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Rhode Island statutory legal form
Download the August 2026 Rhode Island Short Form Power of Attorney packet — the statutory form under R.I. Gen. Laws § 18-16-2 — plus packet inserts, a Signing & Use Guide, and an Agent Handbook. The instrument ships in editable Word and fillable PDF; companions ship as print-ready PDFs.
A Rhode Island statutory POA operating kit: the prescribed short form, ceremony and recording inserts, and separate guides for the principal and the agent.
The document text is the § 18-16-2 short form, including the statute’s exact clause First wording — not a generic national template. Complete only the standard or durable signature block you intend, and strike and wet-initial any powers you do not grant.
The principal signs and acknowledges before a notary in the manner prescribed for real-property conveyances. Packet inserts cover the ceremony, third-party presentation, and recording practice. No form can guarantee every institution will accept the power.
Packet inserts cover the notary signing ceremony and recording guidance. A Signing & Use Guide is for the principal; an Agent Handbook covers fiduciary duties, limits, and practical use. Guides and inserts are not part of the legal instrument and are not recorded.
This download includes 4 documents. The statutory short form ships in editable Word and fillable PDF; the packet inserts, Signing & Use Guide, and Agent Handbook ship as print-ready PDFs.
Review the complete statutory text below before purchasing. Your licensed download — instrument plus companion guides — is delivered after checkout.
RHODE ISLAND SHORT FORM POWER OF ATTORNEY
R.I. Gen. Laws § 18-16-2
WARNING TO PERSON EXECUTING THIS DOCUMENT
This is an important legal document which is authorized by the general laws of this state. The powers granted by this document are broad and sweeping. They are defined in §§ 18-16-1 to 18-16-12, both inclusive, of the general laws in chapter 18-16 entitled “Rhode Island Short Form Power of Attorney Act.”
The use of the short form power of attorney is strictly voluntary, and chapter 18-16 specifically authorizes the use of any other or different form of power of attorney upon mutual agreement of the parties concerned.
Known All Men by These Presents, which are intended to constitute a GENERAL POWER OF ATTORNEY pursuant to the Rhode Island Short Form Power of Attorney Act:
That I _______________________________________________________
(insert name and address of the principal)
do hereby appoint ________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
(insert name and address of the agent, or each agent, if more than one is designated)
my attorney(s)-in-fact TO ACT ___________________________
(If more than one agent is designated and the principal wishes each agent alone to be able to exercise the power conferred, insert in this blank the word “severally”. Failure to make any insertion or the insertion of the word “jointly” shall require the agents to act jointly.)
First: In my name, place and stead in any way which I myself could do, if I were personally present, with respect to the following matters as each of them is defined in the Rhode Island Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney Act to the extent that I am permitted by law to act through an agent:
(STRIKE OUT AND INITIAL ON THE OPPOSITE LINE ANY ONE OR MORE OF THE SUBDIVISIONS AS TO WHICH THE PRINCIPAL DOES NOT DESIRE TO GIVE THE AGENT AUTHORITY. SUCH ELIMINATION OF ANY ONE OR MORE OF SUBDIVISIONS (A) TO (I), INCLUSIVE, SHALL AUTOMATICALLY CONSTITUTE AN ELIMINATION ALSO OF SUBDIVISION (J).
To strike out any subdivision the principal must draw a line through the text of that subdivision AND write his initials in the line opposite.
(A) real state transactions;
(B) chattel and goods transactions;
(C) bond, share and commodity transactions;
(D) banking transactions;
(E) business operating transactions;
(F) insurance transactions;
(G) claims and litigations;
(H) benefits from military service;
(I) records, reports and statements;
(J) all other matters;
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
(Special provisions and limitations may be included in the statutory short form power of attorney only if they conform to the requirements of the Rhode Island Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney Act.)
Second: This power of attorney shall:
(A) be of indefinite duration or
(B) terminate on the following date, _________________________, unless otherwise terminated by revocation, destruction or other affirmative action.
Third: Hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney(s) or substitute(s) do or cause to be done.
