State guide
Advance Directive Forms in Virginia
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 Virginia form
Virginia does not publish its forms from a single state agency page. Virginia State Bar distributes the statutory forms here: https://vsb.org/common/Uploaded%20files/docs/form-hl-nhdd-5.pdf
Virginia offers a free Advance Directive Registry.
Background reading: Virginia State Bar guidance
Virginia's form comes from the state bar, and its registry is free
Virginia is one of a handful of states where the form most people use is not published by a government agency. It comes from the Virginia State Bar, which distributes the statutory form as a public service. If you were looking for a download on a `.virginia.gov` address and gave up, this is why.
That does not affect whether the form is valid — it is the version Virginia's lawyers use — but it does mean the document sits on an unfamiliar address while commercial template sites compete for the same search terms. Use the state bar's version and you have the right document.
Virginia also does something most states do not: it maintains an Advance Directive Registry, and Virginia's is free. Filing a copy means a hospital or physician can retrieve your directive without anyone having to produce the original. The state courts' self-help pages explain how it works.
Treat the registry the way you would treat any filing system, as a backstop rather than the plan. The people who may have to act quickly, your agent and your doctor, should already have a copy in hand rather than have to request one.
Virginia's form is not on a state government domain, so search results are crowded with lookalikes. If a site offers you a "Virginia advance directive" that is neither the state bar's form nor the courts' guidance, read it carefully before signing.
National resources
- USA.gov — Official U.S. government portal.
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare information.
After you sign it
- Sign it the way Virginia 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 Virginia advance directive form free?
Yes. Virginia State Bar publishes the current form free of charge, and we link to the official source only.
Do I need a lawyer to complete the Virginia form?
No. You can complete the form yourself. It must be signed the way Virginia law requires — usually with witnesses or a notary — so follow the instructions printed on the form itself.
Where should I keep my signed Virginia 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.