Arizona Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Form

Arizona Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Basics

A motor vehicle power of attorney, or POA, is a document that names someone else to act for you with your car, and you are known as the principal. The person you choose is the agent, who is also called the attorney-in-fact.

Form 48-1001, the ADOT form this page hands out, collects:^[1]

• The vehicle, with its identification number, year, make and body style
• The attorney-in-fact, who acts for you, with a mailing address
• The buyer, seller or owner, with a driver license number, date of birth, mailing address and signature
• An acknowledgment by a notary or an MVD agent

An Arizona vehicle power of attorney form lets a person (or a principal) designate someone to use the principal’s vehicle in case of disability, disease, and so on. A vehicle POA can become effective right away depending on the date the principal has chosen, not on the principal’s state.

In the United States, including Arizona, when an individual suddenly becomes disabled, their power of attorney (or POA) forms for various properties states who exactly is authorized legally to make decisions regarding those properties. In Arizona, POA forms and rules that regulate them are mentioned in Title 14 of the Arizona Revised Statutes (Chapter 5, Article 5). Some details about a vehicle POA are included in Title 44.

The Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division, publishes Form 48-1001. Its last block, which reads “Acknowledged before me this date”, has a box for a Notary or MVD Agent Signature. So the owner’s signature on it is acknowledged before a notary public or an MVD agent.^[1] If you want to create a POA form, you should be at least 18 years old and in good conscience.

You may also complete a power of attorney form for different purposes, not just for a vehicle. Looking for another document? Browse our Arizona power of attorney templates.

Form Details

The table below lists the basics of ADOT Form 48-1001, the form this page hands out. It shows the title of the form, the state form name and the time it takes to fill out, along with the number of fillable fields, the file format and a link to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

How to Fill Out the Arizona Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Form

The steps below follow ADOT Form 48-1001 (R07/25), the official form this page hands out, in the same order as its boxes. The form is a single page with fillable fields, so you can type your entries before you print it. Keep the vehicle title or registration and your driver license within reach before you start.

The screenshots under each step show ADOT Form 48-1001, the official Arizona form, filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and numbers are examples only.

1. Vehicle Identification Number, Year, Make and Body Style. In the first row, enter the vehicle identification number (VIN), the year, the make and the body style. Copy the VIN from the title or the registration, character by character.

   

2. Attorney-In-Fact. Enter the individual or organization you wish to act for you in this matter, then their mailing address, city, state and zip code.

   

3. Buyer/Seller/Owner and Signature. The sentence above this box is printed on the form. It appoints the attorney-in-fact to sign all papers and documents required to secure the title, and grants the authority to endorse and transfer title for the vehicle described above. Below it, enter your name in the Buyer/Seller/Owner Name box, then your driver license number, your date of birth and your mailing address, city, state and zip code. Sign in the Signature box after you print the form.

   

4. Notary or MVD Agent Signature. The last block reads “Acknowledged before me this date.” It has boxes for the Notary or MVD Agent Signature, the date, the county, the state and the commission expiration. Leave it blank for the notary public or MVD agent.^[1]

   

How to Sign and Use the Form

After the fields are filled in, the form moves on to signing and the acknowledgment block. The steps below follow that order, and the last one covers your copies. Check that the names and numbers match your IDs and the title before anyone signs.

1. Check the details. Read the form once. Compare the VIN and the names with the title and the IDs, then fix any typo before you sign.
2. Sign the form. After adding all the mentioned data, the owner has to sign the document.
3. Have a notary or an MVD agent complete the acknowledgment. On Form 48-1001 the owner’s signature is acknowledged by a notary public or by a Motor Vehicle Division agent. The block at the bottom of the form has a box for the Notary or MVD Agent Signature, beside the words “Acknowledged before me this date.”^[1] So, after the owner has signed the form, take it to a notary public or an MVD agent to complete that block.
4. Keep your copies. Please note that it is important to create and sign several copies of the POA form. Keep a signed copy for your records and give your agent one too, so each of you has the form on hand.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most problems come from small slips rather than from the form itself, and a quick read-through before you sign catches the common ones. Go through this short list once the form is completed.

• Names that do not match your IDs. Spell your name and your agent's name exactly as they appear on the IDs.
• A mistyped VIN. Compare the VIN you entered with the title or registration, character by character.
• A blank Body Style box. Copy the body style from the title or registration.
• Skipped boxes. Scan the form for a box you meant to fill in.
• Mixed-up vehicles. If you own more than one, check that the VIN, the license plate and the title belong to the same car.
• No spare copy. Make a copy of the finished form before you hand over the original.

Create a free high-quality Arizona Motor Vehicle PoA online now!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Is an Arizona Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney?

It is a document in which you name another person, called the agent or attorney-in-fact, to act for you with a car or other vehicles. ADOT Form 48-1001, the PDF on this page, collects your details, the attorney-in-fact’s details and the description of the vehicle on one page.

Can I fill out this form online?

Yes. Select Create My Document at the top of this page and answer a few questions, and the FormsPal tool builds the document from your answers, so you can save your progress, print it, or download it as a PDF. You can also download Form 48-1001 from this page and type into its fields.

How do I edit the PDF after I download it?

Open the downloaded file in the FormsPal PDF editor to type in or change the fields. Print a clean copy when you are done.

What is the difference between the principal and the agent?

The principal is the person who signs the form. The agent, also called the attorney-in-fact, is the person the principal picks to act for them.

What does the successor attorney-in-fact section do?

Form 48-1001 has no successor section. The FormsPal template from Create My Document has one. It names another person as an alternate agent, by name and address, and its printed wording describes the case where your first agent is unable or unwilling to serve.

What details should I have ready before I start?

Have these details ready before you start:

• The vehicle identification number, year, make and body style
• Your attorney-in-fact’s name and mailing address
• Your name, driver license number, date of birth and mailing address

Form 48-1001 has no place for an alternate agent or an odometer reading.

Are there other types of power of attorney forms?

Yes. A general power of attorney covers more than a car, and other forms fit other situations, so browse the Arizona power of attorney templates near the top of this page to compare the types of forms.

Where can my agent use a copy of the form?

Your agent can keep a copy with the title and registration and show it at the MVD or to a dealer when a vehicle task comes up. It helps to ask the office ahead of time what it wants to see.

Can I keep a digital copy?

Yes. Download the PDF and store it with the title and your other car papers. You can print more copies whenever you want them.

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

1. Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division, Power of Attorney, Form 48-1001 (R07/25). Accessed October 16, 2026.

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.