Utah Vehicle Power of Attorney

Introduction

Key Things to Know

1. 1

   A Utah vehicle power of attorney is the document an owner signs so a named agent can sign the title and registration paperwork instead, and Utah prints no form for it: the Utah State Tax Commission catalogs 74 motor vehicle forms under DMV and MVED and not one of them is a power of attorney.

2. 2

   Every power of attorney the Tax Commission receives on or after June 1, 2026 must be notarized. The Commission states plainly that any power of attorney lacking a notary stamp will no longer be accepted.

3. 3

   A self-created power of attorney is acceptable in Utah, and so is one drafted in another state or on a military form, on the single condition that it is notarized and includes the required information.

4. 4

   Utah Code Section 75A-2-105 writes the notary into the signing itself: a principal may sign a power of attorney only if the power of attorney is signed before a notary public or another individual authorized by law to take acknowledgments.

5. 5

   Utah Administrative Code R873-22M-2 requires the document itself to be handed over. An applicant titling or registering a vehicle transferred under a power of attorney must submit that power of attorney to the Tax Commission.

6. 6

   Electronically notarized powers of attorney are on the Commission's list of acceptable documents, so an owner away from Utah can use a remote online notary rather than finding one in person.

7. 7

   The application your agent signs, TC-656 Vehicle Application for Utah Title and Registration, Rev. 7/26, has no notary block anywhere on its two pages. In Utah the notary belongs on the power of attorney, not on TC-656.

Utah Requirements for Vehicle Power of Attorney

• No Prescribed Utah Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Form

  The Utah State Tax Commission, which runs the Utah DMV, publishes no power of attorney among its motor vehicle forms. Its Motor Vehicle Forms and Pubs catalog files 74 forms under DMV and MVED and none is titled power of attorney, so the owner supplies the document. Do not expect a TC number for it.

• Notarization Is Mandatory, With No Stamp No Acceptance

  The Tax Commission requires every power of attorney it receives on or after June 1, 2026 to be notarized, and states that any power of attorney lacking a notary stamp will no longer be accepted. IRS Form 2848 is specifically refused because it has no notary field. Powers of attorney already on file before that date remain valid.

• Utah Code Section 75A-2-105 Makes the Notary Part of Signing

  Utah departs from the usual pattern. Under Utah Code Section 75A-2-105 a principal may sign a power of attorney only if the power of attorney is signed before a notary public or another individual authorized by law to take acknowledgments, and only if the principal has sufficient mental capacity at the time. A separate subsection adds the presumption that an acknowledged signature is genuine.

• A Self-Drafted or Out-of-State Document Is Accepted

  Because Utah prescribes no form, the Tax Commission accepts other state, military or self-created power of attorney forms, on the condition that they are notarized and include the required information. Name the owner as the Utah title prints the name, name the agent in full, describe the vehicle by year, make, model and vehicle identification number, and state what the agent may sign.

• Submit the Power of Attorney to the Tax Commission

  Utah Administrative Code R873-22M-2 provides that to title or register a vehicle transferred pursuant to a power of attorney, an applicant must submit the power of attorney to the Tax Commission. The document is not kept by the agent. It goes in with the application at a Division of Motor Vehicles office.

• Electronic Notarization Counts in Utah

  Electronically notarized powers of attorney appear on the Tax Commission list of acceptable documents, so an owner outside Utah can complete the acknowledgment with a remote online notary instead of traveling. Keep the notarial certificate attached when the document is submitted.

• TC-656 Carries No Notary Block

  The application the agent signs is TC-656, Vehicle Application for Utah Title and Registration, Rev. 7/26. It has no notary block on either page. Section 6 takes the owner signature under a declaration that the signer is the owner, that the information is accurate and true, and that insurance will be maintained as required by law. The notary requirement attaches to the power of attorney only.

• TC-737 Is the Tax Power of Attorney, Not the Vehicle One

  TC-737, printed title Power of Attorney and Declaration of Agent, Rev. 9/26, is the only power of attorney form in the whole Tax Commission catalog, and the catalog files it under Other Taxes. It authorizes an agent to receive and inspect confidential tax information, and excludes receiving funds or appointing another agent. Its own face states that the taxpayer signature must be notarized for the document to be valid.