Documents we notarize → Healthcare Directives
Healthcare Directive Notarization in Your Area
Advance directives, living wills, medical powers of attorney and HIPAA
authorizations — notarized at the hospital bedside, at a care facility or at home, usually the same day.
Hospital & care facility travel $65
Evenings and weekends
What you need to know
What is an advance healthcare directive?
An advance healthcare directive records what medical treatment a person wants, and
who may speak for them if they cannot speak for themselves. Most versions combine two things: written
instructions about care, and the appointment of a healthcare agent to make decisions in the moment.
These calls tend to be urgent. A surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning, a diagnosis has just
changed the picture, a family wants the paperwork in place while their mother can still clearly say what
she wants. We take those appointments seriously and move quickly on them.
Documents in this category
Advance healthcare directive
The combined form used in most states — treatment wishes plus the appointment of a healthcare agent.
Living will
Instructions about life-sustaining treatment, resuscitation and comfort care if recovery is not expected.
Medical power of attorney / healthcare proxy
Names the person authorized to make medical decisions. See also Power of Attorney.
HIPAA authorization
Allows named family members to receive medical information that providers would otherwise withhold.
Medical consent and authorization forms
Treatment consents, release forms and facility paperwork that ask for a notarized signature.
Organ donation and anatomical gift forms
Where the form or the institution asks for notarization, we handle it in the same visit.
Legal requirements
Notary or witnesses?
Most states let an advance directive be executed with either a notary or two
qualified adult witnesses, and some require specific wording or a particular state form. Witness rules
are stricter than people expect: in many states the witness cannot be your healthcare agent, cannot be
related to you, cannot inherit from you, and cannot work for the facility where you are being treated.
That is why a notary is often the simpler route in a hospital — the people available in the room are
frequently the ones disqualified from witnessing. It is also why hospitals and doctors’ offices accept a
notarized directive without hesitation.
If your form has both a witness block and a notary block, complete both. Doing more than the minimum
never invalidates the document; doing less can.
Hospital bedside visits
We come to the room. Give us the facility name, the patient’s room number and a contact who will be there — travel fee $65.
Skilled nursing and assisted living
We are used to sign-in procedures, visiting hours and coordinating with staff before we arrive.
Before we arrive
What to have ready
Have ready
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the patient — a passport or state ID works if the license has lapsed
- The directive, filled in but unsigned
- The healthcare agent’s full legal name, address and phone number entered in the form
- Room number, unit and any visitor check-in requirements if we are coming to a facility
- Any additional witnesses your state or your form requires
- A phone number for someone who will be at the bedside when we arrive
Common mistakes
- Signing the form before the notary is present
- Using a family member as witness when the form excludes relatives and heirs
- Waiting until the patient is sedated, intubated or too unwell to communicate
- Filling in the agent’s details after the notarization
- Assuming the hospital will provide a notary — on-site notary support, where it exists, is usually limited and cannot be arranged from the bedside
Directive forms are state-specific and altering the official language can invalidate
them. Start from your state’s current form — see our downloads page — or ask the
hospital’s social worker or your attorney for the right version.
Healthcare directive questions
Frequently asked
How fast can you get to a hospital?
Same-day visits are often possible, and these are the appointments we prioritize. Call or text
with the facility and room number and we will give you a realistic arrival window rather than a vague
promise.
The patient is heavily medicated. Can they sign?
Only if they are awake, aware of what they are signing and able to communicate that
understanding to the notary themselves. Medication does not automatically disqualify someone, but
confusion, sedation or an inability to respond does. A notary who has any doubt is required to
decline. If capacity has already been lost, the family’s options usually shift to a court-appointed
guardianship or conservatorship, which is an attorney matter.
Can the healthcare agent be present at the signing?
Yes, they can be in the room. What they cannot do is answer for the signer, sign on their
behalf, or serve as a witness where the form excludes the agent. The signer speaks for themselves and
signs for themselves.
Does a POLST or DNR form need notarizing?
Usually not — those are medical orders signed by a physician and executed through the treating
facility, not notarial documents. The advance directive that sits alongside them is the one people
bring to us. If your form has a notary block, it needs a notary.
What does a hospital visit cost?
A flat $65 travel fee for hospitals and care facilities, plus from $15 per notarized
signature. No distance surcharge and nothing added on arrival. See Our
Pricing.
Can you notarize a directive written in another language?
The notary’s job is to verify identity and witness the signature, not to read or translate the
document. What matters is that the signer understands what they are signing and can communicate
directly with the notary. If there is a language barrier between the signer and the notary, tell us
when you book so we can arrange the right notary.
Related services
Our notaries are not attorneys and are not medical professionals. We cannot give
legal or medical advice, or help you choose, prepare or complete a document.
Need a directive signed today?
Hospital, care facility or home, anywhere in Your Area. Call and tell us where the
patient is — we’ll tell you honestly how soon we can be there.