State guide
Advance Directive Forms in Arizona
By Jason Su · Sources last confirmed September 10
We link to official sources only. We are not a law firm and we never write legal documents. The form you sign must come from an official or authorised source in your state.
What this document does
An advance directive is where you write down the healthcare treatment you would and would not want if you could not speak for yourself. In most states it also names a healthcare agent — the person who speaks for you when you cannot.
Where to get the Arizona form
Arizona Attorney General's Office — Life Care Planning publishes the current form here: https://www.azag.gov/issues/elder-affairs/life-care-planning
The Attorney General distributes the Living Will, Health Care Power of Attorney, and DNR forms at no cost. The Pre-Hospital Medical Directive must be printed on orange paper to be valid.
Why Arizona hands you three documents instead of one
Most states give you a single paper that does two jobs: it names your healthcare agent, and it records the treatment you would and would not want. Arizona splits that job across separate documents, so you may be handed more than one and wonder which one you actually need.
The two that matter most are the Health Care Power of Attorney, which names the person who speaks for you, and the Living Will, which records your wishes. Completing one and skipping the other is common, and it always leaves a gap: an agent with no written wishes has to guess, and written wishes with no named agent leave nobody with the authority to act.
Arizona adds a third document that most people never ask about, the Pre-Hospital Medical Directive. It is written for emergency responders — the paramedics who arrive before any hospital is involved — which is precisely why it has a rule attached to it that no other document here has.
All three are distributed free of charge by the Arizona Attorney General's Office. There is no fee and no filing requirement.
The Pre-Hospital Medical Directive must be printed on orange paper. The colour is how emergency responders recognise it instantly in a stack of papers. A standard white or greyscale printout is not the same document.
National resources
- USA.gov — Official U.S. government portal.
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare information.
After you sign it
- Sign it the way Arizona requires. Many states need witnesses or a notary. The form itself says which — follow the form, not a blog.
- Give copies to your healthcare agent and your doctor. A form nobody can find is a form that does not work.
- Keep the original somewhere reachable — not locked in a safe deposit box that needs a bank visit during an emergency.
- Add it to your checklist so your trusted contact knows it exists and where it lives.
Frequently asked
Is the Arizona advance directive form free?
Yes. Arizona Attorney General's Office — Life Care Planning publishes the current form free of charge, and we link to the official source only.
Do I need a lawyer to complete the Arizona form?
No. You can complete the form yourself. It must be signed the way Arizona law requires — usually with witnesses or a notary — so follow the instructions printed on the form itself.
Where should I keep my signed Arizona advance directive?
Give copies to your healthcare agent and your doctor, and keep the original somewhere reachable at home — not locked in a safe deposit box that needs a bank visit during an emergency.
Next: build your checklist and record where this form is kept.