Power of Attorney Laws Rhode Island Laws

Rhode Island Power of Attorney Laws: Durable, Medical, and Financial (2026)

May 31, 202612 min read

Rhode Island Power of Attorney Laws: Durable, Medical, and Financial POA (2026)

Rhode Island gives residents two distinct legal tools for planning ahead: a financial power of attorney governed by the Rhode Island Short Form Power of Attorney Act, R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 18-16, and a separate health care power of attorney governed by R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 23-4.10. Rhode Island has not adopted the 2006 Uniform Power of Attorney Act used by many other states. Understanding which statute applies to your situation, and exactly what execution steps are required, is essential before relying on either document.

For the full 50-state overview, see our national Power of Attorney guide.

What a Power of Attorney Does in Rhode Island

A power of attorney is a written legal document in which a person (the principal) authorizes another person (the agent, also called an attorney-in-fact) to act on the principal's behalf. The agent's authority is limited to what the document grants. Acts that exceed those granted powers are not legally binding on the principal.

Rhode Island law treats financial and health care decisions as entirely separate categories. A single document cannot serve both purposes under current Rhode Island statutes. If you want someone to manage your bank accounts and also speak for you about medical treatment, you need two separate, properly executed documents.

A POA of either type ends at the principal's death. At that point, the estate passes to an executor or administrator under probate law, and the agent's authority stops.

Durable Power of Attorney in Rhode Island

Under R.I. Gen. Laws sec. 18-16-2, the statutory short form power of attorney includes the following language directly in the printed form: "This power of attorney shall not be affected by the subsequent incompetency of the donor." That sentence is the durability clause.

a house key resting on a printed property deed on a counter

Because the durability language is already embedded in the statutory form, a principal using the ch. 18-16 form gets a durable POA without needing to add any separate durability statement. The document continues in full force even if the principal later develops dementia, suffers a serious injury, or otherwise loses legal capacity.

A principal who wants a non-durable POA, one that terminates upon incapacity, must affirmatively modify the form. The ch. 18-16 form also allows the principal to specify a termination date; if no date is entered, the document remains in effect "unless otherwise terminated by revocation, destruction or other affirmative action."

Rhode Island did not enact the 2006 Uniform Power of Attorney Act, so concepts specific to that uniform law, such as mandatory opt-in language for certain powers or a statutory agent certification form, do not apply here.

How to Create a Valid Rhode Island Power of Attorney

Financial POA Execution

Under R.I. Gen. Laws sec. 18-16-2(b), "the execution of this statutory short form power of attorney shall be duly acknowledged by the principal in the manner prescribed for the acknowledgement of a conveyance of real property." In Rhode Island, acknowledging a deed means signing before a notary public (or other officer authorized to take acknowledgments) who certifies the principal's identity and voluntary execution.

The key requirements for a valid financial POA are:

Principal's signature and seal. The form contains a signature line with a seal reference.
Date. The principal must fill in the day, month, and year.
Notarization. A notary public or other authorized officer must take the acknowledgment. No separate witness lines are required by the ch. 18-16 statute.

If the POA will be used for a real estate transaction, R.I. Gen. Laws sec. 34-11-34 requires that the power of attorney itself be acknowledged, delivered, and recorded with the same formalities as a deed. That means recording a copy with the local town or city recorder before or at the time of closing.

Health Care POA Execution

Under R.I. Gen. Laws sec. 23-4.10-2, the health care POA must be executed with one of two options:

Two witnesses who declare under penalty of perjury that the principal appeared to be of sound mind and acted free of duress, fraud, or undue influence; OR
One notary public who performs the same verification.

In either case, at least one witness or the notary must also declare that they are not related to the principal by blood, marriage, or adoption, and are not entitled to any portion of the principal's estate under a will now existing or by operation of law.

The statute also prohibits certain people from serving as agent: the principal's treating health care provider, any employee of that provider who is not a relative, and operators or non-relative employees of community care facilities.

