Does a Texas advance directive need to be notarized?
Not necessarily. Texas law accepts it signed before a notary or before witnesses. It can be notarized online.
- Law
- Tex. Health & Safety Code § 166.032 · checked October 16, 2026
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How is an advance directive signed in Texas?
The rule is in Tex. Health & Safety Code § 166.032.1 You sign the directive in front of two qualified witnesses, at least one of whom meets the stricter witness rules, and both witnesses then sign it; alternatively, you sign it and have your signature acknowledged before a notary public.2
Who can witness an advance directive in Texas?
Each witness must be a competent adult, and at least one witness must not be any of the following: a person the declarant designated to make health care decisions; a relative by blood or marriage; a person entitled to part of the declarant's estate; the attending physician or the physician's employee; certain employees, officers, directors, partners or business office employees of the health care facility; or a person with a claim against the declarant's estate.3
Does Texas have an official advance directive form?
Texas law provides a sample Directive to Physicians form, but using it is optional.4
What do I do after an advance directive is signed in Texas?
Give a copy of the signed directive to your doctor, your usual hospital, and your family or chosen spokesperson.5
How long does an advance directive last in Texas?
The directive stays in effect until you revoke it, and no one else can revoke it for you.6
What can void or end an advance directive in Texas?
The directive has no effect if you have been diagnosed as pregnant.7
Which other documents does Texas law name with it?
The law names two other Texas directives alongside this one, the Medical Power of Attorney and the Out-of-Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate Order, and separately suggests a directive about donating organs and tissues.8
What is an advance directive?
Advance directives are legal papers that tell your loved ones and doctors what kind of medical care you want if you can't tell them yourself.9
How do I take the notary route?
Notriv's commissioned notaries notarize documents online for signers in Texas.
Upload your advance directive on Notriv to book an online notary.
Where these facts come from
- 1. Governing statute: Tex. Health & Safety Code § 166.032 · Tex. Health & Safety Code § 166.032 · statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked October 11, 2026
- 2. How to sign it: You sign the directive in front of two qualified witnesses, at least one of whom meets the stricter witness rules, and both witnesses then sign it; alternatively, you sign it and have your signature acknowledged before a notary public. · statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked October 13, 2026
- 3. Who may witness: Each witness must be a competent adult, and at least one witness must not be any of the following: a person the declarant designated to make health care decisions; a relative by blood or marriage; a person entitled to part of the declarant's estate; the attending physician or the physician's employee; certain employees, officers, directors, partners or business office employees of the health care facility; or a person with a claim against the declarant's estate. · statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked October 11, 2026
- 4. The official form: Texas law provides a sample Directive to Physicians form, but using it is optional. · statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked October 13, 2026
- 5. After it is signed: Give a copy of the signed directive to your doctor, your usual hospital, and your family or chosen spokesperson. · statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked October 11, 2026
- 6. How long it stays valid: The directive stays in effect until you revoke it, and no one else can revoke it for you. · statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked October 13, 2026
- 7. What makes it invalid: The directive has no effect if you have been diagnosed as pregnant. · statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked October 13, 2026
- 8. Related documents: The law names two other Texas directives alongside this one, the Medical Power of Attorney and the Out-of-Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate Order, and separately suggests a directive about donating organs and tissues. · statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked October 13, 2026
- 9. What the document is: Advance directives are legal papers that tell your loved ones and doctors what kind of medical care you want if you can't tell them yourself. · cancer.gov · checked October 1, 2026