Is this document valid without a notary?

Usually not. Most states require a power of attorney to be notarised, and several also require witnesses who are not the agent. The template prints a notary and witness block but satisfies nothing by itself — execute it the way your state prescribes.

What is the difference between durable and general?

Durability is about what happens if you lose capacity. A durable power of attorney continues to operate after the principal becomes incapacitated, which is normally the whole point of signing one. The general type grants equally broad authority but, in this template, ends on incapacity.

Can I use this to deal with the IRS on someone’s behalf?

No. The IRS requires Form 2848 for someone to represent a taxpayer before it, and Form 8821 for information access. A generic power of attorney is not a substitute, and this tool produces neither form.

Does it cover healthcare decisions?

No. Medical decision-making is normally handled by a separate healthcare power of attorney, advance directive or living will, which follow different state rules. The document generated here is oriented toward financial and property matters and should not be relied on for medical authority.

Does it create a will, a trust or a guardianship?

No. It appoints an agent to act while you are alive, disposes of nothing at death, and appoints no guardian. A power of attorney ends at the principal’s death, when the executor named in a will takes over.

Is anything I type stored?

No. The fields exist only in your browser while the page is open. Refreshing, closing the tab or pressing Reset discards everything, and nothing is uploaded or saved to an account. Print or save a PDF before you leave the page.

How do I revoke it later?

Section 3 provides that the principal may revoke at any time by written notice to the agent. In practice, also notify every bank or institution holding a copy, and if the document was recorded with a county office, record the revocation the same way.

Power of Attorney Generator — Durable, General or Limited

Power of Attorney GeneratorThe Power of Attorney Generator is a free browser-based tool that drafts a United States power of attorney appointing an agent — also called an attorney-in-fact — to act on your behalf. You name the principal and the agent, choose durable, general or limited scope, set an effective date, describe the powers granted, and name the governing state. The page renders a formatted document with numbered sections covering powers, durability, revocation and governing law, followed by signature and notary blocks. It is a starting template, not legal advice: notarisation, witness and statutory-form requirements vary by state, and some states will not accept a generic document.

What people use it for

Naming a family member before a planned hospital stay

Someone facing surgery wants a relative able to pay bills and handle the mortgage if recovery goes badly. Choosing the durable type produces a document stating in Section 2 that the authority is not affected by later disability or incapacity — the specific feature that separates a durable power of attorney from an ordinary one.

A narrow authority for one transaction while you are away

You are abroad when a car sale or property closing has to happen. The limited type, with the transaction described in the powers box, produces a document whose Section 1 contains only that description and states the agent has no authority beyond it — far safer to hand over than a broad grant.

Replacing a power of attorney that is out of date

An old document names someone who has moved away or is no longer the right choice. Generating a new one is a starting point: Section 3 states that the document revokes any prior power of attorney covering the same powers, and printing both side by side makes it obvious which institutions need to be notified.

Preparing before a paid consultation

Estate planning meetings move faster when the principal has already decided who the agent will be, whether the authority should survive incapacity, and which powers are actually needed rather than merely convenient. Generating a draft first forces those three decisions and hands the attorney something concrete to correct, which is a shorter conversation than starting from a blank instruction.

How it works

Name the principal Enter your full legal name as the person granting authority, with an optional address. The name prints in the opening paragraph and again above the principal signature line at the bottom.
Name the agent Enter the person being appointed as agent or attorney-in-fact, with an optional address. Choose someone who has agreed in advance to serve, because the document itself does not ask for their acceptance.
Choose the type Durable survives incapacity, general grants broad authority, and limited grants only what you describe. The choice sets both the document heading and the wording of Section 2, which is where durability is stated.
Set the effective date and describe the powers Pick the date the authority begins, then use the free-text powers box. Left blank, the document falls back to a broad default list, or to a narrow statement if you chose the limited type.
Set the governing state and generate The governing state is a free-text field defaulting to California — replace it with your own. Generate renders the preview, which can then be shared, printed or saved as a PDF; Reset clears every field.

Worked examples

Input: Principal: Jane Doe. Agent: John Smith. Type: Durable. Effective date: today. Powers box left blank. Governing state: California.

Result: The heading prints DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY. Section 1 grants full authority across banking and financial transactions, real and personal property, tax matters, insurance, claims and litigation, and business operations. Section 2 states the authority is not affected by the principal’s subsequent disability or incapacity.

Input: Type: Limited. Powers box: "To sign all documents required to sell the vehicle with VIN 1HGBH41JXMN109186 and to deposit the proceeds into the account ending 4417." Governing state: Arizona.

Result: The heading prints LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY and Section 1 contains only that sentence, so the agent has no authority beyond it. Section 2 states the authority ends on the principal’s incapacity, and Section 4 fixes Arizona law.

Input: Type: General. Powers box left blank. Governing state: New York.

Result: The heading prints GENERAL POWER OF ATTORNEY with the same broad Section 1 list as the durable version — the only difference is Section 2, which ends the authority on incapacity. Some states, New York among them, prescribe a statutory form with its own execution rules, so a generic template may be refused there.

Frequently asked questions

Is this document valid without a notary?: Usually not. Most states require a power of attorney to be notarised, and several also require witnesses who are not the agent. The template prints a notary and witness block but satisfies nothing by itself — execute it the way your state prescribes.
What is the difference between durable and general?: Durability is about what happens if you lose capacity. A durable power of attorney continues to operate after the principal becomes incapacitated, which is normally the whole point of signing one. The general type grants equally broad authority but, in this template, ends on incapacity.
Can I use this to deal with the IRS on someone’s behalf?: No. The IRS requires Form 2848 for someone to represent a taxpayer before it, and Form 8821 for information access. A generic power of attorney is not a substitute, and this tool produces neither form.
Does it cover healthcare decisions?: No. Medical decision-making is normally handled by a separate healthcare power of attorney, advance directive or living will, which follow different state rules. The document generated here is oriented toward financial and property matters and should not be relied on for medical authority.
Does it create a will, a trust or a guardianship?: No. It appoints an agent to act while you are alive, disposes of nothing at death, and appoints no guardian. A power of attorney ends at the principal’s death, when the executor named in a will takes over.
Is anything I type stored?: No. The fields exist only in your browser while the page is open. Refreshing, closing the tab or pressing Reset discards everything, and nothing is uploaded or saved to an account. Print or save a PDF before you leave the page.
How do I revoke it later?: Section 3 provides that the principal may revoke at any time by written notice to the agent. In practice, also notify every bank or institution holding a copy, and if the document was recorded with a county office, record the revocation the same way.

Tips

Choose durable only if you want the authority to continue after incapacity — that is the one thing the durable form is for.
For a limited power of attorney, name the exact account, property or transaction in the powers box; vagueness is what turns a narrow grant into a broad one.
The governing state field is free text and defaults to California, so replace it before generating or the document cites the wrong law.
Ask the bank or title company first — many insist on their own power of attorney form and will not accept a general template.
Check whether your state requires witnesses in addition to notarisation, and whether the agent is disqualified from serving as one.

Written by Ahsan Mahmood. Last updated 2026-07-21. This calculator runs entirely in your browser and produces estimates, not tax advice.TaxEase — Power of Attorney Generator