EXECUTION — COMPLETE ONE OPTION ONLY
OPTION 1 — STANDARD (NON-DURABLE) SIGNATURE BLOCK
In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed my seal this _______ day of __________________, 20________.
__________________________________________
Signature of Principal (Seal)
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
State of Rhode Island County of ______________________
On this _______ day of __________________, 20________, before me personally appeared ________________________, who acknowledged executing this instrument as the principal’s free act and deed.
__________________________________________
Signature of Notary Public
Printed name: ______________________________
My commission expires: ____________________
OPTION 2 — DURABLE SIGNATURE BLOCK
This power of attorney shall not be affected by the subsequent incompetency of the donor.
In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed my seal this _______ day of __________________, 20________.
__________________________________________
Signature of Principal (Seal)
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
State of Rhode Island County of ______________________
On this _______ day of __________________, 20________, before me personally appeared ________________________, who acknowledged executing this instrument as the principal’s free act and deed.
__________________________________________
Signature of Notary Public
Printed name: ______________________________
My commission expires: ____________________
EXECUTION NOTICE
The principal’s execution of this statutory short form power of attorney must be duly acknowledged before a notary public in the manner prescribed for acknowledgment of a conveyance of real property. Rhode Island General Laws § 18-16-2(b) does not itself require this power of attorney to be recorded or filed.
Legal currency, verified
This is Rhode Island’s statutory short form under R.I. Gen. Laws § 18-16-2 for broad property and financial authority.
Clause First and powers (A)–(J) preserve the statute’s exact wording, including “real state transactions.” Strike out and wet-initial each power you do not grant; striking any power (A)–(I) also eliminates (J).
Use only one signature block: the standard non-durable block or the alternative durable block. Multiple agents act jointly unless you enter “severally” in the indicated blank.
The principal signs and duly acknowledges the instrument before a notary in the manner prescribed for a real-property conveyance. Section 18-16-2(b) does not itself impose a recording or town-clerk filing requirement. Use the included execution checklist at the signing table.
Your purchase is a four-document Rhode Island statutory POA operating kit. The statutory short form ships in editable Word (.docx) and fillable PDF. The packet also includes print-ready PDF companions: packet inserts (execution checklist, financial-institution citation sheet, and recording instructions), a Signing & Use Guide for the principal, and an Agent Handbook. Guides and inserts are not part of the legal instrument and should not be recorded. An optional completed sample of the power of attorney is available separately.
This form is not legal advice. Consult a Rhode Island attorney about your circumstances.
ILRG is committed to top quality legal forms that are valid in all states. If you are not 100 percent satisfied after purchase, contact us for a full refund.
Yes. This packet reproduces the short form in R.I. Gen. Laws § 18-16-2, including the statute’s exact clause First wording. Unchanged through the 2025 R.I. Gen. Laws. Reviewed and verified in August 2026.
Strike through and wet-initial each power you do not grant. Leaving every power unstruck grants all listed powers (A) through (J).
Complete only the durable signature block, which contains the statutory subsequent-incompetency sentence. Do not complete both the standard and durable blocks.
No. A short form power of attorney covers property and financial matters only. Rhode Island uses a separate statutory form for health care decisions.
Section 18-16-2(b) requires acknowledgment in the manner prescribed for real-property conveyances. It does not itself impose a recording or town-clerk filing mandate.
The packet inserts are companion sheets: an execution checklist, a financial-institution citation page, and recording instructions. The Signing & Use Guide is written for the principal; the Agent Handbook is written for the person named as agent. These materials are not part of the legal instrument and should not be recorded.
The 4 packet documents are the statutory short form in editable Word and fillable PDF, plus packet inserts, a Signing & Use Guide, and an Agent Handbook as print-ready PDFs. The optional completed sample is a separate PDF showing the power of attorney filled with fictional information; it is available for $4.99.
The statutory short form contains the same text in both formats. Use the editable Word (.docx) file to type in your details, or the fillable PDF to complete the form on screen. Either way, print the finished instrument, wet-initial any struck powers, and sign before a notary. The packet inserts and guides ship as print-ready PDFs only.