Power of Attorney in Texas: Guide and Requirements

Texas allows medical and financial powers of attorney.
Roberta Pescow
By Roberta Pescow 
Published
Edited by Tina Orem

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.


The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

A power of attorney in Texas is a document that authorizes another person (the “agent” or “attorney in fact”) to take certain actions on your behalf. The creator of the power of attorney is called the “principal.” Texas generally recognizes medical and financial power of attorney authorizations. 

Laws and requirements regarding power of attorney details vary from state to state. If you’re considering creating a power of attorney in Texas, here are some important things to know.

Texas generally allows two basic types of power of attorney:

  • Medical power of attorney: This allows your agent to make medical decisions for you. With a medical power of attorney, your agent can decide your end-of-life care, surgery, medications and other healthcare treatment options.

  • Statutory (financial) power of attorney: This allows your agent to make financial decisions about your property and money. Depending on the details of your POA, these responsibilities may include things such as selling or renting your property, making bank deposits for you, paying your bills or collecting benefits for you.

Additionally, a power of attorney in Texas may fall into one or more of these subcategories:

  • Durable power of attorney: This power of attorney remains in effect even if you become incapacitated. (If you don’t make your POA durable, it ends if you become incapacitated.) You can make statutory and medical POAs durable by stating in your document that the POA won’t be affected by any disability or incapacity you might experience. Talk with an experienced estate planning attorney to ensure the wording is exactly correct and enforceable in Texas.

  • Springing power of attorney: This only goes into effect if/when you become incapacitated. All springing POAs are durable.

  • Limited or special power of attorney: This only allows your agent to act in a limited way, such as completing a specific financial transaction for you on a specific day, or paying your bills while you’re out of town.

  • General power of attorney: This gives your agent a large berth to make a wide range of decisions for you and take a broad range of actions on your behalf.

Trust & Will - Will

LegalZoom - Last Will

Price (one-time)

Will: one-time fee of $199 per individual or $299 for couples. Trust: one-time fee of $499 per individual or $599 for couples.

Price (one-time)

$89 for Basic will plan, $99 for Comprehensive will plan, $249 for Estate Plan Bundle.

Price (annual)

$19 annual membership fee.

Price (annual)

None

Access to attorney support

Yes

Access to attorney support

Yes

Requirements to make a power of attorney in Texas

In order to create a power of attorney in Texas, you need to meet the following requirements:

  • You must be “of sound mind” and grasp the full meaning of a power of attorney.

  • You have to be at least 18 years old.

  • The signatures have to be notarized, meaning they have to be witnessed by a notary public.

  • If you’re creating a medical power of attorney, either a notary public or two competent adults must witness the document. One of these witnesses must be “disinterested,” meaning they can’t be your agent, a relative by blood or marriage, your health care provider (or an employee of your health care provider) or beneficiary (anyone who will inherit or have a claim on your assets after your death). Some exceptions apply for military POAs and those created out of state.

    TexasLawHelp.org. Powers of Attorney. Accessed Mar 20, 2023.

Consider giving your agent a copy of the POA in case they need it as proof that they’re allowed to act on your behalf.

How to get a power of attorney in Texas

1. Create your official document

You can work with an attorney, use estate planning software or download Texas’ Statutory Durable Power of Attorney or Medical Power of Attorney Designation of Health Care Agent forms to print and fill out yourself. Choose your agent and detail the authority you’d like them to have. 

2. Sign your POA with the required notary or witnesses present

For a statutory POA you’ll need to have the document notarized; for a medical POA you can have two witnesses instead, as long as one of them is a “disinterested” party.

3. Safely store the original document

Tell your agent where the original is and give your agent a copy for reference.

4. Provide a copy of your POA to other relevant parties

If your POA involves real estate transactions, for example, you may need to file a copy with your land records office, which in Texas is part of your county clerk’s office. If your agent will conduct financial transactions, you may want to give your banks and other financial institutions a copy as well. For medical POAs, you may want your doctor or other health care providers to have a copy.

Texas Constitution and Statutes. Sec. 751.001. Accessed Mar 20, 2023.

5. Review your POA every three to five years

Update it as needed, along with the rest of your important estate planning documents.

What are the power of attorney requirements in my state?

See the requirements for creating a valid power of attorney in these states:

Frequently asked questions

A durable power of attorney can help you create a solid plan for handling your finances and/or health care if you can’t do it yourself. A limited power of attorney may make sense when you need someone to handle a specific task/decision for a limited period of time, such as purchasing a property for you while you’re away on business, for example.

If you take a DIY approach, you can download free Texas medical and statutory POA forms from the state (you pay the notary fee if required). If you want to create a POA online, estate planning software may help. The cost of hiring an estate planning attorney to draft your POA can vary.

You can use a statutory POA to give your agent the authority to file and pay your income taxes. If you’d also like your agent to represent you in official tax matters, fill out the Texas Power of Attorney Form.

In Texas you can pick anyone you trust to be your agent, provided the person is at least 18 years old and of sound mind. You can even choose a family member, close friend or a trusted organization. For a medical POA, your agent can’t be anyone who provides your health care, such as your doctor or nurse.

According to section 751.131 of the Texas Estates Code, a durable power of attorney remains in effect until:

  • The principal revokes the POA.

  • The principal dies.

  • The principal is appointed a guardian.

  • The agent’s authority is terminated and the POA doesn’t name a replacement.

  • The POA specified conditions for its termination have been fulfilled.

No. In Texas you’ll need to create separate medical and statutory powers of attorney.

If your marriage ends in divorce, annulment or is otherwise declared void, your ex-spouse’s authority as agent is terminated.

Compare online will makers

Company
NerdWallet
rating
Price
(one-time)
Price
(annual)
Access to
attorney support
Learn more
Ease of use
Trust & Will - Will
Trust & Will - Will
Get started

on Trust & Will's website

Will: one-time fee of $199 per individual or $299 for couples. Trust: one-time fee of $499 per individual or $599 for couples. $19 annual membership fee.Yes
Get started

on Trust & Will's website

State-specific legal advice
LegalZoom - Last Will
LegalZoom - Last Will
Get started

on LegalZoom's website

$89 for Basic will plan, $99 for Comprehensive will plan, $249 for Estate Plan Bundle.NoneYes
Get started

on LegalZoom's website

Comprehensive services
Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker - WillMaker
Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker - WillMaker
Get started

on Nolo's website

None$99 to $209 per year.No
Get started

on Nolo's website

Mama Bear Legal Forms
Mama Bear Legal Forms
Learn more

on NerdWallet

$149$0 but $29 for one-time updateNo
Learn more

on NerdWallet

Free will software
Do Your Own Will - Will
Do Your Own Will - Will
Learn more

on NerdWallet

FreeNoneNo
Learn more

on NerdWallet

Get more smart money moves – straight to your inbox
Sign up and we’ll send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money.