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A Louisiana power of attorney is a mandate naming your representative. La. Civ. Code art. 2993 requires no particular form unless the law prescribes one for the act. Download a free template below or build your own for money, health care or property.
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A Louisiana power of attorney has no general notary rule, because La. Civ. Code art. 2993 says the contract of mandate is not required to be in any particular form. The exception is in La. Civ. Code art. 2993 too: when the law prescribes a certain form for an act, a mandate authorizing the act must be in that form.
| Document or act | What the law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A mandate for an act with no prescribed form | Not required to be in any particular form | La. Civ. Code art. 2993 |
| A mandate for an act with a prescribed form | Must be in the form the law prescribes for that act | La. Civ. Code art. 2993 |
| A mandate to transfer real estate (immovable property) | Must follow the form of the transfer, which must be made by authentic act or by act under private signature | La. Civ. Code art. 2993, La. Civ. Code art. 1839 |
| Provisional custody of a child | A person having parental authority delegates by written mandate, for a stated term of no more than one year from the date of execution | La. Rev. Stat. § 9:951, La. Rev. Stat. § 9:952 |
| A written declaration on life-sustaining procedures, which is not a power of attorney | Signed by the declarant in the presence of two witnesses | La. Rev. Stat. § 40:1151.2(A)(2) |
La. Civ. Code art. 1839 also names a narrow exception for an oral transfer between the parties, under conditions it states. La. Rev. Stat. § 9:954 gives a suggested form for provisional custody, signed before a notary and witnesses. This page cites no section on signing Form R-7006, the vehicle form or the health care form, so follow each form's own signature section. Where an entry below recommends a notary or witnesses, that is a practical suggestion, not a rule from these sections. Ask a Louisiana notary or attorney which act fits a real estate sale.
The Louisiana POA templates below cover money, health care, children, real estate, taxes and vehicles, including those offered by the Louisiana authorities: the Health Care Power of Attorney and Form R-7006 for taxes. Pick the template that matches the task you want your representative to handle, then download it or build a custom version online.
Durable power of attorney is a form that names a mandatary for your financial decisions and is meant to keep working if you become incapacitated. Under La. Civ. Code art. 3026, in the absence of contrary agreement, neither the contract nor the authority of the mandatary is terminated by the principal’s incapacity.
| Also Known As | Louisiana DPOA or Mandate |
| Signing | Notarization or Witnesses Are Recommended |
| Download | PDF Template |
Medical power of attorney in Louisiana is called the Health Care Power of Attorney. With the form, you can name a person to make health care decisions for you. Under La. Civ. Code art. 2997, authority to make health care decisions, such as surgery, medical expenses, nursing home residency, and medication, must be given expressly, so read what the form grants and when it starts.
| Also Known As | Health Care POA or MPOA |
| Signing | See the Signature Section of the Form |
| Download | PDF Template | Health Care Power of Attorney |
General power of attorney gives another person the right to handle your everyday finances. Under La. Civ. Code art. 2996, the authority to alienate, acquire, encumber, or lease a thing must be given expressly, and La. Civ. Code art. 2997 requires express authority for acts such as contracting a loan or making an inter vivos donation, so write those powers into the document. You can use the document to give these powers to a spouse or another relative you trust.
| Also Known As | Generic Financial POA |
| Signing | Notary Public or Witnesses Are Recommended |
| Download | PDF Template |
Limited power of attorney is a form for one matter you want to hand to another person. Suppose you have a valuable item to sell but you are out of town. With the form, you can assign a representative who acts for you in that sale.
| Also Known As | Special POA |
| Signing | Notary Public or Witnesses Are Recommended |
| Download | PDF Template |
Child power of attorney is a form used by parents who need to leave for a while and delegate taking care of their children to another person. Under La. Rev. Stat. § 9:951, a person having parental authority over a child may delegate provisional custody by written mandate to any natural person.
