Missouri General Financial Power of Attorney Form

Missouri General Power of Attorney Requirements

Missouri sets the requirements for a power of attorney by statute. The main signing rule is in section 404.705 of the Missouri Revised Statutes. The power of attorney is subscribed by the principal, and dated and acknowledged in the manner prescribed by law for conveyances of real estate.^[1.1] The points below come from that section.

• Signed by the principal. The principal subscribes the power of attorney.^[1.2]
• Dated. The power of attorney must be dated.^[1.1]
• Notarized. The power of attorney is acknowledged in the manner prescribed by law for conveyances of real estate.^[1.2]
• No recording needed for validity. A durable power of attorney does not have to be recorded to be valid and binding between the principal and attorney in fact or between the principal and third persons. Recording may still be required for transactions affecting real estate under sections 442.360 and 442.370.^[1.2]
• No duty to act. A person appointed attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney has no duty to exercise the authority conferred in the power of attorney. The exception is an attorney in fact who has agreed expressly in writing to act for the principal in such circumstances.^[1.2]

Here is the signing rule in the statute's own words:

the power of attorney is subscribed by the principal, and dated and acknowledged in the manner prescribed by law for conveyances of real estate.

Missouri General Power of Attorney Form Details

How to Fill Out the Missouri General Power of Attorney Form

The Missouri general power of attorney form has five form pages and 41 fillable fields. Create it online with the builder above, or download the PDF and fill it in with our online PDF editor. Then work through the pages in order, from the principal and agent to the signature. The notary completes the last page. The form does not authorize medical or other health-care decisions. To compare the two kinds of document, read living will vs power of attorney.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Missouri 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.

1. Principal and agent. On page 1, enter your name and address in the first blanks, then your agent's name and address in the appointment lines. The agent is the person the form calls your attorney-in-fact.

   

2. Initial the powers (A) to (K). On page 2, initial 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 governmental programs. Leave a line blank to withhold that power.

   

3. Initial powers (L), (M) or (N). Initial (L) Retirement plan transactions and (M) Tax matters if you want to grant them. To grant every power, initial (N) All of the powers listed above. The form says you need not initial any other line if you initial (N). Special Instructions 1 to 3 are printed on pages 2 and 3 and have no blanks to fill in.

   

4. Effective date. On page 3, the Effective Date block says to initial one line. One line starts the power of attorney right away, and the other starts it on a date you fill in, with the year.

   

5. Termination date: written revocation. The Termination Date block says to initial one line. Initial the first line if the power of attorney should end when you have signed a written revocation.

   

6. Termination date: a set date or incapacity. Or initial the line that ends the power of attorney on a date, and fill in the date and the year. The other choice ends it when you are determined to be incapacitated. The form defines incapacitated right below the lines, on pages 3 and 4. The definition covers a court finding that you are incompetent, a court appointment of a conservator or guardian for your estate, or written certification by two physicians who are unrelated to you or to each other.

   

7. Successor attorney-in-fact. On page 4, enter the agent's name again, then the alternate agent's name and address. The alternate steps in if the agent is unable or unwilling to serve. The paragraph on more than one agent above it is printed text with nothing to fill in.

   

8. Date, sign and print your name. Fill in the day, month and year after "Signed this". Sign above the line marked (signature) and print your name above (printed name). The printed text above the date says that any third party who receives a copy may act under the document and that all prior general powers of attorney you executed are revoked.

   

9. Acknowledgment: county, date and officer. On page 5, the notary or other officer completes the Missouri acknowledgment: the county, the date, the officer's name and title, and your name as the person who appeared. The certificate says the officer verifies only the identity of the person who signed, not the truthfulness, accuracy or validity of the document.

   

10. Notary signature and seal. The notary or officer signs on the Signature line under "WITNESS my hand and official seal" and adds the seal where the form shows (seal).

    

How to Sign and Use the Missouri General Power of Attorney

After you fill out the form, the signing steps matter as much as the answers. In Missouri, the power of attorney is subscribed by the principal, and dated and acknowledged in the manner prescribed by law for conveyances of real estate.^[1.1] Follow these steps in order.

1. Review the form. Read every entry once more. Check that the names and addresses are spelled correctly and that you initialed only the powers you mean to grant.
2. Sign and date it. You subscribe the power of attorney as the principal, and it must be dated.^[1.1]
3. Have it acknowledged. Take the signed form to a notary public. The power of attorney is acknowledged in the manner prescribed by law for conveyances of real estate, and the notary completes the acknowledgment on page 5 of the form.^[1.2]
4. Talk to your agent. Get any agreement in writing. A person appointed attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney has no duty to exercise the authority conferred, unless the attorney in fact has agreed expressly in writing to act for the principal in such circumstances.^[1.2]
5. Recording is not required for validity. A durable power of attorney does not have to be recorded to be valid and binding between the principal and attorney in fact or between the principal and third persons. Recording may still be required for transactions affecting real estate under sections 442.360 and 442.370.^[1.2]
6. Share and store it. Give your agent a copy and keep the original signed and acknowledged document in a safe place. Give copies to the banks or other institutions your agent will deal with. If you initialed the incapacity line, the form says a certified copy of the court order or decree, or a copy of the physicians' certifications, is attached to the original, and photocopies are attached to photocopies.

