Military Power of Attorney Selector
You’re about to deploy or PCS and someone needs to handle business while you’re gone. The question isn’t whether to get a power of attorney — it’s which one. Get it wrong and the bank, the title company, or the DMV hands it back. Here’s how to get it right.
For almost every PCS or deployment task, you want a SPECIAL power of attorney — it does one job and institutions actually accept it. Save the general POA for full, trusted delegation.
Pick the task. Get the POA.
Tell us what your agent actually needs to do while you’re gone. We’ll tell you which power of attorney to ask for, what it authorizes, and what to walk into the legal office knowing.
Special vs General, in plain English
Grants only specific powers for a specific task. Safer, and far more readily accepted by banks, title companies, and government offices. The Army’s own guidance: use a special POA for a specific task whenever possible. One task, one document — and if your agent needs to handle three things, draw up three of them.
Transfers nearly every legal right you have to your agent. That breadth is exactly why many banks, title companies, and institutions distrust or reject it — they’d rather see a task-specific document. Reserve a general POA for true full delegation: a trusted spouse running everything during a long deployment, ideally as a durable POA. Sign it only for someone you trust without reservation.
Questions troops actually ask
Do I need a general or special POA for a PCS?
A special (limited) power of attorney. A PCS is really a stack of separate, specific tasks — shipping household goods, registering or selling a vehicle, clearing quarters, updating DEERS. The Army recommends using a special POA for a specific task whenever possible, because it grants only the powers needed for that one job and institutions accept it far more readily than a broad general POA. Have a separate special POA drawn up for each task your agent needs to handle.
Why do banks reject general powers of attorney?
A general POA transfers nearly every legal right you have to your agent, which makes it powerful but risky — that breadth invites misuse and fraud. Because of that risk, many banks, title companies, and other institutions distrust or outright reject a general POA and prefer a task-specific (special) one that authorizes only the narrow action in front of them. That is exactly why the Army recommends using a special POA for a specific task whenever possible.
Where do I get a military power of attorney?
Free at your installation legal assistance office. Military POAs are prepared at no cost by legal assistance attorneys and staff. Bring your agent’s full legal name and the specifics of the task you need covered so the document can be tailored to it.
What’s the difference between a general and special POA?
A general power of attorney transfers nearly every legal right you have to your agent — broad authority that is powerful but risky and that many institutions distrust or reject. A special (limited) power of attorney grants only specific powers for a specific task, which is safer and more readily accepted. The recommendation is to use a special POA for a specific task whenever possible, and reserve a general POA for true full delegation — for example, a trusted spouse handling everything during a long deployment.
Official Sources
- U.S. Army — “Power of attorney: Which one do I need?” →
The Army legal-assistance explainer on general vs special powers of attorney and when to use each. Every recommendation on this page traces to it.
This is a planning guide, not legal advice. Your installation legal assistance office drafts the actual document for free — and some institutions (lenders, title companies) have their own POA wording requirements, so ask them before the document is drawn up.