| Also Known As | Minor POA |
| Written Form | Written Mandate (La. Rev. Stat. § 9:951) |
| Signing | The suggested form is signed before a notary and witnesses (La. Rev. Stat. § 9:954) |
| Download | PDF Template |
Real estate power of attorney is used to conduct various operations with one’s real property. If an owner wishes to choose a mandatary who will be able to sell, buy, lease, and complete other actions with the property, they can sign the real estate POA.
| Also Known As | Limited Real Estate POA |
| Signing | To transfer real estate: authentic act or act under private signature (La. Civ. Code art. 2993, La. Civ. Code art. 1839) |
| Download | PDF Template |
State tax power of attorney (Form R-7006 in Louisiana) is the document that helps you assign a mandatary to deal with the Louisiana Department of Revenue for you. Read the form for the tax matters it covers.
| Also Known As | Tax POA |
| Signing | See the Signature Section of the Form |
| Download | Form R-7006 |
Vehicle power of attorney is signed when a vehicle’s owner wants to appoint a mandatary to complete certain paperwork tied to the vehicle (registration, title transfer, and other matters) in the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.
| Also Known As | OMV POA |
| Signing | See the Signature Section of the Form |
| Download | PDF Template |
Revocation power of attorney helps POA creators to cancel their previously made POA forms. When the revocation form is prepared, deliver it to your mandatary (or mandataries, if you have multiple POAs signed). Under La. Civ. Code art. 3028, the principal must notify third persons with whom the mandatary was authorized to contract of the revocation.
| Also Known As | POA Termination Form |
| Signing | Notarization is Advised |
| Download | PDF Template |
Below are other Louisiana templates on FormsPal. You can personalize any of these forms in our builder.
A Louisiana power of attorney is a legal document in which you, the principal, name another person to act on your behalf. The powers can be broad, such as handling your money, or narrow, such as selling one car. You choose the powers when you fill in the document, so read each entry above to find the type that fits.
The Civil Code calls this arrangement a mandate and calls your representative the mandatary, as La. Civ. Code art. 3024 shows. This page uses "representative" and "mandatary" for the same person.
The right Louisiana power of attorney depends on what you want your representative to do. Match your task to a document in the table below, then open its entry above to download the template or build a custom version online.
| Your task | Document |
|---|---|
| Manage your money if you are incapacitated | Durable power of attorney |
| Let someone handle everyday finances | General power of attorney |
| Hand off one specific matter, such as a sale | Limited power of attorney |
| Name someone to make your health care decisions | Medical power of attorney (Health Care Power of Attorney) |
| Leave your children in someone's care for a while | Minor child power of attorney |
| Sell, buy or lease property | Real estate power of attorney |
| Deal with Louisiana tax matters | State tax power of attorney (Form R-7006) |
| Handle vehicle paperwork at the Office of Motor Vehicles | Vehicle power of attorney |
| Cancel a power of attorney you made earlier | Revocation of power of attorney |
Every entry above has its own Signing row. Read the row for the document you pick before you sign, and ask a Louisiana attorney if you are not sure.
A Louisiana medical power of attorney, called the Health Care Power of Attorney, names a person to make health care decisions for you. Under La. Civ. Code art. 2997, authority to make health care decisions, such as surgery, medical expenses, nursing home residency, and medication, must be given expressly. Read the form for the powers it grants and when they start. The form and its download links are in the Medical entry above.
A declaration on life-sustaining procedures, often called a living will, gives a direction about treatment instead of naming a person. Under La. Rev. Stat. § 40:1151.2(A)(1), any adult person may make a written declaration directing the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures in the event of a terminal and irreversible condition.
Those rules speak of the declaration, not of a power of attorney.
A Louisiana financial power of attorney gives your representative authority over your money or property, and the three forms differ by how far that authority reaches. Under La. Civ. Code art. 3026, in the absence of contrary agreement, neither the contract nor the authority of the mandatary is terminated by the principal's incapacity, so a general or limited power of attorney also continues unless the document says otherwise. A durable form is written to make that plain.
A durable power of attorney in Louisiana keeps working through incapacity, and La. Civ. Code art. 3026 sets that as the starting point for a mandate. In the absence of contrary agreement, neither the contract nor the authority of the mandatary is terminated by the principal's incapacity, disability, or other condition that makes an express revocation of the mandate impossible or impractical.
