Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Forms

Motor vehicle power of attorney forms can be used to give another person a variety of powers over a vehicle that you (principal) own without transferring ownership of the vehicle to that person. That includes the right to register the vehicle, either in your name or theirs, as well as the right to buy or sell the vehicle on your behalf and sign the relevant paperwork.

You can also ask this person to handle the maintenance of the vehicle, though the specifics are up to you and the individual you designate as your attorney-in-fact (also called representative or agent – as in other power of attorney forms).

The most important thing is that a vehicle power of attorney gives your agent the right to complete DMV interactions for you. You don’t give up your rights over the vehicle when you grant some authority over the vehicle to your agent, but you do share those rights and responsibilities.

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When to Use a Vehicle Power of Attorney

One of the most common reasons to use a motor vehicle power of attorney is if the vehicle will need registration when you aren’t able to complete the registration yourself. There are lots of reasons you might not be available, including:

  • Traveling when registration is due
  • Upcoming medical procedures that prevent you from registering the motor vehicle normally
  • Moving to a new location before you can ship the vehicle to your new home

You may also want this type of limited power of attorney if you are relying on someone with more expertise to take care of the vehicle.

It’s also common to use a motor vehicle power of attorney if you want to sell a vehicle but aren’t able to sell it yourself. If you’re moving, for instance, and haven’t sold the vehicle before you move, you might want to designate someone local to sell it for you instead of bringing the vehicle with you to your new location.

These POA also act as DMV power of attorney, so the person you authorize can also handle registration requirements. They will also be able to transfer the title on the vehicle if you are selling it.

Steps to Getting a Vehicle Power of Attorney

There are a lot of ways to get a motor vehicle power of attorney. You can get the form from the DMV, an attorney, or from free forms available online here. Here are the steps to filling out your form and getting everything set up.

Step 1: Get the Form Itself

There are plenty of sources for a motor vehicle power of attorney form. Our free templates are relatively easy to customize for your specific circumstances. You can also hire an attorney to create a custom power of attorney for a car, but that might be quite costly. Lastly, your DMV might be able to provide a local official form for you to fill out; we have listed such forms in the table below.

Step 2: Fill Out the Form

You’ll need to fill out the form including your personal details and the identifying information for your vehicle. Unlike other forms of power of attorney documents, you will need to include your birth date and taxpayer identification number (usually your social security number) on your vehicle power of attorney form.

We’ll go into more detail on this process in the next section.

Step 3: Sign and File Your Power of Attorney

The last step to filling out your car power of attorney forms is to sign and date the form. You may want to see a notary public to get the form notarized, but that isn’t a requirement in all states. You’ll need several copies of the form with a signature: one for yourself, one for your agent or attorney-in-fact (and any successor attorneys), and one copy to file with the DMV.

Signing Requirements by State

STATE Signing requirements State DMV POA Form
Alabama Notary Public Form MVT 5-13
Alaska Notary Public Form 847
Arizona Notary Public Form 48-1001
Arkansas No law Power of Attorney for Vehicle Transactions
California Owner of Vehicle Form REG 260
Colorado Notary Public Form DR 2175
Connecticut Two Witnesses and Notary Public Form A-83
Delaware Notary Public Form MV386
Florida Owner of Vehicle Form 82053
Georgia Notary Public Form T-8
Hawaii Notary Public Form DMVL-596
Idaho Notary Public (if applying for duplicate title) Form ITD-3368
Illinois Owner of Vehicle Form RT-5
Indiana Notary Public Form 1940
Iowa Notary Public Form 411021
Kansas Owner of Vehicle Form TR-41
Kentucky Notary Public Form TC 96-336
Louisiana Notary Public None
Maine Certified Technician and Notary Public None
Maryland Owner of Vehicle Form VR-470
Massachusetts Certified Technician and Notary Public None
Michigan Owner of Vehicle Form TR-128
Minnesota Certified Technician and Notary Public None
Mississippi Notary Public Form 78-003-21-8-1-000
Missouri Notary Public (not required if signing electronically) Form 4054
Montana Notary Public Form MV65
Nebraska Notary Public DMV Power of Attorney
Nevada Notary Public Form VP136
New Hampshire Notary Public None
New Jersey Certified Technician and Notary Public MSC POA&DAA
New Mexico Notary Public Form MVD-11020
New York Notary Public None
North Carolina Notary Public Form MVR-63
North Dakota Certified Technician and Notary Public None
Ohio Notary Public Form BMV 3771
Oklahoma Certified Technician and Notary Public None
Oregon Owner of Vehicle Form 735-500
Pennsylvania Notary Public None
Rhode Island Certified Technician and Notary Public None
South Carolina Notary Public Form MC-25
South Dakota Notary Public Form MV-008
Tennessee Notary Public Form RV-F1311401
Texas Owner of Vehicle Form VTR-271
Utah Certified Technician and Notary Public None
Vermont Certified Technician and Notary Public None
Virginia Owner of Vehicle Form VSA-70
Washington Notary Public Form TD-420-050
Washington D.C. Owner of Vehicle and Agent Form DMV-VSPA-01
West Virginia Owner of Vehicle Form DMV-9-TR
Wisconsin Certified Technician and Notary Public None
Wyoming Notary Public WYDOT Limited Power of Attorney

How to Fill Out a Vehicle Power of Attorney

Step 1: Fill Out Personal Information for Yourself and Your Agent

This guide is based on a template (PDF) we prepared with the help of a professional attorney. The first step on any vehicle power of attorney form is to fill out the personal identifying information for yourself and your agent. That includes your name and current address and the same details for your attorney-in-fact. You can also include contact information, but your phone number and other possible contact information are completely optional.

If you have a separate mailing address, you should be sure to include that in addition to your living address so that you can receive your updates in a timely manner.
Section for personal information of motor vehicle power of attorney

Step 2: Fill Out the Identifying Information for the Vehicle in Question

You’ll need to fill in your vehicle information for each vehicle you want to be covered by the POA. That includes:

You’ll also be asked to include other identifying information for your vehicle. At a minimum, you should include the color of your vehicle and it’s license plates number. If you have stickers or other details added to your car, you may want to list those as well. Even dents and scratches can be considered vehicle information to help distinguish your car from others of the same make and model.
Part fof filling out identifying information for vehicle of vehicle poa

Step 3: Fill Out Birthday and Tax Identification Number

Unlike other kinds of power of attorney documents, your vehicle power of attorney form will typically also require your birthday and tax identification number. That’s partially to help identify the owner and to distinguish you from others who might share your name inside the state.

Your tax identification number is usually your social security number, though you may have a different tax identification number in some circumstances.
Birthday and tax identification number section of motor vehicle poa form

Step 4: Determine Successor Attorney-in-fact

You can also choose to add other people to your POA as successor attorneys in fact. these people are authorized as your agent only if your primary agent is unavailable, if you revoke their responsibility, or if they choose not to act.

Having a successor attorney-in-fact can help make your POA more effective, but it isn’t a requirement. You can leave this section blank if you don’t want to designate an individual here.
Successor attorney in fact indication section of motor vehicle power of attorney template

Step 5: Sign and Date

The last step is to sign and date the POA once all of the motor vehicle information has been filled out. You can sign this form on your own, but it may be considered more legally valid if you go to a notary public and have the form witnessed and notarized in their presence as you put your signature in place.

You’ll need at least three copies of the POA: one copy for yourself, one for your agent (and any successors), and one for the local DMV.
Part for signature and date of motor vehicle poa form

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Published: Jun 5, 2022
Mara Erlach
Mara Erlach
Writer & Attorney
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.