State guide
Advance Directive Forms in West Virginia
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 West Virginia form
West Virginia does not publish its forms from a single state agency page. West Virginia State Bar distributes the statutory forms here: https://wvbar.org/medical-power-of-attorney-living-will-statutory-approved/
Statutory forms set out in WV Code 16-30-4.
West Virginia's forms are marked "statutory approved"
West Virginia combines both jobs into a single Medical Power of Attorney and Living Will, and the version published by the West Virginia State Bar carries a label worth understanding: *statutory approved*.
That phrase is not marketing. It means the bar has confirmed these documents match the forms set out in West Virginia law at Code section 16-30-4. Seeing it tells you the document in your hand is the one the statute describes, rather than a well-intentioned rewrite.
That matters most in a combined-form state, because a merged document has more places to go wrong. If a version is not statutory approved, there is no easy way for you to tell whether the merged sections still do what West Virginia requires.
The bar publishes them free of charge, and because there is only one document there is no second form to remember afterwards.
Look for the "statutory approved" marking on a West Virginia form. A combined medical power of attorney and living will from another source can look similar while omitting something the statutory version includes.
National resources
- USA.gov — Official U.S. government portal.
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare information.
After you sign it
- Sign it the way West 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 West Virginia advance directive form free?
Yes. West 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 West Virginia form?
No. You can complete the form yourself. It must be signed the way West Virginia law requires — usually with witnesses or a notary — so follow the instructions printed on the form itself.
Where should I keep my signed West 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.