Free Louisiana Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Template

A Louisiana motor vehicle power of attorney is a mandate: an act by which one person gives another the power to transact one or several affairs for them. The Office of Motor Vehicles accepts it so an agent can sign title and registration documents for the owner.

OMV Policy 4.01, Power of Attorney/Mandate, revised June 2021, sets the rules. That policy cites Civil Code article 2989 as its authority.

Transfers Need a Full Vehicle Description

A mandate used to transfer ownership must describe the vehicle completely, with the make, year, and VIN. The one exception is a lessor’s power of attorney given to a lessee only to sign the odometer disclosure on a new leased vehicle.

The Original Goes With the File

You must submit the original power of attorney. If you want it back, an OMV employee photocopies it, notes that the original was seen, and returns it. A certified true copy can also work if the notary who notarized the original certifies it. The Clerk of Court where the document was recorded, or a custodian of records, can certify a copy too.

Any Alteration Voids It

Changes to a power of attorney void the document, and the OMV will not accept an affidavit of correction to cover them. Start a fresh form rather than crossing anything out.

The Agent Stays Within the Authority Given

A power of attorney that confers a specific authority lets the agent do only those acts. The policy’s example: authority for a duplicate title cannot be used to sell the vehicle.

Self-Transfers Need Express Permission

An agent cannot use the mandate to transfer the vehicle into their own name unless the mandate specifically allows it. Nor can an agent sign as both buyer and seller on a title or odometer statement for a conforming model vehicle.

Yes, if you sign it in Louisiana. OMV Policy 4.01 requires notarization only on powers of attorney executed in the state, and on those from other states that require title documents to be notarized.

So where you sign matters. A Louisiana motor vehicle power of attorney signed at home in Baton Rouge needs a notary, while one signed in another state needs a notary only if that state requires notarized title documents.

Tip: A notary’s certified true copy counts only if that notary also notarized the original. If you may need copies later, ask for them at the same visit.

Get the details right the first time, because corrections void the form:

1. Name yourself as the owner and principal.
2. Name the agent or attorney-in-fact who will act for you.
3. Describe the vehicle by make, year, and VIN.
4. State each act the agent may perform, such as transfer, registration, or a duplicate title.
5. Add express permission if the agent may transfer the vehicle into their own name.
6. Sign in front of a notary if you are signing in Louisiana.
7. Give the original to your agent, who signs OMV documents as, for example, Jim Jones by James Smith, POA.

Keep the mandate specific:

• Owner’s name as the principal
• Agent’s or attorney-in-fact’s name
• Vehicle make, year, and VIN
• Each act the agent is authorized to perform
• Any express authority to transfer the vehicle to the agent
• Owner’s signature and, when signed in Louisiana, a notary’s acknowledgment

Document Genius’s customizable template walks you through each item, so your Louisiana motor vehicle power of attorney is ready to sign cleanly.