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Illinois 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 Illinois. In Illinois, a power of attorney generally must be signed before a notary public and one witness (755 Ill. Comp. Stat. 45/3-3).

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

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

Illinois signing requirements

Illinois general power of attorney signing requirements at a glance
NotarizationYes, required
WitnessesOne witness
Statute755 Ill. Comp. Stat. 45/3-3

Financial powers of attorney in Illinois are governed by the Illinois Power of Attorney Act (755 ILCS 45).

Illinois has an official form: the state publishes a statutory short form power of attorney for property (755 Ill. Comp. Stat. 45/3-3). 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 Illinois 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 Illinois

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 Illinois 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 Illinois

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