State guide
Advance Directive Forms in Rhode Island
By Jason Su · Sources last confirmed September 15
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 Rhode Island form
Rhode Island Department of Health publishes the current form here: https://health.ri.gov/death-and-dying/end-life-decisions-advanced-directives
RI has no separate living will statute; the durable POA is key.
Rhode Island has no living will — the power of attorney is the document
Rhode Island has no separate living will statute. The document Rhode Island law recognizes is the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, published by the Department of Health.
This matters more than it first appears. If you sign something labeled a "Rhode Island living will" from a template site, you have signed a document Rhode Island law does not specifically provide for. That is not a recipe for confidence at the moment somebody needs to act on it.
The right move in Rhode Island is to use the durable power of attorney and put your wishes in it, or attach them. The Department of Health publishes the form alongside an explanation of end-of-life decisions, so both come from one source.
Use the state's version and there is no question about what you are holding.
Rhode Island does not provide a living will form, because it has no living will statute. A site offering "the official Rhode Island living will" is offering something the state does not produce.
National resources
- USA.gov — Official U.S. government portal.
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare information.
After you sign it
- Sign it the way Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island advance directive form free?
Yes. Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island form?
No. You can complete the form yourself. It must be signed the way Rhode Island law requires — usually with witnesses or a notary — so follow the instructions printed on the form itself.
Where should I keep my signed Rhode Island 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.