California Power of Attorney Form

Authorize someone you trust to act on your behalf. Fill in the details below and download a print-ready PDF. Free, no signup — but read the signing rules below, because a POA usually must be notarized.

Reflects current California rules · 2026Official source linkedFree PDF · no signup · nothing uploaded

Maintained by the SealForms editorial team · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified 2026 · Not legal advice.

Using a power of attorney in California

How California’s statute treats durability, statutory forms, real estate, and revocation — with the section each rule comes from.

Not durable by default. In California the document must say expressly that it survives incapacity — this template includes that language. — Cal. Prob. Code §4124 (Stats. 1994, ch. 307, eff. 1/1/1995) ↗
Statutory form. California’s code includes an optional form (Uniform Statutory Form Power of Attorney, Prob. Code §4401); banks are most familiar with it. — Cal. Prob. Code §§4400, 4401 (amended eff. 1/1/2012) ↗
Revoking it. Prob. Code §4151: principal may revoke per the POA's terms or by a writing; §4153 also allows oral/written notice to the attorney-in-fact. — Cal. Prob. Code §4151; §4153 (Stats. 1995, ch. 300) ↗

Each point links to the California source it was taken from. Rules change; confirm before relying on them.

California signing rules · as of 2026

Notarization: Required
Witnesses: None required
Official state form: Yes

Source: Cal. Prob. Code §4121 (form §4401) · verify ↗. A POA gives real authority over your money — sign it before a notary (and witnesses where required), and take advice for high-value or health-care matters.

Fill in the details

Step-by-stepMy documents

DateYour name (Principal)Your addressAgent name (Attorney-in-Fact)Agent's addressPowers grantedDurable? (stays valid if you become incapacitated)Effective date

Optional clauses

Tick the terms you want. They appear in the document under “Additional terms”.

Specific authority (express grant)Expressly grants powers that many states exclude from any general grant (gifts, survivorship, beneficiaries, trusts).

Successor agentNames a backup agent if the first agent cannot serve.

Co-agentAppoints a second agent and states expressly whether they act jointly or independently.

Springing — effective upon incapacityThe POA takes effect only when your incapacity is determined in writing by the person you name.

No card. No trial. No surprise subscription — ever. Free, no signup — nothing you type is uploaded; it all runs in your browser. What “free” means here

Your entries auto-save in this browser (only on your device). Drawn signatures ship in the PDF; the Word file keeps the signature line blank. When at least one party has signed, the PDF and Word file end with a signature certificate (who signed, when, and a SHA-256 fingerprint you can check later). If you use “Send to the other party”, the document travels inside the link you share — not through us.

Live preview · updates as you type

Power of Attorney

State of California

I, __________ ("Principal"), of __________ , appoint __________ ("Agent" / Attorney-in-Fact), of __________ , to act on my behalf.

Powers. I grant my Agent authority over the following: __________ . The Agent shall act in my best interest and keep records of actions taken.

Effective. This power of attorney takes effect on signing. Durability. Durable: __________. If "Yes" is written above, this power of attorney is DURABLE: it is not terminated by my subsequent incapacity. If "No" is written above, this power of attorney is NOT durable: it TERMINATES if I become incapacitated.

This document is governed by the laws of the State of California. It is revocable by me at any time while I have capacity.

Principal signature / date

Agent signature / date

Notary Public: __________________________ My commission expires: ____________
Witness 1: __________________ Witness 2: __________________ (if required by California)

Agent’s signature acknowledgment (complete where required — some states require the agent’s signature, dated and acknowledged before a notary, before the agent may act):
State of California, County of ____________ — acknowledged before me on ____________ by the above-named Agent.
Notary Public: __________________________ My commission expires: ____________

Generated with SealFormsReflects California law · verified 2026

What a California power of attorney does

It lets your chosen agent step into your shoes for the tasks you allow — paying bills, managing bank accounts, handling real estate or taxes — which is invaluable if you travel, deploy, or want a plan in case of illness. You stay in control: you decide the powers, whether it’s durable, and you can revoke it anytime.

Signing it correctly in California

A POA only works if institutions accept it, which is why the signing formalities matter. Get itnotarized, add witnesses if California requires them, and check whether your state has a statutory form banks prefer. See the current California power-of-attorney requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Does a California power of attorney have to be notarized?

Yes — in California, a financial power of attorney must be notarized to be valid (as of 2026). Source: Cal. Prob. Code §4121 (form §4401).

What is a durable power of attorney?

A “durable” power of attorney stays in effect even if you later become incapacitated — which is usually the point of having one. A non-durable POA ends if you lose capacity. Set “durable” in the form to keep the agent’s authority in place; this is the more common choice for planning ahead.

What powers can I give my agent?

You can grant broad authority (banking, real estate, bills, taxes, insurance) or limit it to specific tasks. List exactly what you want your agent to handle in the “powers” field. Some acts (like real estate) may need extra formalities to be recorded in California.

Can I revoke it later?

Yes. You can revoke a power of attorney at any time while you have capacity by notifying your agent in writing (and any institution relying on it). Keep the signed original safe and give copies only to those who need them.

Is a power of attorney durable by default in California?

No. In California the document must state expressly that it survives incapacity — this template includes that language. Source: Cal. Prob. Code §4124 (Stats. 1994, ch. 307, eff. 1/1/1995).

Does California have a statutory power of attorney form?

Yes — Uniform Statutory Form Power of Attorney, Prob. Code §4401. Banks and agencies are most familiar with it; the template here follows the same structure. Source: Cal. Prob. Code §§4400, 4401 (amended eff. 1/1/2012).

How do I revoke a power of attorney in California?

Prob. Code §4151: principal may revoke per the POA's terms or by a writing; §4153 also allows oral/written notice to the attorney-in-fact. Source: Cal. Prob. Code §4151; §4153 (Stats. 1995, ch. 300).

How does California compare? See the notary and witness rules in all 50 states, every rule cited to statute.

How California compares

Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for California: Cal. Prob. Code §4121 (form §4401) ↗.

California is one of 29 of 51 jurisdictions that require notarization (21 recommend (but do not require) notarization; 1 do not require notarization).
California is one of 35 of 51 jurisdictions that publish a statutory form in the code (16 have no statutory form).

Witnesses required

Witnesses required: 0, exactly the national median.

This is the most common figure nationally — shared by 40 other states.

Witnesses required in neighboring states — Arizona (1), Nevada (0), Oregon (0).

Power of attorney in other states

More California legal forms

Different state? See power of attorney by state →