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PA · Living Will / Advance Directive
Pennsylvania healthcare directive requirements.
Tell doctors what care you want and name someone to speak for you if you can't. Document generation isn’t currently available in Pennsylvania while we review its rules for online legal document services. The signing requirements below still apply.
Requirements at a glance
What governs a Pennsylvania directive
Pennsylvania's healthcare-directive statute is at 20 Pa.C.S. §5421 et seq. The official form is the Living Will / Advance Directive. Your directive is valid the moment it's signed under your state's witness and notary rules above; it only takes effect if your physician determines you can't make or communicate decisions yourself.
Witness rules for your Pennsylvania directive
A witness may not be the individual who signed this document on behalf of and at the direction of the principal (20 Pa.C.S. §§5442, 5452, subsec. (c)(1) of each). Neither 20 Pa.C.S. §5442 nor 20 Pa.C.S. §5452 disqualifies the health care agent, an heir, or a health care provider from serving as a witness; a health care provider or its agent that provides health care services to the principal may not sign the document on the principal's behalf (subsec. (c)(2) of each). Disinterested witnesses remain best practice.
Document generation isn’t currently available in Pennsylvania.