Advance Directive Forms by State

How we pick these sources

1. Government first. State health departments, departments of aging, secretaries of state, and attorneys general. If the state publishes a form, that is the one we link.
2. State bar association second — only for states that publish no form through a government page.
3. Never a template site. We do not link to commercial legal-form websites, because we cannot tell whether their version matches current state law.
4. Opened and checked by hand. If we cannot confirm a link, we do not publish it — the state page will say we are still reviewing instead.

Frequently asked

Does every state have an advance directive form?

No. California and Pennsylvania, for example, do not require or issue one. In those states any written document that is signed and witnessed as the law requires can serve as your directive.

Why is it called something different in my state?

Because the names come from each state’s own law. New York calls it a Health Care Proxy, Texas calls it a Directive to Physicians and Family or Surrogates, and Georgia rolls everything into one Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care.

Do I need witnesses or a notary?

It depends on the state and on which document you sign. Some require two witnesses, some accept a notary instead, and some require both. The form itself says exactly what it needs.

Next step

Once you have the form, write down where you keep it so your family can find it. Build your checklist — it takes about five minutes.