State guide
Advance Directive Forms in Missouri
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 Missouri form
Missouri does not publish its forms from a single state agency page. The Missouri Bar distributes the statutory forms here: https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DPOA-2023.pdf
Missouri's forms are distributed by The Missouri Bar.
Missouri's forms come from The Missouri Bar, and neither is called a living will
Missouri splits the work in two, and neither document uses the phrase "living will". The Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care names the person who decides for you. The Health Care Directive is where your treatment wishes go — that is Missouri's name for it.
The forms are not published by a state agency. They are distributed by The Missouri Bar, the professional body for Missouri's lawyers, which maintains them as a public service. Missouri is not alone in this, but it does mean the document lives on a `.org` address, and people hunting for a `.gov` download often conclude they have found the wrong thing. They have not.
The naming is worth knowing for a second reason. If a relative or a hospital asks you for a Missouri "living will", the document they mean is the Health Care Directive. Debating vocabulary at an admissions desk helps nobody.
Both forms come from the same place, which makes it straightforward to complete them together and avoid the common gap of signing one and leaving the other.
Missouri's documents are distributed by the state bar rather than a government agency, so search results are crowded with commercial template sites. Use The Missouri Bar's version and you have the statutory form.
National resources
- USA.gov — Official U.S. government portal.
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare information.
After you sign it
- Sign it the way Missouri 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 Missouri advance directive form free?
Yes. The Missouri Bar publishes the current form free of charge, and we link to the official source only.
Do I need a lawyer to complete the Missouri form?
No. You can complete the form yourself. It must be signed the way Missouri law requires — usually with witnesses or a notary — so follow the instructions printed on the form itself.
Where should I keep my signed Missouri 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.