Free Vehicle Power of Attorney Forms | U.S States (Word, PDF)

Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Forms

A Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Form is used by a Vehicle Owner (referred to as the Principal) to delegate certain responsibilities such as purchasing, registering, titling, or selling a vehicle to another person. By definition,

A motor vehicle power of attorney is a legal avenue through which a person who owns a vehicle may delegate the responsibilities of registering, purchasing, titling, or selling the said automobile on his behalf.

The person authorized, referred to as the “Agent,” or “Attorney-in-fact,” can take part in the transaction stated in the Form and sign the documents on the condition that the vehicle owner retains the original copy. In most states, the motor vehicle power of attorney form is usually required to be signed in the presence of a notary public per the Power of Attorney (POA) laws regarding the property.

Various reasons warrant the use of the motor vehicle power of attorney forms, including:

  • If one is unable to attend to the needs of their vehicle physically
  • One needs an employee to file the appropriate registration/title/paperwork for a company vehicle
  • One needs to appoint an Agent to transfer the vehicle’s title

NOTE: If the POA was drafted to sell a vehicle on behalf of the Principal, the form would have to be obtained from the specific state’s department that deals with the same to help complete the transaction.

Prerequisites

The Principal must first equip themselves with key information about the vehicle such as Make, Model, Year, Style, Vin Number, and Mileage Count before filling in the Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney. This information is important as it will be needed in the POA.

After making sure that all the information needed is available, the next thing is to appoint an Agent to take charge.

Next, fill and complete the motor vehicle POA, sign it, and have a notary public sign it to officiate it.

How to Give Vehicle Power of Attorney?

Knowing how to properly fill a Power of Attorney Form is very important whether one is looking to have their vehicle registered, titled, sold, or purchased, and the transaction is to be carried out by their representatives. Below are key steps to follow when filing the motor vehicle power of attorney form:

Get a form

The first step is to obtain the Form from your state’s department and provide the required ownership records, i.e., certificate of title, proof of insurance, license plates, registration, and other documents. This information will be used to verify that the Principal is the actual owner of the vehicle.

Note: You can download free POA forms later in this post.

Choose the powers

If the Principal is looking to restrict the powers granted to their Agent, they must properly outline such limitations in the Form. For instance, if the Agent is only permitted to register the vehicle, the Principal must properly indicate that in the Form. In most cases, the Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Forms are used when allowing an agent to sell a vehicle; therefore, one must tailor the Form to its specific use.

Mention the principal and agent

The Form must clearly define the Principal and the Agent, including their name, mailing address, and any other identifying items. It must also state the duration in which the Agent is authorized to act on behalf of the Principal.

Sample Clause:

This document is to certify that Paul Scholes with the mailing address of 8638 valley arcade PR, 27 Paris, herein referred to as the Principal grants to Kevin Linwood, with a mailing address 972 Saint Street, PR 72 Paris, herein referred to as the Agent the Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney for an indefinite period or until canceled in writing by the Principal to act on behalf, with regard to all matters regarding the registration, licensing, transfer of ownership, and/or tilting of the vehicle whose information is included below with the applicable motor vehicle agency in Paris.

Input the Vehicle Information

After defining the Principal and the Agent, the next step is to include the vehicle’s information to help distinguish the vehicle the Agent is being granted the authorization on. Such information includes:

  • Odometer reading
  • Vehicle Identification Number
  • Certificate of Title
  • Registration
  • License Plates
  • Proof of Insurance
  • Any other document required by the local motor vehicle office

Mention vehicle owner information

If the owner of the vehicle is a company, the information included should include the Federal ID/EIN. Else, the owner’s date of birth and social security number should be included in the Form.

Signatures

The next step is to sign the form to certify that the one acknowledges the document. One should also include the date of signing, especially if they are issuing a time-bound POA.

Notarization

 After signing the document, the Principal should visit a notary public and have them notarize the document to make it official and bona fide. Only after the Form has been notarized can it be deemed valid for use in any transaction authorized by the Principal.

Notarization of the Form can be done in the following ways:

  • Physical Location
    • Financial institution (TD Bank, Chase, Bank of America)
    • UPS Store
    • NotaryDirectory
  • Online

Only after the form has been notarized will the Agent be formally granted the POA.

Signing Requirements

Below are the signing requirements by state:

STATEFORMSIGNING REQUIREMENTS
AlabamaMVT 5-13Notarize
AlaskaForm 847Notarize
Arizona48-1001Notarize
ArkansasN/AN/A
CaliforniaREG 260Owner of Vehicle
ColoradoDR 2175Notarize
ConnecticutA-83Two (2) Witnesses & Notarize
DelawareForm MV386Notarize
FloridaHSMV 82053Owner of Vehicle
GeorgiaForm T-8Notarize
HawaiiDMVL596-2-09Notarize
IdahoITD 3368Notarize if Applying for Duplicate Title
IllinoisPower of AttorneyOwner of Vehicle
IndianaState Form 1940Notarize
IowaForm 411021Notarize
KansasTR-41Owner of Vehicle
Kentucky
Vehicle Power of Attorney
 
Notarize
LouisianaMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyNotarize
MaineMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyCertified Technician and Notary Public
MarylandVR-470Owner of Vehicle
MassachusettsMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyCertified Technician and Notary Public
MichiganTR-128Owner of Vehicle
MinnesotaMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyCertified Technician and Notary Public
MississippiForm 78-003-10-1-1-000Notarize
MissouriForm 4054Notarize (Not Required if Signing Electronically)    
MontanaMV65Notarize
NebraskaPower of AttorneyNotarize
NevadaVP136Notarize
New HampshireMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyNotarize
New JerseyMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyCertified Technician and Notary Public
New MexicoMVD–11020Notarize
New YorkMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyCertified Technician and Notary Public
North CarolinaMVR-63Notarize
North DakotaMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyCertified Technician and Notary Public
OhioBMV 3771Notarize
OklahomaMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyCertified Technician and Notary Public
OregonForm 735-500Owner of Vehicle
PennsylvaniaPower of AttorneyNotarize
Rhode IslandMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyCertified Technician and Notary Public
South CarolinaMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyNotarize
South DakotaMV-008Notarize
TennesseeRV-F1311401Notarize
TexasForm VTR-271Owner of Vehicle
UtahMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyCertified Technician and Notary Public
VermontMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyCertified Technician and Notary Public
VirginiaVSA 70Owner of Vehicle
WashingtonTD-420-050Notarize
West VirginiaDMV-9-TRNotarize
WisconsinMotor Vehicle Power of AttorneyCertified Technician and Notary Public
WyomingPower of AttorneyNotarize

Free Motor Vehicle POA Forms (by State)

Sample Motor Vehicle POA Form

Motor Vehicle POA Form

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Can a Power of Attorney purchase a car?

    YES, he can! The powers give under this arrangement are largely discretionary. If an owner so wishes, it is possible to use the form to purchase or even resale a car. The only conditions here being that the owner has to be duly informed in advance prior to the execution of the sale.

    Does “Vehicle Power of Attorney Form” needs to be notarized?

    YES, it does! We have already explained that the form has to be notarized to make it official and widely acceptable. Apparently, there is no provision for use of the form without this notarization. The conditions governing the notarization, however, varies from state to state.

    Key Takeaways

    It is important for the Principal to use the Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Form when they are looking to appoint an Agent to do certain responsibilities on their behalf. The Form should be signed in the presence of a public notary in regard to the POA granted to the Agent. The Principal, after signing, should retain a copy of the Form for future reference.

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