Free Rhode Island Advance Directive & Living Will
Build a complete Rhode Island advance directive in minutes — free, no account. Name a health care agent, record your end-of-life wishes, and download a ready-to-sign PDF with Rhode Island's correct signing requirements.
A free directive — not legal or medical advice.
This builds a Rhode Island advance directive: it names a health care agent to decide for you and records your end-of-life wishes. It works only when you sign it as Rhode Island requires (see the signing steps). RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
About you
Your health care agent
The person who will make medical decisions if you can't speak for yourself — the most important choice.
Note: in Rhode Island, your agent cannot be The health care agent under the DPOA-HC may not be the principal's treating health care provider, or an employee of the treating provider/facility, unless related to the principal by blood, marriage, or adoption. (§ 23-4.10-2)
Your end-of-life wishes
If you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious with no recovery expected.
Note: Rhode Island law may suspend these wishes during pregnancy.
Other wishes (optional)
Before you sign — Rhode Island notes
This directive has NO legal effect until you sign it. To make it valid in Rhode Island: Rhode Island uses two documents: a Living Will (declaration of terminal-illness wishes) and a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (names an agent). Sign before two qualified subscribing witnesses, or notarize the DPOA. Your attending physician, facility employees, your agent, and estate claimants cannot witness; at least one witness must be unrelated and not an heir. A Living Will is not effective while you are pregnant.
Witness rules: a witness must NOT be Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (§ 23-4.10-2): signed in the presence of two subscribing witnesses OR notarized. Neither witness may be the attending physician, an employee of the attending physician or of the health care facility/community care facility where the principal is a patient, the agent, or a person who at the time has a claim against the principal's estate. At least one witness must NOT be related to the principal by blood, marriage, or adoption and not entitled to any part of the estate. The Living Will (§ 23-4.11-3) requires two witnesses.
Your agent cannot be The health care agent under the DPOA-HC may not be the principal's treating health care provider, or an employee of the treating provider/facility, unless related to the principal by blood, marriage, or adoption. (§ 23-4.10-2)
Rhode Island lets you use EITHER 2 witnesses OR a notary — you do not need both.
Pregnancy: Rhode Island law may suspend your living-will instructions while you are pregnant. Under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, a Living Will declaration has no effect during the course of the declarant's pregnancy (life-sustaining treatment continues while pregnant). (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 23-4.11)
Rhode Island also publishes an official statutory directive form (R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-4.10-2 (Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care statutory form) and § 23-4.11-3 (Living Will declaration form)); this document is a valid alternative that covers the same ground.
After signing, give copies to your agent, your alternate, and your doctor, and keep the original somewhere accessible. An advance directive is not filed with a court.
This is a general-purpose directive and is not legal or medical advice. For complex wishes, a serious illness, or detailed treatment limits, talk to your doctor and an estate-planning attorney. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
Enter your name and your agent's name to download.
Or email yourself a copy (PDF)
Advance Health Care Directive of [YOUR FULL NAME]
PART I — DECLARATION
I, [YOUR FULL NAME], of [CITY], Rhode Island, being of sound mind, make this Advance Health Care Directive to state my wishes for my medical care and to appoint a person to make health care decisions for me if I cannot make them myself. I revoke any prior advance directive, living will, or health care power of attorney I have made.
PART II — MY HEALTH CARE AGENT
I appoint [AGENT NAME] as my health care agent.
My agent's authority takes effect when my attending physician determines that I am unable to make my own health care decisions, and ends if I regain that ability.
My agent may make any health care decision I could make, including consenting to, refusing, or withdrawing any medical care, treatment, or procedure; choosing and changing my doctors and care facilities; and arranging for my comfort and pain relief. My agent must follow my wishes as stated in this document and otherwise act in my best interest.
I authorize my agent to obtain and review my medical information, and I make my agent my personal representative under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for that purpose.
PART III — LIVING WILL — MY END-OF-LIFE WISHES
If I am terminally ill, permanently unconscious, or in an end-stage condition with no reasonable expectation of recovery, I do NOT want life-sustaining treatment (such as CPR, a ventilator, or dialysis) that would only prolong the process of dying. I direct that such treatment be withheld or withdrawn and that I be allowed to die naturally, receiving only care for my comfort.
I do NOT want artificially administered nutrition and hydration if it would serve only to prolong the process of dying.
Regardless of my other choices, I always want to be kept as comfortable and free of pain as possible, even if medication to relieve my pain may hasten my death.
Note about pregnancy: under Rhode Island law, this living-will instruction may be limited or suspended if I am pregnant. Under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, a Living Will declaration has no effect during the course of the declarant's pregnancy (life-sustaining treatment continues while pregnant). (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 23-4.11)
PART IV — GENERAL PROVISIONS
This directive is governed by the laws of Rhode Island and is intended to be effective in any place where I may be. A copy of this directive has the same effect as the original. I may revoke it at any time by notifying my agent or health care provider, orally or in writing.
If any part of this directive is held invalid, the rest remains in effect. My health care providers and agent who act in good faith reliance on this directive are protected to the fullest extent of the law.
SIGNATURE
I sign this Advance Health Care Directive willingly, on this _____ day of ____________, 20____, at [CITY], Rhode Island.
____________________________________
[YOUR FULL NAME], Principal
WITNESSES — Each of us declares that the principal signed this directive in our presence, appeared to be of sound mind and free from duress, that we are each at least 18 years old, and that we are not disqualified from witnessing under this state's law (see the signing instructions for who may not witness).
Witness 1: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________
Witness 2: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________
(Alternatively, Rhode Island lets you have this directive notarized instead of witnessed — sign the notary block below OR use the witnesses above.)
STATE OF __________, COUNTY OF __________. Subscribed and sworn before me on __________.
