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California General Power of Attorney

A general power of attorney lets you (the principal) authorize an agent to handle financial and legal matters on your behalf in California. In California, a power of attorney generally must be either acknowledged before a notary public or signed by two witnesses (Cal. Prob. Code 4121).

Note that a general power of attorney ends if you become incapacitated. If you want authority that survives incapacity, use the California durable power of attorney instead. Either way, this template produces a document ready to sign, in Word and PDF.

Create your California general power of attorneyRead the full General Power of Attorney guide

California signing requirements

California general power of attorney signing requirements at a glance
NotarizationNotary or two witnesses (either satisfies the statute)
WitnessesTwo witnesses as the alternative to notarization
StatuteCal. Prob. Code 4121

The witnesses cannot include the agent; real estate transactions require the notarized version.

Financial powers of attorney in California are governed by the Cal. Prob. Code div. 4.5 (4000 et seq.).

California has an official form: the state publishes a uniform statutory form power of attorney (Cal. Prob. Code 4401). Our guided questionnaire covers the same decisions in plain language, and you can compare your finished document with the official form before signing.

Verify before you rely on it

Power of attorney statutes change, and banks, hospitals, and county recorders can have their own acceptance practices. Confirm the current California requirement in the statute cited above (or with your state's self-help resources) before signing your general power of attorney.

How this template works in California

Answer guided questions about the principal, the agent, and the powers you grant, and the document writes itself in front of you. Then sign it following the California requirements above and download it in Word and PDF.

The form, the live preview, and the full guide live on the main General Power of Attorney page.

Other power of attorney forms for California

Not sure this is the right variant? Each one solves a different problem: general authority, authority that survives incapacity, medical decisions, or a single defined task.

General Power of Attorney in other states