Updated August 3, 2026. Quick answer: Georgia calls this instrument advance directive for health care, health care agent designation. 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 comes from a codified reproduction of the state code rather than the state’s own site, because the official host could not be reached. The section number and wording are the state’s; confirm against your state’s own publication before executing.
The execution box
| What the state calls it | advance directive for health care, health care agent designation |
|---|---|
| Witnesses required | 2 |
| Witnesses or notary? | Witnesses only — no notary path stated |
| Who may NOT witness | A witness may not be the person selected as the declarant’s health care agent, may not knowingly inherit anything from the declarant or otherwise knowingly gain a financial benefit from the declarant’s death, and may not be directly involved in the declarant’s health care. |
| If you are in a care facility | Not more than one of the two witnesses may be an employee, agent, or medical staff member of the health care facility where the declarant is receiving care (O.C.G.A. § 31-32-5). |
| Authority | O.C.G.A. §§ 31-32-4, 31-32-5 |
What the statute says
[This form does not need to be notarized.] … You must sign and date or acknowledge signing and dating this form in the presence of two witnesses.
— O.C.G.A. §§ 31-32-4, 31-32-5
The form
The statute refers to a form, but we could not retrieve an official copy to link. Ask your state health department or check the statute itself — many states publish one free. We are not linking a commercial seller in its place.
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
Sourced via a third-party source mirror of O.C.G.A., not an official Georgia .gov source — a direct .gov copy of the statute or the Georgia Advance Directive form was not located (aging.ga.gov guessed download URL 404’d, legis.ga.gov code browser not reachable as static content). Content is the state’s own statutory form language reproduced within the code section, so wording should be close to verbatim, but this is not independently confirmed against an official host.
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.