A Washington motor vehicle power of attorney is a document that lets you name another person, called your agent, to handle matters for your vehicle. People use it for registration, titling, a sale or other paperwork with the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL). You can download the DOL’s own form, TD-420-050, as a PDF on this page, or fill out the FormsPal template online with Create My Document. Browse more power of attorney forms for other documents.
Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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Washington Motor Vehicle POA Form Details
The PDF this page hands out is the Washington State Department of Licensing’s Release of Interest/Power of Attorney, Form TD-420-050 (R/7/21).[1] It is a single page with 22 fillable fields. It has places for the vehicle or vessel, a lienholder’s release of interest, the registered owner’s release of interest, the power of attorney, and two Notarization/Certification blocks. The table lists the key facts about the document at a glance.
Document Name
Washington Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Form
State Form Name
Release of Interest/Power of Attorney, TD-420-050 (R/7/21)
How to Fill Out the Washington Vehicle Power of Attorney
The steps below follow the Washington State Department of Licensing’s Release of Interest/Power of Attorney, Form TD-420-050 (R/7/21), the official form this page hands out. Each step identifies one section of the form and explains what information belongs there. Work from the top of the page down, and skip a release of interest section that does not apply to you.
The screenshots under each step show the Washington DOL Release of Interest/Power of Attorney (TD-420-050), the official Washington form, filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, numbers and vehicle details are examples only.
Vehicle or vessel description. In the boxes at the top, enter the License/Registration number, the Vehicle or Hull Identification number (VIN or HIN), the Model year, the Make and the Model. Copy them from your title or registration.Step 1: sample entries, not a real document.
Release of interest: Lienholder. Fill in this part only when a lienholder releases its interest in the vehicle or vessel. The lienholder types or prints its name and, for a business, the signer’s title, then signs under the declaration made under penalty of perjury. The form says businesses do not need a notarized or certified signature with a current Washington title, and any other lienholder’s signature must be notarized or certified.Step 2: sample entries, not a real document.
Release of interest: Registered owner. Fill in this part only when a registered owner releases interest in the vehicle or vessel. Each registered owner types or prints their name, driver license or ID card number and 10-digit phone number, then signs. The form says this signature must be notarized or certified.Step 3: sample entries, not a real document.
Notarization/Certification for the release. This block is completed by the notary, agent or subagent who certifies a release signature: the state and county, the date and the name of each person signing, their signature and printed or stamped name, their title and number, and the seal or stamp. Leave it blank when you fill in the form.Step 4: sample entries, not a real document.
Power of attorney. On the line after “I appoint”, print the name of your attorney-in-fact. The printed paragraph gives that person authority to sign the papers needed to secure or release Washington title or registration for the vehicle or vessel described at the top. Each person granting the power of attorney fills in their name, driver license or ID card number and 10-digit phone number, then signs.Step 5: sample entries, not a real document.
Notarization/Certification for the power of attorney. The block under the Power of attorney section is for the notary, agent or subagent who certifies your signature, with the same lines as the block above. Leave it blank when you fill in the form.Step 6: sample entries, not a real document.
How to Sign and Use the Washington Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney
After you fill in the form, print it and work through the signing steps below. What signing takes depends on the document you use: TD-420-050, the DOL form this page hands out, or the FormsPal template you get from Create My Document. Before anyone signs, reread the power of attorney paragraph and confirm that every name on the form matches the identification documents.
If there’s a lienholder involved and it is a business with a current Washington title, their signature does not need to be notarized or certified.[1] The lienholder must fill out their business name, title if applicable, and sign the form, declaring the release of interest in the vehicle.[1] If the lienholder is an individual, their signature must be notarized or certified.[1]
Sign to declare you release all interest in the vehicle. Your signature must be notarized or certified unless it is signed in front of a WA vehicle licensing agent who can certify it.[1]
In the Power of attorney section, print the name of the person you are appointing as your attorney-in-fact. This person will be authorized to sign all necessary documents to secure or release the Washington title and/or registration for the vehicle. Each person granting the power of attorney prints their name, driver license or ID card number and phone number, and signs.[1]
On the DOL form, the Power of attorney section is followed by its own Notarization/Certification block. The form says: “You don’t need your signature notarized if you sign in front of a WA vehicle licensing agent, who can certify your signature.”[1] Otherwise, have a notary public complete that block, which has lines for the notary, agent or subagent signature and a place for the seal or stamp.[1]
If you use the FormsPal template from Create My Document instead, Washington law sets its signing rule. The power of attorney must be signed and dated by the principal, and the signature must be either acknowledged before a notary public or other individual authorized by law to take acknowledgments, or attested by two or more competent witnesses. The witnesses may not be home care providers for the principal or care providers at an adult family home or long-term care facility where the principal lives, and may not be related to the principal or the agent by blood, marriage or state registered domestic partnership. They sign in the presence of the principal and at the principal’s direction or request.[2]
Make a copy of the signed document for your records.
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About Washington State Form TD-420-050
Form TD-420-050 is specific to the State of Washington and is recognized by the DOL. The form requires detailed information about the vehicle or vessel, such as the license plate or vessel registration number, VIN, year, make, and title number. The form is structured to include sections like:
Lienholder’s release of interest (if applicable).
Registered owner’s release of interest.
Power of attorney.
For a lienholder, the form’s notarization rule depends on who the lienholder is. If the lienholder is not a business, its signature must be notarized or certified. A lienholder business with a current Washington title does not need a notarized or certified signature.[1]
Filling out the Washington vehicle power of attorney (Form TD-420-050) requires accuracy and attention to detail to meet all legal requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a vehicle power of attorney in Washington?
It is a document that lets you name an agent to handle matters for your vehicle in Washington, such as registration and titling paperwork. The DOL form on this page, TD-420-050, has spaces for the vehicle or vessel, the person you appoint and each person granting the power of attorney.
Can I fill out this form online?
Yes. Select Create My Document at the top of this page and answer a few questions to build the FormsPal template, or download the DOL form as a PDF and fill it in on your device. Its signature lines have no fields, so sign them by hand after you print.
What information do I need to fill out the form?
Have the vehicle’s license or registration number, VIN or HIN, model year, make and model ready, plus the full name of the person you appoint and the name, driver license or ID card number and 10-digit phone number of each person granting the power of attorney. A lienholder or registered owner who releases interest fills in their own lines.
What should I do after I sign the form?
Keep a signed copy for your records and store the original in a safe, accessible place. Confirm that every name on the form matches the identification documents.
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.