When a Missouri General Power of Attorney Ends

A Missouri power of attorney does not last forever. Section 404.717 lists the events that end it, and the form has its own termination choices as well. Check both before you rely on an old document or tell your agent that the authority has ended.

• Revocation. It terminates when the principal, orally or in writing, or the principal's legal representative with approval of the court in writing, informs the attorney in fact or successor that the power of attorney is modified or terminated.^[2]
• Notice filed with the recorder of deeds. It terminates when a written notice of modification or termination is filed by the principal or the principal's legal representative for record in the office of the recorder of deeds in the city or county of the principal's residence. If the principal is a nonresident of the state, the notice is filed in the city or county of the residence of the attorney in fact last known to the principal, or in the city or county in which is located any property specifically referred to in the power of attorney.^[2]
• Death of the principal. It terminates on the death of the principal. The statute makes an exception for powers granted under subdivision (7) or (8) of subsection 6 of section 404.710, which it addresses separately.^[2]
• A date in the document. It terminates on the date shown in the power of attorney and in accordance with the express provisions of the power of attorney.^[2]
• Divorce. The authority ends on the filing of any action for divorce or dissolution of the marriage of the principal and the principal's attorney in fact. This applies to spouses who were married to each other at or subsequent to the time the power of attorney was created, unless the power of attorney provides otherwise.^[2]
• An unqualified agent. Under a durable power of attorney, the authority ends when the attorney in fact is not qualified to act for the principal.^[2]

If an event ends only the authority of the person named as attorney in fact, the power of attorney may carry on. When the power of attorney designates a successor or contingent attorney in fact, the authority provided in the power of attorney extends to and vests in the successor or contingent attorney in fact. It does so in lieu of the attorney in fact whose power and authority was terminated.^[2]

Under Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 404.705, the authority granted in a written power of attorney is not terminated if the principal becomes wholly or partially disabled or incapacitated, provided the instrument is denominated a Durable Power of Attorney and meets the other listed conditions, including subscription by the principal, dating and acknowledgment.^[1.2]

The form also has its own termination choices on page 3, which you initial when you fill it out. They are a signed written revocation, a set date, or a determination of incapacity as the form defines it.

The form adds that a revocation is not effective as to a third party until that party has actual knowledge of it. Send a copy of any revocation to every bank or office that has the old document. If you decide to revoke, you can also look at our revocation of power of attorney form.

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Frequently Asked Questions

These short answers cover 7 common questions about notarizing, recording, revoking and ending a Missouri general power of attorney. Each answer follows the text of Missouri law, and the sources are listed at the end of the page. The topics are:

• Notarization
• Getting a power of attorney
• Recording
• Revoking a power of attorney
• Death of the principal
• Divorce
• The agent's duty to act

Does a power of attorney need to be notarized in Missouri?

Yes. The power of attorney must be acknowledged in the manner prescribed by law for conveyances of real estate, which is the notarized signature.^[1.2]

How do I get a power of attorney in Missouri?

Fill out the form, then have it signed, dated and acknowledged. Missouri law says the power of attorney is subscribed by the principal, and dated and acknowledged in the manner prescribed by law for conveyances of real estate.^[1.1]

Does a Missouri power of attorney have to be recorded?

No. A durable power of attorney does not have to be recorded to be valid and binding between the principal and attorney in fact or between the principal and third persons. Recording may still be required for transactions affecting real estate under sections 442.360 and 442.370.^[1.2]

How do you revoke a power of attorney in Missouri?

The power of attorney terminates when the principal, orally or in writing, informs the attorney in fact or successor that it is modified or terminated. The principal's legal representative may do the same with approval of the court in writing.^[2]

Does a Missouri power of attorney end when the principal dies?

Yes. It terminates on the death of the principal. The statute makes an exception for powers granted under subdivision (7) or (8) of subsection 6 of section 404.710, which it addresses separately.^[2]

Does a divorce end the agent's authority in Missouri?

It can. The authority ends on the filing of any action for divorce or dissolution of the marriage of the principal and the principal's attorney in fact. This applies to spouses who were married to each other at or subsequent to the time the power of attorney was created, unless the power of attorney provides otherwise.^[2]

Does the agent have to act under a Missouri power of attorney?

Not necessarily. A person appointed attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney has no duty to exercise the authority conferred, unless the attorney in fact has agreed expressly in writing to act for the principal in such circumstances.^[1.2]

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

Each bracketed number in the text above points to a Missouri source listed here. Open the link to read the provision in full, and check the current text and forms before you rely on them.

1. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 404.705.
   • 1.1 Mo. Rev. Stat. 404.705.1(3)
   • 1.2 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 404.705
2. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 404.717.
3. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 404.710. Accessed October 15, 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.