Clear Money Guide
What this state guide covers
A quick view of the questions, practical details and source notes below.
Comparison tables scroll horizontally on smaller screens.
Updated August 3, 2026. Quick answer: Connecticut calls this instrument document containing health care instructions (living will), appointment of health care representative. To execute it you need 2 witnesses — and the state requires Witnesses only — no notary path stated. Getting that conjunction wrong is the most common way a directive fails when it is needed.
Source note. The statute text below is quoted from the Connecticut General Assembly’s official chapter 368w text.
The execution box
| What the state calls it | document containing health care instructions (living will), appointment of health care representative |
|---|---|
| Witnesses required | 2 |
| Witnesses or notary? | Witnesses only — no notary path stated |
| Who may NOT witness | Section 19a-575 itself lists no disqualified witnesses. For an appointment of a health care representative, both witnesses must be adults, and the person appointed as representative may not act as a witness or sign the document (§ 19a-576(a)). |
| If you are in a care facility | Residents of facilities operated or licensed by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services or the Department of Developmental Services need at least one witness not affiliated with the facility and at least one physician, advanced practice registered nurse or licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training (§ 19a-576(b), (c)). A patient or resident of a hospital, residential care home, rest home with nursing supervision or chronic and convalescent nursing home may not appoint an operator, administrator or employee of that facility as health care representative unless that person is related by blood, marriage or adoption (§ 19a-576(d)). |
| Authority | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-575 |
What the statute says
Such document shall be signed and dated by the maker with at least two witnesses.
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-575
The form
The statute prints an optional model form (§ 19a-575a).
Why the witness rules matter more than the wording
People spend their effort on what the directive says and almost none on how it is signed. A directive that expresses your wishes perfectly but was witnessed by someone the statute disqualifies may not be honoured. The disqualification lists exist because the people most likely to be in the room — family, the treating doctor, facility staff — are the people with an interest in the outcome.
Two practical consequences. Ask who is signing before the appointment, not during it. And if you are already in a hospital or care facility, check the facility rule row above — several states add a requirement that applies only to patients and residents, and it is the one nobody mentions.
This is the medical instrument, not the financial one
A financial power of attorney is a different document with different execution rules. Having one does not give anyone authority over your medical care, and having this one gives nobody authority over your money. Most people need both, and they are executed separately.
What could not be verified
Verified against the official Connecticut General Assembly text of Chapter 368w (Sec. 19a-575, 19a-575a and 19a-576).
Related: all states compared · living will versus healthcare proxy · what it costs.
General information drawn from state statutes and official state materials, not legal or medical advice. Advance-directive law is STATE law and the execution requirements differ in ways that decide whether a document works: some states require witnesses AND a notary, some accept either, and the list of people who may not witness varies. A directive executed the wrong way may not be honoured when it matters. Many states publish a free official form – you should not have to buy one.