What a Rhode Island Agent Can and Cannot Do

Financial Agent Powers

a wall calendar page with one date circled in red marker resting on a desk

Under ch. 18-16, the statutory form grants authority across ten categories (A through J) that the principal may selectively eliminate by drawing a line through the category and initialing it. The categories are:

(A) Real estate transactions (buying, selling, mortgaging, leasing, managing property anywhere)
(B) Chattel and goods transactions (personal property, vehicles, stored goods)
(C) Bond, share, and commodity transactions (stocks, bonds, brokerage accounts)
(D) Banking transactions (accounts, checks, loans, safe deposit boxes, negotiable instruments)
(E) Business operating transactions (partnerships, corporations, contracts)
(F) Insurance transactions (policies, claims, premiums)
(G) Claims and litigation (lawsuits, settlements, arbitration)
(H) Benefits from military service
(I) Records, reports, and statements (tax returns, government filings)
(J) All other matters

Striking any one of categories (A) through (I) automatically eliminates (J) as well. Category (J) is not independently removable on its own.

Under R.I. Gen. Laws sec. 18-16-12, a principal may also add powers not listed in the statutory form, as long as the additions do not contradict the document's other provisions.

Limits on Financial Agent Authority

The statutory form does not grant an agent the power to make or change a will, create or fund a trust (unless that is separately authorized), make gifts of the principal's property to the agent personally, or override the principal's own competent decisions. Rhode Island courts have held that agents owe fiduciary duties and may face liability for self-dealing or misuse of authority.

Health Care Agent Powers

A health care agent under ch. 23-4.10 may consent to, refuse, or withdraw consent to any medical care, treatment, or service, including life-sustaining procedures. The agent may access medical records as needed to make informed decisions and may execute documents on the principal's behalf, including treatment refusals and liability releases.

The agent may not act against the principal's own contemporaneous objection. As long as the principal can communicate a preference, that preference controls over the agent's authority.

Health Care Power of Attorney in Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Health Care Power of Attorney Act, ch. 23-4.10, recognizes each adult's "fundamental right to control the decisions relating to the rendering of their own medical care." The act allows a principal to appoint an agent to make health care decisions if the principal becomes unable to communicate or decide.

The statutory form at sec. 23-4.10-2 permits naming one primary agent and up to two alternates. The agent's authority does not activate until the principal is unable to make decisions; while the principal is capable, no one else can override their medical choices.

The attending physician must note the existence of a health care POA in the patient's medical record under sec. 23-4.10-4. If the document includes a do-not-resuscitate directive, that must be noted as well.

Under sec. 23-4.10-9, Rhode Island law clarifies that death resulting from the withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures according to the agent's direction does not constitute suicide or homicide, and life insurance coverage cannot be conditioned on not executing a health care POA.

Rhode Island also recognizes health care POAs executed in other states under sec. 23-4.10-11, provided the out-of-state document was valid where executed.

Revoking or Ending a Rhode Island Power of Attorney

Revoking a Financial POA

a wheelchair armrest with an older persons hand resting on it, indoors in soft light

A principal may revoke a financial POA at any time while competent. Common methods include:

Executing a written revocation document, acknowledged before a notary
Executing a new POA that expressly revokes all prior ones
Physically destroying the original document with the intent to revoke

If the original POA was recorded with a local recorder (as required for real estate transactions), the revocation should also be recorded to provide notice to third parties. Third parties who rely in good faith on a POA that has not yet been revoked in their records are generally protected under Rhode Island law.

Revoking a Health Care POA

Under R.I. Gen. Laws sec. 23-4.10-3, a principal may revoke a health care POA "at any time and in any manner by which the declarant is able to communicate an intent to revoke," regardless of their current mental or physical state. Revocation takes effect when it is communicated to the attending physician, another treating health care provider, or emergency medical services personnel then involved in the principal's care. The provider must note the revocation in the medical record.

Automatic Termination

Both documents terminate at the principal's death. A financial POA also terminates on any date the principal specified in the form, or when a court appoints a fiduciary for the principal's estate and the POA document does not expressly address that situation.

More Rhode Island Laws

This page is for general legal information only and does not constitute legal advice. Rhode Island power of attorney law is complex and involves personal circumstances that vary widely. Consult a licensed Rhode Island attorney before creating or relying on any power of attorney document.

Statutes cited reflect their in-force version as of May 31, 2026.

Sources and References

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