An Arkansas general financial power of attorney is a written document in which a person, called the principal, names an agent (also called an attorney-in-fact) to handle their money and property. The principal chooses which financial powers the agent receives, and the form does not cover medical decisions. FormsPal's free Arkansas power of attorney PDF has 41 fillable fields. You can fill it out online, print it, and sign it.
Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current Arkansas law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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Under Arkansas's power of attorney law, a general power of attorney must be signed by the principal. Another person may sign the principal's name, but only when the principal directs it and the principal is conscious and present.[1.1] The document takes effect when it is signed, unless it provides for a later start.[2]
The statute states the signing rule this way:
A power of attorney must be signed by the principal or in the principal's conscious presence by another individual directed by the principal to sign the principal's name on the power of attorney.
The principal can choose a later start. The document may provide that it becomes effective at a future date or upon the occurrence of a future event or contingency.[2]
The law also covers how the person named as agent takes the job. Unless the power of attorney provides otherwise, a person accepts appointment as an agent by exercising authority or performing duties as an agent, or by any other assertion or conduct indicating acceptance.[3]
Tip: The form includes an acknowledgment for a notary public on page 5. The FAQ below explains what Arkansas law says about notarizing a power of attorney.
On the Arkansas form, the principal decides four things:
Filling Out the Arkansas General Power of Attorney Form
The Arkansas general financial power of attorney form has five pages and 41 fillable fields. Work through it in the order below, from the principal and agent names on page 1 to the notary acknowledgment on page 5.
The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Arkansas general 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.
Principal and agent (page 1). Read the notice at the top. It says the powers are broad and that the form does not cover medical decisions. Then write your name and address, and your agent's name and address, in the appointment paragraph.Step 1: sample entries, not a real document.
Initial the powers (A) to (K) (page 2). Write your initials on the line in front of each power you are granting, from (A) real property transactions to (K) benefits from social security, medicare, medicaid, or other government programs. Leave a line blank to withhold that power.Step 2: sample entries, not a real document.
Powers (L) to (N) and Special Instructions (page 2). Initial (L) retirement plan transactions and (M) tax matters if you want to grant them. To grant every listed power, initial only line (N). The form says you need not initial any other line then. The three Special Instructions below the list are preprinted, so there is nothing to fill in. They cover medical claims, retirement and savings accounts, and digital assets.Step 3: sample entries, not a real document.
Effective date (page 3). Under Effective Date, initial one line. Choose effective immediately, or effective on a date and write that date in the blanks.Step 4: sample entries, not a real document.
Termination: written revocation (page 3). Under Termination Date, the form says to initial one line. Initial the first line if the power of attorney should end when you have signed a written revocation.Step 5: sample entries, not a real document.
Termination: a set date or incapacity (page 3). Instead, initial the line to end on a date and write that date, or the line to end when you are determined to be incapacitated. The form defines incapacity just below, continuing onto page 4. It means a court finding that you are incompetent, a court-appointed conservator or guardian for your estate, or written certification from two physicians who are unrelated to you and to each other.Step 6: sample entries, not a real document.
Successor attorney-in-fact (page 4). In the successor paragraph, write your agent's name, then the name and address of the alternate agent. The alternate steps in if your agent is unable or unwilling to serve.Step 7: sample entries, not a real document.
Date and sign (page 4). Fill in the day, month, and year on the "Signed this" line, then sign and print your name. Just above that line, the form states that all prior general powers of attorney you signed are revoked. The form has no line for the agent to sign.Step 8: sample entries, not a real document.
Notary acknowledgment (page 5). The notary completes the acknowledgment with the county, the date, the officer's name and title, and your name. The certificate says the notary verifies only the identity of the person who signed, not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of the document.Step 9: sample entries, not a real document.
Officer signature and seal (page 5). The notary signs on the Signature line at the bottom of page 5 and adds the seal under "WITNESS my hand and official seal." This line is for the notary, not for you.Step 10: sample entries, not a real document.
How to Sign and Use the Arkansas General Power of Attorney
Once the form is filled out, a few practical steps help the power of attorney work when your agent needs it. These steps are general practice, not requirements of Arkansas law, and a bank or other institution may have its own rules for accepting the document.
Check the form before you sign. Read the names, initials, and dates once more. If you downloaded the PDF, you can type your entries with our online PDF editor and then print it.
Take it to a notary. Page 5 holds the acknowledgment, so many people sign and have it completed in one visit.
Give copies to the people who need them. Provide a copy to your agent, to your successor attorney-in-fact if you named one, and to any financial institutions where your agent will act on your behalf. The form says a third party who receives a copy of it may act under it.
Keep the original safe. Store the signed original somewhere secure but easy to reach, such as a deposit box or with your attorney.
Tell people if you cancel it. If you decide to revoke the power of attorney (our revocation guide explains how), many people put the revocation in writing and tell the agent and every institution that holds a copy. The form says a revocation is not effective as to a third party until that party has actual knowledge of it.
Does a power of attorney have to be notarized in Arkansas?
Arkansas's power of attorney statute ties notarization to a presumption. A signature on a power of attorney is presumed to be genuine if the principal acknowledges the signature before a notary public or other individual authorized by law to take acknowledgments.[1.1]
How does a power of attorney end in Arkansas?
Under Arkansas's power of attorney law, a power of attorney terminates when any of these happens:[1.2]
The principal revokes the power of attorney.
The principal dies.
The power of attorney provides that it terminates.
The purpose of the power of attorney is accomplished.
The principal revokes the agent's authority, or the agent dies, becomes incapacitated, or resigns, and the power of attorney does not provide for another agent to act.
Does the principal's incapacity end a power of attorney in Arkansas?
It can. A power of attorney terminates when the principal becomes incapacitated, if the power of attorney is not durable. There is one exception for people who act in good faith. Incapacity of the principal of a power of attorney that is not durable does not revoke or terminate it as to an agent or other person who, without actual knowledge of the incapacity, acts in good faith under it.[1.2]
When does an agent's authority end in Arkansas?
An agent's authority terminates when any of these happens:[1.2]
The principal revokes the authority.
The agent dies, becomes incapacitated, or resigns.
An action is filed for the dissolution or annulment of the agent's marriage to the principal, or for their legal separation, unless the power of attorney otherwise provides.
The power of attorney terminates.
What if the agent acts before learning the power of attorney ended?
The termination of an agent's authority or of a power of attorney is not effective as to an agent or another person who acts in good faith under it without actual knowledge of the termination. An act done that way binds the principal and the principal's successors in interest, unless the act is otherwise invalid or unenforceable.[1.2]
Does a new power of attorney cancel an older one in Arkansas?
Not automatically. Signing a new power of attorney does not revoke one the principal signed earlier, unless the new document provides that the previous power of attorney is revoked or that all other powers of attorney are revoked.[1.2]
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General information, not legal or tax advice.
Sources
Unless noted otherwise, the sources below are from the Ark. Code Ann..
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.
