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Health Care Power of Attorney Requirements in Alaska

In Alaska, a durable power of attorney for health care must be signed by two witnesses who personally know you or acknowledged before a notary public in Alaska.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Alaska at a glance

Document name
Durable power of attorney for health care
Witnesses
2 witnesses or a notary
Witnesses must be personally known by the principal.
Notary required
Notary or 2 witnesses
Acknowledgment before a notary public at a place in Alaska can replace the two witnesses.
Who cannot witness
Agent, staff of your health care provider or facility
Also health care providers employed where you get care. At least one witness cannot be a relative by blood, marriage or adoption or an heir under your will or by law.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Alaska

What is a health care power of attorney called in Alaska?

Document name in Alaska: Durable power of attorney for health care.

How many witnesses does a health care power of attorney need in Alaska?

Witnesses in Alaska: 2 witnesses or a notary. Witnesses must be personally known by the principal.

Does a health care power of attorney have to be notarized in Alaska?

Notary or 2 witnesses. Notary required in Alaska: notary or 2 witnesses. Acknowledgment before a notary public at a place in Alaska can replace the two witnesses.

Who cannot witness a health care power of attorney in Alaska?

Who cannot witness in Alaska: Agent, staff of your health care provider or facility. Also health care providers employed where you get care. At least one witness cannot be a relative by blood, marriage or adoption or an heir under your will or by law.

Where do the Alaska health care power of attorney requirements come from?

The rules above come from Alaska Stat. 13.52.010. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Follow the signing rules of the state where you live when you sign. If you spend a lot of time in another state, check whether that state honors documents signed elsewhere, and consider signing a version that also meets its rules.

Choose witnesses before the signing day. Witness rules often exclude the agent you are naming and may also exclude relatives, people who would inherit from you, or staff of a health care provider or facility caring for you. Using two unrelated adults avoids most problems.

Give copies of the signed document to your agent, any alternate agent and your doctors, and keep the original where it can be found quickly. If you later change your mind, revoke the old document in writing and tell everyone who has a copy.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.