State guide
Advance Directive Forms in Georgia
By Jason Su · Sources last confirmed September 14
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 Georgia form
Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services publishes the current form here: https://aging.georgia.gov/document/document/georgia-advance-director-health-care/download
Georgia replaced its separate living will and health care power of attorney with a single combined document.
Background reading: Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services guidance
Georgia replaced two documents with one
Georgia made a decision most states have not: it combined the living will and the health care power of attorney into a single document. It is called the Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care, and it replaced the older, separate paperwork.
The result is simpler than in most states. There is one form, one signature, and one copy to hand out. If you have been comparing Georgia to a neighbouring state and wondering why the document list is shorter, this is the reason.
The combined form is divided into parts rather than being one long instruction sheet. You nominate your agent in one section and record your treatment wishes in another, which means you can be as detailed or as brief as you like without the document becoming unusable.
The form is distributed by the Division of Aging Services within the Georgia Department of Human Services, and the Attorney General's consumer office publishes background material alongside it. Both are free.
If you signed a Georgia living will or health care power of attorney years ago, the sensible move is to complete the current combined form as well. That way there is no ambiguity about which document governs if both end up in a hospital file.
Georgia's older separate documents had different names from the current combined form. If a relative or a hospital asks you for a "living will" and you have the combined Advance Directive, explain that they are the same thing.
National resources
- USA.gov — Official U.S. government portal.
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare information.
After you sign it
- Sign it the way Georgia 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 Georgia advance directive form free?
Yes. Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services publishes the current form free of charge, and we link to the official source only.
Do I need a lawyer to complete the Georgia form?
No. You can complete the form yourself. It must be signed the way Georgia law requires — usually with witnesses or a notary — so follow the instructions printed on the form itself.
Where should I keep my signed Georgia 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.