Free Alabama Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Template

An Alabama motor vehicle power of attorney lets a vehicle owner appoint someone to act on title and registration matters. The state publishes its own form for this, and the Department of Revenue expects that form, signed in original.

The Alabama Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division, publishes Form MVT 5-13. The current revision is dated 4/21, and its own text sets out what the document must contain.

The Vehicle Has to Be Identified

Naturally, the form heads with the vehicle itself. It asks for the vehicle identification number, year, make, model, body type, license plate number, and the state of issuance. Then the authority applies to that one motor vehicle.

Both Parties Are Named

Next come two blocks, one for the taxpayer and one for the representative appointed. Each asks for a name and address, typed or printed, with an email address and telephone number.

What You Can Authorize

Meanwhile, the form lists the purposes as checkboxes, so the owner picks what the agent may handle:

• Title application, transfer, or lien filing
• IFTA transactions
• Registering and purchasing license plates
• Title service provider, where Section A is not required
• Another purpose, described in the space provided

The Appointee Must Sign

Signatures are where this form catches people out. The taxpayer signs and dates it, and so does the appointee. In fact, the form states that it is not valid without the appointee’s signature.

Businesses sign differently. Where a business firm or corporation is appointed, an authorized representative of the firm signs as the attorney-in-fact for the owner.

No Alterations, Original Signatures

Also, a special notice sits above the signature lines. Any alterations or strikeovers void the power of attorney, and original signatures are required.

What the Agent Cannot Do

Then the acts authorized section is broad but bounded. The representative may receive and inspect confidential tax information. They may also perform any and all acts the owner could perform on the matters described.

Two things sit outside it. The authority does not include the power to receive refund checks, nor the power to sign certain returns. A separate line lets the owner list specific additions or restrictions.

The current state form has no notary block. Form MVT 5-13, as revised 4/21, carries signature lines for the taxpayer and the appointee. It also carries a special notice about alterations. However, it has nothing for a notary to complete.

That difference is worth knowing. An earlier revision of the same form, dated 1/13, ended differently. It closed with the line “Sworn to and subscribed before me on date above stated,” which is a notary jurat. Older copies still circulate on county and template websites, so the version you download matters.

Because practice can vary at the counter, ask the licensing official handling your transaction before you sign. If they want the document notarized, having it done costs little and avoids a second trip.

Tip: Download the form fresh from the Department of Revenue rather than reusing a saved copy. An out-of-date Alabama motor vehicle power of attorney may ask for things the current one does not.

As always, getting both signatures is the part people miss. Work through these steps:

1. Fill in the vehicle details, including the VIN and plate number.
2. Complete the taxpayer and representative blocks in full.
3. Tick only the purposes the agent should handle, and describe any other purpose.
4. List any additions or restrictions you want on the authority.
5. Sign and date, then have the appointee sign, since the form is invalid without it.
6. Keep the document clean, with no strikeouts, and submit the original.

Here too, the form’s own fields make a useful checklist.

• Vehicle identification number, year, make, model, and body type
• License plate number and state of issuance
• Owner name, address, email, and telephone number
• Appointee name, address, email, and telephone number
• The purposes being authorized
• Any additions or restrictions on the authority
• Owner signature and date
• Appointee signature and date

Document Genius’s guided form walks you through each field. So your Alabama motor vehicle power of attorney is ready to download or e-sign in minutes.