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Health Care Power of Attorney Requirements in Michigan

In Michigan, a patient advocate designation must be signed in the presence of two witnesses with no notary option, and close family, heirs, devisees, your physician, your patient advocate and certain insurer and facility employees cannot witness.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Michigan at a glance

Document name
Patient advocate designation
Witnesses
2 witnesses
Notary required
No
The statute requires 2 witnesses and does not provide a notary alternative.
Who cannot witness
Spouse, close relatives, heirs, devisees, physician, advocate
Also employees of the patient's life or health insurer, a treating health facility, a home for the aged where the patient lives, or a treating community mental health program.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Michigan

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

Document name in Michigan: Patient advocate designation.

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

Witnesses in Michigan: 2 witnesses.

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

No. Notary required in Michigan: no. The statute requires 2 witnesses and does not provide a notary alternative.

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

Who cannot witness in Michigan: Spouse, close relatives, heirs, devisees, physician, advocate. Also employees of the patient's life or health insurer, a treating health facility, a home for the aged where the patient lives, or a treating community mental health program.

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

The rules above come from Mich. Comp. Laws 700.5506. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

The designation must also be made part of the patient's medical record before it is implemented.

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.