Signing checklist for Vermont

The signing steps in Vermont law, step by step. Pick your documents to see them.

Checked against official sources: October 31, 2026.

Short answer

This checklist lists the signing rules in Vermont law. It does not check whether your document is valid.

Financial power of attorney: Signed by you; the law requires no notary or witnesses
Health care directive: Signed in front of two witnesses (no notary)

Financial power of attorney: Vermont

Choose your form Vermont Statutory Form Power of Attorney; Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney for Real Estate Transactions. You do not have to use it. The official copy is the text of 14 V.S.A. §§ 4051-4052 on the Legislature's website. The statutory form does not give health care powers. Official text
Law: 14 V.S.A. §§ 4051, 4052
Sign it Signed by you, or in your conscious presence by another person you direct to sign your name.
Law: 14 V.S.A. §§ 4005, 4006, 4019, 4020
Notary or witnesses Sign the power of attorney. A notary is not required for it to be valid, but if you acknowledge your signature before a notary it is presumed genuine, and the rules that require banks and others to accept a power of attorney apply only to acknowledged (notarized) powers of attorney.
Law: 14 V.S.A. §§ 4005, 4006, 4019, 4020
If it may be used for real estate Vermont has a statutory short form power of attorney for a specific real estate transaction.

Health care directive: Vermont

Choose your form Vermont Advance Directive - Short Form. You do not have to use it. Official text
Law: 18 V.S.A. §§ 9702, 9703
Sign it Dated and signed by you, or by another person in your presence at your express direction if you physically cannot sign.
Law: 18 V.S.A. § 9703
Notary or witnesses Sign and date the advance directive in front of two adult witnesses who are not your agent or close family. No notary is needed. Extra steps apply in hospitals, nursing homes and residential care facilities.
Law: 18 V.S.A. § 9703
Who cannot witness Two or more witnesses at least 18 years old must sign and affirm you appeared to understand the document and were free from duress or undue influence. Your agent, spouse, parent, adult sibling, adult child and adult grandchild cannot be witnesses. A health care provider may be a witness. Since April 1, 2024 a witness may be remote (by live audio-video or phone) if you know each other and you list the witness's name, contact information and relationship on the directive.
Law: 18 V.S.A. § 9703
If you sign electronically You, the witnesses and the person who explains the directive may sign with a digital signature (remote witnesses must meet the remote-witness conditions).
Law: 18 V.S.A. § 9703
If you live in a nursing facility If you are being admitted to or live in a nursing home or residential care facility, or are being admitted to or are a patient in a hospital, the directive is not effective unless a qualified person (such as an ombudsman, clergy member, Vermont lawyer, Probate Division designee, hospital-designated person or mental health patient representative) explains it to you and signs a statement saying so. That person may also be one of the witnesses.
Law: 18 V.S.A. § 9703

After signing

Registry (optional) Vermont Advance Directive Registry (VADR). Fee: Free for all Vermont residents (Vermont Department of Health). Official text
Law: 18 V.S.A. §§ 9701(28), 9704
Give copies to the right people Keep the signed documents in a safe place and give copies to your health care proxy and your doctors. Some states have registries that store an advance directive for doctors and your proxy.

Signing checklist

This checklist lists the signing rules in Vermont law. It does not check whether your document is valid.

Free help in Vermont

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Vermont Adult Protective Services (Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living, Division of Licensing and Protection) · 1-800-564-1612