So the difference between a power of attorney and a durable power of attorney in Louisiana comes down to what your document says: an agreement to the contrary changes the result. Incapacity also has a limit: under La. Civ. Code art. 3024, the mandate terminates upon the qualification of the curator after the interdiction of the principal.
To get power of attorney in Louisiana, the principal chooses a representative, completes a document stating the powers, and signs it in the form the act calls for.
Sample wording, example only: I, Jordan Sample, of Baton Rouge, appoint Casey Example as my mandatary to sell my oak dining table and to sign the sale papers for me. Signed by Jordan Sample on March 3, 2026.
Your representative acts for you within the powers you give, so choose someone you trust and talk with the person before you sign, so the role is no surprise. Then ask yourself three questions about the person you have in mind:
A Louisiana child power of attorney is a mandate of provisional custody, and La. Rev. Stat. § 9:951 lets a person having parental authority over a child delegate that custody by written mandate to any natural person.
The same section lists other causes of termination, so read it before you rely on the term you wrote.
A Louisiana power of attorney ends at the death of the principal or of the mandatary, because La. Civ. Code art. 3024 terminates both the mandate and the authority of the mandatary on either death. The article also names the interdiction of the mandatary and the qualification of the curator after the interdiction of the principal.
A Louisiana principal can cancel a power of attorney, because La. Civ. Code art. 3025 says the principal may terminate the mandate and the authority of the mandatary at any time. One exception sits in the same article: a mandate in the interest of the principal, and also of the mandatary or of a third person, may be irrevocable, if the parties so agree, for as long as the object of the contract may require.
Use the Louisiana revocation form listed above. After you complete it, give a copy to your representative so the person knows to stop acting for you. Then notify the third persons with whom your representative was authorized to contract, whether or not your representative has dealt with them yet, because La. Civ. Code art. 3028 sets the duty by that group: the principal must notify those third persons of the revocation, and a principal who fails to do so is bound to perform the obligations that the mandatary has undertaken.
A few simple slips can cause trouble later, when your representative needs to use the document. Check this list before you sign, and fix any problem while you can still change the document.
Louisiana power of attorney laws sit mainly in the Civil Code articles on mandate, with separate statutes for provisional custody of a child and declarations on life-sustaining procedures. The links below open each section on the Louisiana State Legislature's website.
| Section | Subject |
|---|---|
| La. Civ. Code art. 2993 | Form of a mandate |
| La. Civ. Code art. 2996 | Express authority to alienate, acquire, encumber, or lease |
| La. Civ. Code art. 2997 | Other acts that need express authority |
| La. Civ. Code art. 1839 | Transfer of immovable property |
| La. Civ. Code art. 3024 | Termination of the mandate and of the mandatary's authority |
| La. Civ. Code art. 3025 | Termination by the principal |
| La. Civ. Code art. 3026 | Incapacity of the principal |
| La. Civ. Code art. 3028 | Rights of third persons without notice of revocation |
| La. Rev. Stat. § 9:951 | Provisional custody by mandate |
| La. Rev. Stat. § 9:952 | Duration and termination of provisional custody |
| La. Rev. Stat. § 9:954 | Suggested form for provisional custody |
| La. Rev. Stat. § 40:1151.2 | Making a declaration on life-sustaining procedures |
Ask a Louisiana attorney about any question that depends on your own situation.
The form rule in La. Civ. Code art. 2993 does not name a lawyer as a step. Ask a Louisiana attorney when your document depends on your own situation, such as a real estate sale.
Yes. Use the Create My Document button at the top of this page. You answer a few questions, then save, print or download the document. You can also download one of the free PDF templates listed above.
Yes. Download the template and fill it in with the PDF editor, then print it and keep a signed copy.
Each template entry above has a PDF you can open and read before you fill it in. The How to Get section also shows a short piece of sample wording.
Form R-7006 is the download in the State tax entry above. It names the person who deals with the Louisiana Department of Revenue for you, so read it for the tax matters it covers.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
