How to sign a document as power of attorney

An agent usually signs the principal's name, then identifies themselves and their authority, but the required form varies by document and jurisdiction.

This page provides general information, not legal advice. Power-of-attorney rules and acceptable signature formats vary by state, country, document type, institution, and the wording of the power of attorney. Read the power of attorney and ask the receiving party what it requires before signing.

Before you sign

Confirm that the power of attorney is in effect. Some begin immediately; others begin only after a stated event.
Confirm that it authorises the specific transaction. Authority to manage a bank account may not include authority to sell real estate, make a gift, or change a beneficiary.
Check for limits, expiration, required co-agents, or instructions that apply to the document.
Ask the receiving party whether it needs the original power of attorney, a certified copy, an affidavit, a witness, notarisation, or its own agent-certification form.
Make sure the document permits electronic signing. Some transactions or receiving parties require ink or additional formalities.

A common way to format the signature

Do not sign only your own name. The signature should make clear that you act for the principal and are not signing personally.

A commonly used format is:

Principal's legal name<br> by Agent's signature<br> Agent's printed name, as attorney-in-fact

For example:

Jordan Lee<br> by Morgan Rivera<br> Morgan Rivera, as attorney-in-fact

Another receiving party may request “Morgan Rivera, attorney-in-fact for Jordan Lee” or a different exact form. Follow the power of attorney, the applicable rules, and the receiving party's accepted format. Never imitate the principal's signature or sign without showing your representative capacity.

Step by step

Enter the principal's legal name exactly as it appears in the document and power of attorney.
Add “by” and sign your own name in the agent signature space.
Print your name below the signature.
Add the capacity requested, such as “attorney-in-fact” or “agent under power of attorney.”
Complete any agent certification, witness, or notary block the document requires.
Give the receiving party the copy of the power of attorney or certification it requests. Avoid sending sensitive pages to anyone who does not need them.
Keep the signed document, the power of attorney used, proof of delivery, and any certificate or audit record together.

Signing electronically

If electronic signing is accepted, use a workflow that associates your signature with the exact document and records that you signed as agent. Put the representative capacity in the visible signature block and, where the service permits it, in the recipient role or audit record. Do not treat a generic signature image as proof of authority.

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When to get legal help

Ask a qualified lawyer or the receiving institution before signing if the authority is unclear, the document affects real estate, estates, gifts, health care, retirement assets, ownership interests, or beneficiary rights, the principal's capacity is disputed, or another party questions whether the power of attorney is valid.

How to sign a PDF electronically (and prove it later)Signing a PDF takes a minute. Signing it in a way you can prove later takes the same minute if you choose the right method first.
Which documents can't be signed electronically in the US?Most business agreements can be signed electronically. A short list of documents falls outside the federal ESIGN Act, and getting one of them wrong is expensive.
Are electronic signatures legally binding? What makes one hold upThe law mostly settled whether e-signatures count years ago. The question that decides a dispute today is whether you can prove who signed, what they saw and that nothing changed afterwards.
How to verify a signed document without trusting the vendorIf verification requires the vendor's website to be up and your account to still exist, it is not verification.

Last reviewed 2026-10-13. Pactlyra produces a detailed evidence record for every completed document. Electronic signature validity depends on your jurisdiction, the document type, and how the transaction is carried out; nothing here is legal advice.