State guide
Advance Directive Forms in New Jersey
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 New Jersey form
New Jersey Department of Health publishes the current form here: https://www.nj.gov/health/advancedirective/documents/proxy_directive.pdf
NJ uses a Proxy Directive (your person) and Instruction Directive (your wishes).
Background reading: New Jersey Department of Health guidance
New Jersey's names are the clearest in the country
New Jersey divides the paperwork by function, and the names say exactly what each part is for. The Proxy Directive names your person. The Instruction Directive records your wishes. Together they form your Advance Directive for Health Care.
This is worth pointing out, because most states mix both ideas into a single document with one name, leaving people unsure which part does what. New Jersey separates them by name, so you always know which piece you are working on.
You do not have to complete both. A Proxy Directive on its own is valid, and so is an Instruction Directive on its own. But the two cover different failures. An Instruction Directive with no proxy records your wishes and leaves nobody with the authority to act on them. A proxy with no instructions leaves a person you trust guessing at the moment they most need clarity. Together they cover both.
New Jersey publishes both through the Department of Health, along with a plain-language explanation of how advance directives work in the state.
New Jersey's own site calls the two parts "directives" and the finished document an "advance directive". Searching for a "New Jersey living will" mostly returns out-of-state template sites. The state's documents are the Proxy and Instruction Directives.
National resources
- USA.gov — Official U.S. government portal.
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare information.
After you sign it
- Sign it the way New Jersey 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 New Jersey advance directive form free?
Yes. New Jersey Department of Health publishes the current form free of charge, and we link to the official source only.
Do I need a lawyer to complete the New Jersey form?
No. You can complete the form yourself. It must be signed the way New Jersey law requires — usually with witnesses or a notary — so follow the instructions printed on the form itself.
Where should I keep my signed New Jersey 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.