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Health Care Power of Attorney Requirements in Arkansas

In Arkansas, a durable power of attorney for health care must be either notarized or witnessed by two competent adults, and the agent cannot be a witness.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Arkansas at a glance

Document name
Durable power of attorney for health care
Witnesses
2 witnesses or a notary
Notary required
Notary or 2 witnesses
A witnessed directive must include an attestation clause.
Who cannot witness
Agent
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 Arkansas

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

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

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

Witnesses in Arkansas: 2 witnesses or a notary.

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

Notary or 2 witnesses. Notary required in Arkansas: notary or 2 witnesses. A witnessed directive must include an attestation clause.

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

Who cannot witness in Arkansas: Agent. 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 Arkansas health care power of attorney requirements come from?

The rules above come from Ark. Code 20-6-103. 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.