Advance Healthcare Directive Notarization in Sacramento
Advance directives and living wills: we come to your home, hospital, or care facility to ensure your healthcare wishes are legally documented. Urgent same-day service available.
What you need to know
What Is an Advance Healthcare Directive?
A healthcare directive is a legal document that outlines your medical treatment preferences and designates someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you become unable to do so yourself. In California, these documents are often called an Advance Health Care Directive and typically include two parts:
- Part 1, Power of Attorney for Health Care: names a healthcare agent (a trusted person) to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated
- Part 2, Individual Instructions: specifies your wishes about end-of-life treatment, resuscitation, artificial nutrition, and other medical decisions
Related Documents, Explained
Documents your wishes about life-sustaining treatment if you have a terminal condition or permanent unconscious state.
Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. A medical order (not a directive) signed by a physician. Does not require notarization but is often requested alongside other directive documents.
Do Not Resuscitate order. A physician-signed medical order. Not notarized, but often coordinated with advance directive signing.
Can be a standalone document or part of a durable power of attorney package.
Legal requirements
Notarized vs. Witnessed Directives: What's the Difference?
California law gives you two options for executing an Advance Health Care Directive:
- Option 1: Signed before a notary public (our service)
- Option 2: Signed before two adult witnesses. Neither may be your healthcare agent, your health care provider or their employee, or an operator or employee of the care facility — and at least one of the two must not be related to you and must not stand to inherit from you
Why choose notarization over witnesses? A notarized directive is more universally accepted by hospitals, care facilities, and insurance companies. It removes the risk of a witness being ineligible. Many healthcare providers prefer notarized directives because the notary's official seal and journal entry provide a clear verification record.
Signing in a Skilled Nursing Facility?
California adds one more requirement. If the person signing lives in a skilled nursing facility, an ombudsman (patient advocate) has to witness the directive — and that applies even when it is notarized. Without it the directive may not be valid. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman provides this at no charge. Tell us when you book and we will help you line it up.
Hospital Urgency
If a loved one is in the hospital and needs an advance directive executed immediately, we can often be there same day. Don't delay: call (916) 222-2251.
Before we arrive
What to Have Ready
Before your notary appointment, make sure you have the following. If signing at a hospital or care facility, let us know the hospital name, room number, and best contact number.
Have ready
- Valid government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, or state ID)
- Your completed, unsigned Advance Health Care Directive form
- The name and contact info of your designated healthcare agent (they do not need to be present)
- Any alternate healthcare agents you wish to name
- A clear, complete document, no blank sections that are meant to be filled in later
Common mistakes: what NOT to do
- Do not sign the document before the notary arrives
- Do not use a witness who is a healthcare provider, family member, potential heir, or anyone who could benefit from your estate
- Do not present a damaged ID, or one that is both expired and more than five years old: the notary must be able to verify your identity
- Do not confuse a POLST with an advance directive: a POLST is a medical order signed by you and your physician, and it does not need to be notarized
- Do not assume one document covers everything: many patients benefit from having both an advance directive AND a separate durable power of attorney for healthcare
Free download
Need a Form? Download One Free
Already have your forms? Great: just have them ready and unsigned when we arrive. If you still need a form, California's official Advance Health Care Directive below is free and no sign-up is required.
Directive-specific versions from CaringInfo and the California Hospital Association work too, and we can notarize any properly completed version. If your appointment also involves a Medi-Cal Request for Access to Health Records (DHCS 6236), that's available too. Print and complete your form before the appointment, but do not sign until the notary is present. Need other forms? See our Download Forms page.
Healthcare directive questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an advance healthcare directive need to be notarized in California?
California law allows an advance directive to be executed before either a notary public OR two qualified witnesses. We recommend notarization because it is more universally accepted by hospitals and care facilities and eliminates witness eligibility complications.
Can you come to a hospital or nursing home?
Yes. Bedside visits are part of what we do. We travel to UC Davis Medical Center, Sutter Medical Center, Mercy General, Kaiser Permanente Sacramento (Morse Ave), Mercy San Juan, Sutter Roseville, and skilled nursing facilities throughout the region.
Can I use a free directive form from the state?
Yes. California has a statutory advance health care directive form that is free and legally valid. We keep the official California Attorney General version on our download forms page, along with two other accepted California directive forms, so you can print and fill one out before the appointment. We can notarize any properly completed advance directive.
Does my healthcare agent need to be present when I sign?
No. Your healthcare agent does not need to be present for the notarization of your directive. Only the person granting the authority (you, the principal) needs to be present with valid ID.
How much does it cost to notarize a Healthcare Directive in California?
The notary fee is $15 per notarized signature, the California state-regulated maximum. An Advance Healthcare Directive typically requires one notarized signature. The travel fee is $50 for standard locations and $65 for hospitals or care facilities. Call or text (916) 222-2251 to book. We take cash, credit card, Venmo, PayPal, and Cash App.
Related services
Ready when you are
Get Your Healthcare Directive Notarized Today
Peace of mind for you and your family. We come to your home, hospital, or care facility throughout Sacramento and surrounding counties. Call or text and we'll talk through exactly what you need.
Call or Text(916) 222-2251