Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Forms

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. Say you’re moving and haven’t sold the vehicle yet. You might want to designate someone local to sell it for you instead of bringing the vehicle with you.

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.

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 get your form and set everything up.

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.
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. The next section walks through each part of the template.
3. Sign and file your power of attorney. Finally, 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

The table below lists each state, the signing details it shows for a vehicle power of attorney and the name of the state’s own DMV form. Several form names link to the matching FormsPal page, so you can open the form directly.

How to Fill Out a Vehicle Power of Attorney

The steps below follow the FormsPal template that this page hands out. This guide is based on a template (PDF) we prepared with the help of a professional attorney. Work through it in order, from page 1 to page 3.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Motor Vehicle 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.

Step 1: Motor Vehicles (You and Your Agent)

Start with the opening paragraph on page 1. Enter your name and address, then your agent’s name and address, in the blanks of the opening sentence. Your agent is also called your attorney-in-fact.

Step 2: Involving the Following Motor Vehicle

The form has room for one vehicle. Fill in these details for it:

• VIN (vehicle identification number)
• Make
• Model
• Year
• Current Odometer reading

On the “Other Identifying Characteristics” line, add the color and license plate number. Stickers, dents and scratches can also help tell your car apart from others of the same make and model.

Step 3: DMV State, Social Security Number or Tax ID, and Date of Birth

Write the state whose Department of Motor Vehicles your agent will deal with in the powers paragraph. Then fill in your Social Security Number or Tax ID Number and your date of birth. The Effective Date line below is preprinted, so you don’t need to enter anything there.

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.

Step 4: Successor Attorney-in-Fact

On page 2, repeat your agent’s name, then enter the alternate agent’s name and address.

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.

Step 5: Signed This Day (Date, Signature and Printed Name)

Enter the day, month and year on the “Signed this” line. Then add your signature and your printed name. Do this once every other blank on pages 1 and 2 is filled in.

Step 6: Acknowledgment

The last page of the template is the acknowledgment. It has blanks for the state, county, date, the officer’s name and title, and your name as the person who appeared.

How to Sign and Use the Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney

Once every blank on pages 1 and 2 is filled in, you are ready to sign and share the document. Read through the form one more time, then follow these steps to sign it, make the copies and hand it to your agent.

1. Check the details. Check that your name and your agent’s name match your IDs. Check that the VIN matches your vehicle title or registration.
2. Sign and date the form. Sign where the form asks for your signature on page 2. 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.
3. Make copies. 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.
4. Hand over the signed document. Give your agent the signed document and keep a signed copy with your vehicle records.

Create a Free Power of Attorney for a Car

Make your own motor vehicle power of attorney online in a few minutes. Answer a few questions, then save, download and print the finished document. Prefer the blank template? Download the PDF from this page and fill it in with the FormsPal PDF editor.

Create a free high quality Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney online now!

Create and Print Online Now

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions people ask most often about a motor vehicle power of attorney and the free template on this page. Each answer is short, so you can scan the list for the one you need and then go back to the form.

What is a motor vehicle power of attorney?

It is a document that lets you name an agent to act for you on a vehicle you own. The agent can handle tasks such as registration, a sale or DMV paperwork. You stay the owner of the vehicle.

What can my agent do with my vehicle?

Your agent can register the vehicle, buy or sell it for you, sign the related paperwork and deal with the DMV on your behalf. You can also ask your agent to handle maintenance. The details are up to you and your agent.

What information goes on the form?

The FormsPal template asks for these details:

• Your name and address, and your agent’s name and address
• The vehicle’s make, model, year, VIN and odometer reading
• Your Social Security or tax ID number and your date of birth
• An alternate agent, your signature and the date

Where can I find my state’s form?

Use the state links near the top of this page to open a state-specific form. The signing table above also lists the name of each state’s own DMV form.

How do I create a motor vehicle power of attorney online?

Select Create My Document on this page and answer a few questions. When you are done, download and print the document.

General information, not legal or tax advice.

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.