a fully complete POA tailored to your necessities.

Alternatively, the task of creating a POA can be left to a lawyer. However, this is usually a more time-consuming and costly process.

Also, some pre-prepared forms for Vehicle POAs can be obtained directly from a DC DMV or Office of Tax and Revenue site. However, it is recommended to seek the help of an attorney in order to fill the document properly.

Washington DC Power of Attorney Requirements

There are a few important things you need to know before signing a Washington DC POA. Firstly, you must make sure all the parties involved are legally fit to sign contracts.

To be considered competent to sign a contract, parties must:

Be over 18 years of age
Show they are mentally competent
Demonstrably understand the powers being granted

If you choose a financial institution as an Agent, they must have trust powers and a registered office in Washington DC.

Also, there are set rules in place in Washington DC which police how a completed Power of Attorney must be signed and put into action. DC law (§ 21–2101) dictates in this case that:

The Principal and Agent must both sign the document.
The signing must be overseen by a notary public, who will also sign.
If you create an advanced directive, living will, or medical power of attorney you will need 2 witnesses present at the document signing.
If the Agent(s) will manage real estate for the principal, the form must be registered with the local clerk of the county where the property is situatedwithin 30 days of signing.
A notary public must also be present at the signing to notarize the document.

You won’t need a notary or witnesses to sign a Tax or Vehicle Power of Attorney, however. In these cases, only the principal needs to sign in order for them to be effective.

Washington DC Power of Attorney Sample

Before starting your own Washington DC Power of Attorney, it can help to look over an example document to understand how your final draft will look and what it will say. Simply view our POA sample now to get a feel for how these documents are written and appear once completed.

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FAQs About Washington DC Power of Attorney Forms

It is important to have a good understanding of what Washington DC Power of Attorney forms can do before filling in your own. Read through our FAQs below to get a better idea of the key information needed as well as any other special considerations.

Does a Power of Attorney in Washington DC Need to Be Notarized?

Yes, Washington DC Powers of Attorney require a notary public to oversee the signing of the document by the Principal and Agent. Alternatively, 2 witnesses must be present when a Medical Power of Attorney, Advance Directive, or Living Will document is signed in order to legally validate the agreement.

Who Should Be Your Washington DC POA Agent?

When choosing the right Agent for your Washington DC POA, it is essential to pick a person (or people) that you trust implicitly.

By granting Power of Attorney to someone, you allow them to hold a large amount of responsibility for your financial or even bodily wellbeing. An Agent therefore must be someone you know that will take the actions that serve these interests best.

Who Can Override a Washington DC Power of Attorney?

There are a few ways to override a Power of Attorney. First of all, you can simply revoke it, as the Principal retains the right to remove the powers at any time.

If on the other hand, you wish to revoke the Washington DC Power of Attorney of an already incapacitated family member, you will have to write to the Agent to ask them to formally step down as POA. If they refuse, you may then need to take the matter to court and appoint guardianship to render the powers of the Agent inactive.

You are only a few steps away from your own Washington DC Power of Attorney!

Download our professional examples

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Preview of your District of Columbia Power of Attorney

STATUTORY FORM POWER OF ATTORNEY

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

NOTICE: THE POWERS GRANTED BY THIS DOCUMENT ARE BROAD AND SWEEPING. THEY ARE EXPLAINED IN THE UNIFORM STATUTORY FORM POWER OF ATTORNEY ACT OF 1998. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE POWERS, OBTAIN COMPETENT LEGAL ADVICE. THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT AUTHORIZE ANYONE TO MAKE MEDICAL AND OTHER HEALTH-CARE DECISIONS FOR YOU. YOU MAY REVOKE THIS POWER OF ATTORNEY IF YOU LATER WISH TO DO SO.

Your agent is entitled to reasonable compensation unless you state otherwise in the Special Instructions.

Co-agents are not required to act together unless you include that requirement in the Special Instructions.

If your agent is unable or unwilling to act for you, your power of attorney will end unless you have named a successor agent. You may also name a second successor agent.

This power of attorney becomes effective immediately, unless you state otherwise in the Special Instructions.

If you have questions about the power of attorney or the authority you are granting to your agent, you should seek legal advice before signing this form.

DESIGNATION OF AGENT

I, _________, with permanent residence address at _________, telephone number _________, and email address _________, appoint the following person as my agent:

Name of Agent: _________
Agent's Address: _________
Agent's Telephone Number: _________
Agent's Email Address: _________

DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY

GRANT OF GENERAL AUTHORITY

TO GRANT ALL THE FOLLOWING POWERS, INITIAL THE LINE IN FRONT OF THE POWER CHOSEN.

TO WITHHOLD A POWER, DO NOT INITIAL THE LINE IN FRONT OF IT. YOU MAY, BUT NEED NOT, CROSS OUT EACH POWER WITHHELD.

________ - Real property, except transactions subject to D.C. Official Code § 42-101

________ - Tangible personal property transactions

________ - Stocks and bonds transactions

________ - Commodity and option transactions

________ - Banking and other financial institution transactions

________ - Business operating transactions

________ - Insurance and annuity transactions

________ - Estates, Trust, and Other Beneficiary transactions

________ - Claims and Litigation

________ - Personal and Family Maintenance

________ - Benefits from governmental programs or civil or military service

________ - Retirement plan transactions

________ - Tax matters

LIMITATION ON AGENT'S AUTHORITY

An agent that is not my ancestor, spouse, or descendant MAY NOT use my property to benefit the agent or a person to whom the agent owes an obligation of support unless I have included that authority in the Special Instructions.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

My Agent is entitled to reasonable compensation for services rendered as my Agent.

My Agent will be entitled to reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred in acting under this Power of Attorney.

EFFECTIVE DATE

This power of attorney shall be effective immediately and will continue to be effective until my death, even if I became incapacitated, except as may be provided otherwise by an applicable state statute.

This Power of Attorney may be revoked or terminated by me at any time by providing written notice to my Agent.

RELIANCE ON THIS POWER OF ATTORNEY

Any person, including my agent, may rely upon the validity of this power of attorney or a copy of it unless that person knows it has terminated or is invalid.

I agree that any third party who receives a copy of this document may act under it. Revocation of the power of attorney is not effective as to a third party until the third party learns of the revocation. I agree to indemnify the third party for any claims that arise against the third party because of reliance on this power of attorney.

Signed this ____ day of ______________, _______

___________________________________
(Your Signature)

___________________________________
(Your Social Security Number)

SIGNATURES

Dated ____________________, _____, at _________, District of Columbia.


___________________________________	_______________
_________	Date

Address: _________
Telephone Number: _________
Email Address: _________

___________________________________	_______________
_________	Date

NOTARY ACKNOWLEDGMENT

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

This document was acknowledged before me on	_______________.
	(date)

by ___________________________________
_________

___________________________________
(Seal, if any)

Signature of Notary: __________________________________

My commission expires: _______________________________