____________________________________ Notary Public
How to Sign Your Advance Directive in Rhode Island
Rhode Island uses two documents: a Living Will (declaration of terminal-illness wishes) and a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (names an agent). Sign before two qualified subscribing witnesses, or notarize the DPOA. Your attending physician, facility employees, your agent, and estate claimants cannot witness; at least one witness must be unrelated and not an heir. A Living Will is not effective while you are pregnant.
Rhode Island requires 2 witnesses or a notary. You can choose whichever is easier — you do not need both. This generator's PDF includes a signing page with these exact steps.
The Two Parts: Health Care Agent and Living Will
Your Rhode Island directive has two jobs. The health care agent (also called a healthcare proxy or medical power of attorney) is the person who speaks to doctors for you if you cannot — choosing treatments, providers, and facilities and seeing your medical records. The living will records your own instructions about life-sustaining treatment if you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious with no reasonable hope of recovery.
Who Can Be Your Agent and Witnesses in Rhode Island
Your agent: In Rhode Island, your health care agent cannot be The health care agent under the DPOA-HC may not be the principal's treating health care provider, or an employee of the treating provider/facility, unless related to the principal by blood, marriage, or adoption. (§ 23-4.10-2) Choose someone you trust who knows your values and will advocate for you.
Your witnesses: In Rhode Island, a witness must NOT be Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (§ 23-4.10-2): signed in the presence of two subscribing witnesses OR notarized. Neither witness may be the attending physician, an employee of the attending physician or of the health care facility/community care facility where the principal is a patient, the agent, or a person who at the time has a claim against the principal's estate. At least one witness must NOT be related to the principal by blood, marriage, or adoption and not entitled to any part of the estate. The Living Will (§ 23-4.11-3) requires two witnesses.. Pick neutral adults.
The Pregnancy Rule in Rhode Island
Under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, a Living Will declaration has no effect during the course of the declarant's pregnancy (life-sustaining treatment continues while pregnant). (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 23-4.11) This is a real and sometimes controversial limit; if it matters to you, discuss it with your doctor and consider adding specific instructions, and talk to an attorney about your options.
Who Decides If You Have No Directive in Rhode Island?
If you have not named a health care agent, Rhode Island law decides who speaks for you: Rhode Island has NO general statutory default-surrogate hierarchy for an incapacitated adult who left no directive (no default surrogate consent statute). Decisions in that situation fall to next of kin by practice / guardianship; there is no ranked statutory list. An unmarried partner usually has no automatic say. Signing a directive is how you choose your own decision-maker instead of leaving it to this default.
Updating, Revoking, and Sharing Your Directive
Review your directive after any major change — a new diagnosis, a divorce, the death of your agent, or a move to a new state (a directive valid where you signed it is usually honored elsewhere, but it is wise to re-sign under your new state's rules). You can revoke it any time by telling your agent or doctor or by signing a new one. After signing, give copies to your agent, your alternate, and your doctor and keep the original where it can be found quickly — a directive no one can locate cannot help you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an advance directive made online valid in Rhode Island?
Yes, if you sign it correctly. Rhode Island requires 2 witnesses or a notary. The document this tool creates is a standard living will (declaration under the rights of the terminally ill act) + durable power of attorney for health care; it becomes legally effective when you sign it as described above.
Do I need a lawyer to make an advance directive in Rhode Island?
No. A properly signed advance directive is valid whether or not a lawyer prepares it. See an attorney if you have complex wishes, a serious illness, or want detailed limits on specific treatments.
What is the difference between a living will and a healthcare power of attorney?
A living will states your own wishes about life-sustaining treatment. A healthcare power of attorney (agent/proxy) names a person to make medical decisions for you. This generator combines both in one Rhode Island directive.
Does my Rhode Island directive need to be notarized?
Not necessarily — Rhode Island lets you use either 2 witnesses or a notary.
Who can witness my advance directive in Rhode Island?
Adults who are not Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (§ 23-4.10-2): signed in the presence of two subscribing witnesses OR notarized. Neither witness may be the attending physician, an employee of the attending physician or of the health care facility/community care facility where the principal is a patient, the agent, or a person who at the time has a claim against the principal's estate. At least one witness must NOT be related to the principal by blood, marriage, or adoption and not entitled to any part of the estate. The Living Will (§ 23-4.11-3) requires two witnesses..
What happens if I don't have an advance directive in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island decides who makes your medical decisions: Rhode Island has NO general statutory default-surrogate hierarchy for an incapacitated adult who left no directive (no default surrogate consent statute). Decisions in that situation fall to next of kin by practice / guardianship; there is no ranked statutory list.
Does pregnancy affect my living will in Rhode Island?
Yes. Under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, a Living Will declaration has no effect during the course of the declarant's pregnancy (life-sustaining treatment continues while pregnant). (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 23-4.11) Discuss this with your doctor and an attorney if it concerns you.
Can my agent override my living will?
No. Your agent must follow the clear wishes you write down. The living will guides your agent and your doctors; the agent fills in decisions you did not specifically address.
Do I have to file my directive with a court?
No. An advance directive is not filed with any court. You keep the signed original and give copies to your agent and your doctor so it is available when needed.
Is this really free?
Yes. The generator is free, requires no account, and runs entirely in your browser — your answers are not sent to a server. It is general information, not legal or medical advice.
Disclaimer
This generator produces a general-purpose advance directive and is not legal or medical advice or a substitute for an attorney or your physician. Healthcare-directive law changes; the Rhode Island requirements here are current as of 2026-06-05. A directive is only effective if signed as your state requires. For a serious illness, detailed treatment limits, or complex family situations, talk to your doctor and a Rhode Island estate-planning attorney. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
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