A Georgia minor power of attorney lets a parent delegate caregiving authority over a child to another adult, for example during an illness or a military deployment. The statute allows the delegation to an adult who resides in Georgia.[1.1] Many people search for this document as the Georgia temporary guardianship form. Browse other documents on the Georgia power of attorney page, or fill in the form below.
Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current Georgia law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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Georgia Minor Power of Attorney Laws and Requirements
A Georgia parent may delegate caregiving authority over a child to an adult who resides in the state, by executing a power of attorney that substantially complies with the statute.[1.1] The rules sit in O.C.G.A. §§ 19-9-122 to 19-9-134. The sections below cover the agent, the term, the limits on the document and the form details.
Georgia minor power of attorney agent requirements
The agent must be an adult who resides in Georgia.[1.1] The agent must also be the child's grandparent, great-grandparent, stepparent, former stepparent, step-grandparent, aunt, uncle, great aunt, great uncle, cousin or sibling, or a nonrelative who is approved as an agent by a child-placing agency, a nonprofit entity or a faith based organization.[1.1] The statute adds these conditions for the person who accepts the role:
The agent acknowledges in writing the acceptance of the responsibility for caring for the child for the duration of the power of attorney.[1.4]
The agent certifies that he or she is not currently on the state sexual offender registry of Georgia, or on the sexual offender registry or child abuse registry for any other state.[1.5]
If the agent is a nonrelative, the individual executing the power of attorney must require the agent to provide a criminal background check.[1.6]
The agent acts on behalf of the child on a continuous basis, without compensation.[1.12]
Many parents choose a relative such as a grandparent, which is common practice.
Duration of a Georgia minor power of attorney
The delegation can run for a period not to exceed one year, except as the statute provides in section 19-9-132.[1.1] Two exceptions apply:
A power of attorney that delegates caregiving authority to a grandparent of the child may have an unlimited duration.[1.17]
For a delegation tied to a military deployment, the term may not exceed the term of deployment plus 30 days.[1.18]
The form has an EFFECTIVE DATE part with a start date and an end date. Step 4 below covers those two lines.
Limits and rules that affect validity
Several rules in the statute decide whether the document is valid and what it can reach:
The delegation may be made without the approval of a court, but it may not change or modify any parental or legal rights, obligations or authority established by an existing court order.[1.2]
A power of attorney executed during the pendency of a divorce or custody action is void from the start (void ab initio) unless both parties to the action execute or agree to it, if both have custodial rights to the child.[1.3]
A noncustodial parent who receives the statutory notice may object within 21 days of the delivery of the notice.[1.7]
An individual may not execute one with the intention of divesting or negating another individual's legal responsibility for the care of a child.[1.8]
An individual may not execute one to subvert an investigation of the child's welfare initiated by the division of family and children services of the department.[1.9]
One power of attorney may not delegate caregiving authority for more than one child unless the children are siblings or stepsiblings.[1.16]
A child subject to a power of attorney is not considered placed in foster care under chapter 5 of title 49.[1.15]
Georgia Minor Child Power of Attorney Form Details
Up to one year, unlimited for a grandparent[1.1][1.17]
Form Length
4 pages
Avg. Time to Fill Out
10 minutes
# of Fillable Fields
48
Available Formats
Adobe PDF
What the Agent Can Do for the Child
The form gives the parent two choices. Option 1 delegates all authority that may be delegated to the agent under Georgia law. Option 2 delegates only the limited authority the parent writes on the lines provided. A parent may delegate any power and authority regarding the care and custody of the child, with three exceptions.[1.2]
The wording of option 1 names these matters:
consent to medical treatment
decisions about schooling and school activities or procedures
support, care, housing and nourishment for the child
any and all acts to protect the child and act in the child's best interests
Parents who use option 2 often write in specific matters, for example travel, school enrollment or dental care. That list is common practice and not a statutory list.
The statute excludes three powers from any delegation: the power to consent to the marriage or adoption of the child, the performance or inducement of an abortion on or for the child, and the termination of parental rights to the child.[1.2]
Gather the details below before you open the form. The Georgia form asks mostly for names, addresses and dates, so it takes about ten minutes once you have them in front of you.
your full name and address, and whether you are the parent, court-appointed guardian or court-appointed conservator
the child's full name, date of birth and address
the same details for a second parent, guardian or conservator, if there is one
the full name and address of the agent
the name and address of a successor agent
the date the power of attorney takes effect and the date it continues until
a criminal background check from the agent, if the agent is a nonrelative[1.6]
The form runs four pages and has 48 fillable fields, and the eight steps below follow its order. Each step names the part of the form it covers and shows a screenshot with sample entries. To start right away, download the fillable power of attorney form or print the Georgia power of attorney form PDF and write the answers by hand.
The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Georgia minor child power of attorney template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.
Parent or guardian and the minor child. On page 1, enter your name and address, then put your initials on the line that matches your role: Parent, Court-Appointed Guardian or Court-Appointed Conservator. Add the child's name, date of birth and address. Step 1: sample entries, not a real document.
Second parent and the agent. Complete the additional statement only if there is more than one parent, guardian or conservator, repeating the role initials and the child's details. Then enter the agent's name and address in the appointment paragraph. Step 2: sample entries, not a real document.
Authority and successor agent. The authority part starts at the bottom of page 1 and continues on page 2. Choose option 1, all delegable authority, or option 2, limited authority. For option 2, write the specific powers on the lines provided. Then enter the agent's name, the alternate agent's name and the alternate agent's address in the Successor Attorney-in-Fact paragraph. Step 3: sample entries, not a real document.
