How do you sign and notarize a parental power of attorney in Arizona?

To sign and notarize a parental power of attorney in Arizona, you can use the court’s free form: fill it in, then sign it in front of a notary public, with an adult witness who signs too. Since September 12, 2026, you also put your right thumbprint in the notary’s journal.

The power of attorney gives another adult temporary authority over your children for up to six months (A.R.S. § 14-5104). It isn’t filed with the court, and it isn’t a court order (court instructions). The notary public, the person the state authorizes to confirm who you are and that the signature is yours, doesn’t write the document or approve what it says. If what you need is permission for your child to travel abroad, that’s a different document: see our guide to the travel consent letter for Mexico.

What can a parental power of attorney do, and what can’t it?

A power of attorney for a minor child lets another adult stand in for you as a parent for a while. Arizona law allows a parent or guardian to delegate to another person, for no more than six months, any powers they have over the child’s care, custody or property (A.R.S. § 14-5104).

The court’s form allows one exception: a parent or guardian on active military duty can delegate for up to one year (A.R.S. § 14-5107). The law doesn’t let you hand over the power to consent to your child’s marriage or adoption.

Some people call it a temporary custody letter, but it isn’t a guardianship or a custody order. In its forms packet, the Superior Court in Maricopa County warns not to use the parental form for either one.

Guardianships, custody orders and family plans tied to your immigration situation are legal decisions. Take them to a family-law attorney or, for immigration, to an immigration attorney or an accredited representative.

Where do you get the form, and who fills it out?

You download the form free from the courts and fill it in yourself. The Arizona courts’ Self-Service Center lists it as “Power of Attorney Delegating Parental Powers,” form GNPPOA10F (azcourts.gov). On its page, the Superior Court in Maricopa County has the form, the instructions and the FAQ in English and in Spanish.

The court’s Spanish packet has the instructions and the FAQ in Spanish, along with the bilingual form, titled “Poder legal para delegación de la patria potestad”: each part comes in English, followed by the Spanish in parentheses.

You decide whom to name, whether to hand over all your parental responsibilities or only some, and the dates. Didi, our notary public, can’t fill it in for you or tell you which box to check, because Arizona law doesn’t let a notary public help draft legal records or give legal advice (A.R.S. § 41-273(A)).

Watch for one error in the bilingual version. Under “The full physical address…,” the Spanish line repeats “El nombre legal completo…” by mistake. The English line asks for the full physical address of the person who agrees to care for your children.

Have the English-only form and want to read it in Spanish first? We can translate it.

What do you bring when you get the power of attorney notarized?

Bring the original form, filled in but not signed, your ID and your witness, as steps 2 and 3 of the court’s instructions say.

What to bring	What it needs	Source
The original form	Filled in, with no blank lines, and not signed yet	Court instructions, steps 2 and 3; A.R.S. § 41-253(B)
Your ID	Current, with your photo. A consular ID (matrícula consular) works if it was issued with biometric verification, such as fingerprints	Court instructions; A.R.S. § 41-255; § 41-5001; Notary Manual, p. 17
Your witness	18 or older, of sound mind, with their own photo ID	Court instructions and FAQ
Your right thumb	Its print goes in Didi’s notary journal	A.R.S. § 41-254(C)

If a line doesn’t apply to you, write N/A instead of leaving it blank. A sworn statement with blank spaces can’t be notarized (Notary Manual, p. 28). If the only ID you have is a passport from another country, message us before the appointment.

Sign in front of Didi, not before. On the form, you and your witness each sign “being first duly sworn,” so you both swear (or affirm) and sign in front of the notary public (form GNPPOA10f; step 3 of the instructions). The same instructions say the Clerk of Court won’t notarize this document and there’s no need to file it with the court.

Afterward, keep the original and give a copy to the person caring for your children. Show the original to the people and organizations you deal with, and leave them a copy (step 4).

For examples of IDs that work, and what to do if you aren’t sure about yours, see our Spanish-speaking notary public in Phoenix page.

