Rules for Power of Attorney

• A Michigan POA must include all required notary elements

  Printed name, signature, date, commission expiration, county of commission, and “acting in the county of ___” if applicable.

• All notarization elements must be clear and reproducible

  Embosser alone is not enough; stamps must not obscure text.

• Only the original notary may correct errors

  Corrections must be initialed and made by the same notary.

• The notarization must be in English

  Foreign-language POAs require a notarized English translation.

• The notarial block must appear on the same page as the signature

  Michigan rejects POAs where the notary section is on a different page.

• Michigan notaries must witness the principal signing

  They cannot notarize signatures they didn’t personally observe.

• Notaries cannot certify true copies

  Michigan prohibits notaries from validating document authenticity.

• Notaries cannot notarize for family or if they have a financial interest

  Conflict-of-interest notarizations are invalid.

• Notaries may not charge more than $10

  Any travel fees must be agreed upon before providing the service.

• Notary stamps or marks must not obscure the POA

  All notarial elements must remain fully readable.

• Remote/electronic notarizations must follow the same rules

  No additional “convenience” fees can be added.

• Only properly notarized POAs may be submitted for authentication

  Michigan will reject any POA with incomplete or incorrect notarization.