Effective date. Enter the date the power of attorney takes effect and the date it continues until in the two date lines. Keep the term within the limits covered in the laws section above. Step 4: sample entries, not a real document.
Signing date, signatures and printed names. Read the statement that you do not intend to relinquish your parental rights. Fill in the day, month and year on the Signed this line. The statute calls for a signature under oath and an acknowledgment before a notary public,[1.10] so sign in front of the notary and print your name below your signature. Step 5: sample entries, not a real document.
Acknowledgment: county, date and officer. Page 3 holds the acknowledgment, which the notary public or other officer completes. It takes the county, the date, the officer's name and title and the name of the person who signed. Step 6: sample entries, not a real document.
Officer signature and seal. The officer completing the acknowledgment signs on the Signature line and adds the seal at the (seal) mark. Step 7: sample entries, not a real document.
Agent acceptance. On page 4, the agent reads the acceptance and the registry certification text. The agent then signs, prints a name, adds the agency or organization if any, and dates it.[1.4][1.5]Step 8: sample entries, not a real document.
The form has no witness lines, and this page does not describe a witness step. Ask the notary or the probate court clerk if you are unsure what else your situation needs.
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How to Get a Power of Attorney for a Minor Child in GA
To get a power of attorney for a minor child in GA, you fill out the form and sign it under oath before a notary public. The agent accepts the role in writing, and a copy goes to the probate court. The steps below follow the statute from the first check to the end of the term.
Check the conditions. The agent must be an adult who resides in Georgia, and a nonrelative agent provides a criminal background check.[1.1][1.6]
Check for court orders and pending cases. An existing court order stays in force, and a power of attorney executed during a divorce or custody action is void from the start unless both parties execute or agree to it.[1.2][1.3]
Fill out the form and sign it. It must be signed under oath and acknowledged before a notary public by the individual executing it and by the agent accepting the delegation.[1.10]
Have the agent accept in writing. The agent acknowledges the acceptance of the responsibility for caring for the child for the duration of the power of attorney.[1.4]
File a copy. The individual executing the power of attorney, or a designee, files it within ten days of the execution in the probate court of the county in which the child resides.[1.11]
Keep a signed copy where the agent can reach it. The agent may need to show it, and this is common practice and not a statutory step.
End it early if needed. Revoke it in writing and give notice to the agent by certified mail, return receipt requested, or statutory overnight delivery.[1.13] The child must be returned to the custody of the individual who executed the power of attorney within 48 hours of receiving the revocation.[1.14]
Frequently Asked Questions
These answers come from the Georgia statute sections cited on this page and from the form itself. Ask a notary or the probate court clerk about anything that is not covered here.
How long is a Georgia minor power of attorney valid?
A Georgia minor power of attorney can be in effect for a period not to exceed one year, except as the statute provides.[1.1] Two exceptions apply:
A power of attorney that delegates caregiving authority to a grandparent may have an unlimited duration.[1.17]
A delegation tied to a military deployment may not exceed the term of deployment plus 30 days.[1.18]
Does a Georgia minor power of attorney have to be notarized?
Yes. It must be signed under oath and acknowledged before a notary public by the individual executing it and by the agent accepting the delegation.[1.10] A power of attorney is legally sufficient if the form is properly completed and the signatures of the parties are notarized.[1.19]
Where do you file a Georgia minor power of attorney?
A copy is filed in the probate court of the county in which the child resides. The individual executing the power of attorney, or a designee, files it within ten days of the power of attorney being executed.[1.11]
How do you revoke a Georgia minor power of attorney?
The individual who executed it revokes it in writing and gives notice of the revocation to the agent by certified mail, return receipt requested, or statutory overnight delivery.[1.13] After the revocation, the child must be returned to the custody of the individual who executed the power of attorney within 48 hours of receiving the revocation.[1.14]
Can the other parent object to a Georgia minor power of attorney?
Two rules in the statute give the other parent a say:
A noncustodial parent who receives the statutory notice may object to the execution of the power of attorney within 21 days of the delivery of the notice.[1.7]
If a divorce or custody action is pending and both parties have custodial rights, the power of attorney is void from the start unless both parties execute or agree to it.[1.3]
Can one Georgia minor power of attorney cover more than one child?
Only for siblings or stepsiblings. The statute says a power of attorney may not delegate caregiving authority for more than one child unless the children are siblings or stepsiblings.[1.16]
Does a Georgia minor power of attorney end my parental rights?
The form states that the signers do not intend, by the power of attorney, to relinquish their parental rights over and to the minor child. The statute also bars executing one with the intention of divesting or negating another individual's legal responsibility for the care of a child.[1.8]
Is the agent paid under a Georgia minor power of attorney?
No. The agent has the authority to act on behalf of the child on a continuous basis, without compensation.[1.12]
Is a child under a Georgia minor power of attorney in foster care?
No. A child subject to a power of attorney executed under this statute is not considered placed in foster care under chapter 5 of title 49.[1.15]
General information, not legal or tax advice.
Sources
The numbered markers in the text point to the sources below. Each marker names the section of the Georgia Code that supports the sentence before it, so you can read the statute itself.
Mara has been practicing estate planning and trust law in California since 2003, taking pride in helping clients of all backgrounds and asset profiles form a complete and customized estate plan. Her specialties are: estate planning, wills and trusts, trust and probate administration.