Notice required by Arizona law (A.R.S. § 41-273)

I am not an attorney licensed to practice law in this state. I am not allowed to draft legal records, give advice on legal matters, including immigration, or charge a fee for those activities.

No soy abogada con licencia para ejercer la abogacía en este estado. No estoy autorizada para redactar documentos legales, dar asesoría sobre asuntos legales, incluyendo inmigración, ni cobrar por esas actividades.

Didilia De La O, Notary Public, Arizona

Who can be your witness, and who else needs to come?

The court’s FAQ describes the witness as someone 18 or older and of sound mind. On the form, the witness swears before the notary public that you signed willingly, that they signed in your presence, and that as far as they know you’re 18 or older, of sound mind and not signing under pressure. So your witness comes to the same appointment as you.

You don’t need to know your witness, the court’s FAQ says, but don’t count on finding one at the notary’s office. Bring your own. Didi can’t be your witness, because the form has the witness swear and sign before the notary public, and she is the notary public.

The form doesn’t list who can’t be your witness, but your sworn statement on it cites A.R.S. § 14-5501. For a power of attorney over financial decisions, that law requires a witness who isn’t the agent (the person you give the power to), the agent’s spouse or children, or the notary public (A.R.S. § 14-5501(D)).

Whether that rule applies to a parental power of attorney is a legal question. If you planned to bring the caregiver, their spouse or one of their children as your witness, ask an attorney first.

The caregiver isn’t on the court’s list of who goes to the notary, and the form has no signature line for them. The court’s FAQ does say that you and the caregiver should both initial any change you make in the places the form allows.

Why will the notary take your thumbprint?

Since September 12, 2026, Arizona law requires a thumbprint when a notary public notarizes a power of attorney in person (Arizona Secretary of State). For a power of attorney, or a deed or other document affecting real estate, the notary public must have the party signing the document put their right thumbprint in the notary’s journal (A.R.S. § 41-254(C), added by SB 1479).

If the right thumbprint isn’t available, the notary has the signer use the left thumb or any available finger and notes it in the journal. If the signer is physically unable to give any print, the notary writes that in the journal with an explanation of the condition (A.R.S. § 41-254(C); Arizona Notary Public Reference Manual, pp. 23 and 52).

The print stays in Didi’s journal, not on your power of attorney. The rule applies to every notary public in Arizona.

What happens when the six months are up?

The power of attorney ends on the date you wrote, no more than six months after it started (up to a year for a parent or guardian on active military duty, under A.R.S. § 14-5107), or sooner if you revoke it in writing, as the form allows. If your children will need the caregiver longer, what comes next is a legal decision: whether a new power of attorney is possible, whether a guardianship is needed, or something else. That’s a question for a family-law attorney, not for a notary public.

Get your power of attorney notarized with Didi in Phoenix

At Puente Grande, Didi notarizes in person in Phoenix, in English or Spanish. In one appointment she puts you and your witness under oath, notarizes both signatures and takes your thumbprint for her journal. Arizona’s rules cap the fee at $10 per notary public signature (A.A.C. R2-12-1102, in the Secretary of State’s manual, pp. 24 and 53), and we tell you the total before the appointment.

Message us on WhatsApp at (602) 332-9460 and tell us it’s a parental power of attorney and how many people will sign (you and your witness). Prefer to talk? Call us, or use our contact form. Read what other families say on our testimonials page, and see what else we notarize on our notary public services page.

What this guide does not answer

This guide doesn’t tell you whom to name, which responsibilities to delegate, whether you need a guardianship or a custody order, or how to build a family plan around your immigration situation. That’s legal advice.

For the power of attorney, guardianship and custody, talk to a family-law attorney. For immigration, talk to an immigration attorney or an accredited representative of an organization recognized by the Department of Justice. EOIR, the Department of Justice office that includes the immigration courts, publishes the roster of recognized organizations and accredited representatives.

Is your child traveling to Mexico without you? Read our guide to the travel consent letter for Mexico.