Alabama Power of Attorney for Car Title Transfer: MVT 5-13 and Vehicle Registration

Your parent cannot get to the county licensing office to sign a vehicle title. They are in the hospital, traveling out of state, or physically unable to make the trip. You have a financial power of attorney — but the county tag office says they need a different form. This is one of the most common POA frustrations in Alabama, and understanding the distinction between the MVT 5-13 and a general financial POA saves hours of runaround.

The MVT 5-13: Alabama's Vehicle-Specific POA

The Alabama Department of Revenue issues a specific power of attorney form for motor vehicle transactions: Form MVT 5-13. This form is designed exclusively for vehicle registration, title transfers, and related DMV transactions. It authorizes a named individual to act on the vehicle owner's behalf for a specific transaction — signing a title, registering a vehicle, or transferring ownership.

The MVT 5-13 is a limited, transaction-specific POA. It identifies the vehicle by year, make, model, and VIN, names the agent authorized to act, and describes the specific transaction being authorized. The vehicle owner must execute the form with the required original signature.

County licensing offices and the Alabama Department of Revenue accept the MVT 5-13 as the standard authorization document for vehicle transactions. It is free to download from the state's motor vehicle division website.

When to Keep a Financial POA Alongside It

A general financial power of attorney may grant broad authority over personal property, but it does not replace Form MVT 5-13 where the Alabama Department of Revenue requires the vehicle-specific form. The MVT 5-13 must be executed by the vehicle owner for the authorized transaction.

The practical difference is acceptance. County tag offices and license-plate issuing offices are trained to process the MVT 5-13. They may not be familiar with a multi-page financial POA document, so do not assume that a general financial POA will substitute for the MVT 5-13 where the vehicle-specific form is required.

Use the MVT 5-13 when:

• The transaction is a one-time event (buying, selling, or titling a single vehicle)
• The vehicle owner is competent and can sign the MVT 5-13 form
• You want the fastest processing with the least pushback

Keep a financial POA when:

• The agent needs ongoing authority for broader financial matters, not just one vehicle transaction
• The principal wants a durable framework for banking, real estate, and other property matters
• Vehicle transactions will still be handled with the vehicle-specific MVT 5-13 as required

The Incapacity Problem

This is where the MVT 5-13 breaks down. The form requires the vehicle owner's signature. If the owner is incapacitated — hospitalized with dementia, in a coma, or otherwise unable to sign — they cannot execute a new MVT 5-13.

A durable financial POA that was signed while the principal was competent survives their incapacity under Section 26-1A-104, but it does not supply the vehicle owner's signature on Form MVT 5-13 or eliminate that form's requirement. The MVT 5-13 is a transaction-specific authorization that requires the owner's original signature.

This is why elder law attorneys recommend executing a comprehensive durable financial POA while the parent is still competent, rather than relying on transaction-specific forms that require fresh signatures for each use.

How to Present a Financial POA at the Tag Office

If you are using Form MVT 5-13, bring the following to the county licensing office:

1. The original completed MVT 5-13 with the vehicle owner's original signature
2. The vehicle title — signed by the agent in the proper format: "Principal's Name, by Agent's Name, Agent under Power of Attorney"
3. Your government-issued photo ID — as the named agent
4. Any additional documents requested by the county licensing office or the Alabama Department of Revenue

If the tag office staff insists on the MVT 5-13, use that form. If the principal cannot sign it, ask to speak with a supervisor or contact the Alabama Department of Revenue for the process that applies; do not assume that a general financial POA substitutes for the owner's required MVT 5-13 signature.

Signing the Title Correctly

When the agent signs a vehicle title on behalf of the principal, the signature format matters. The standard format in Alabama is:

[Principal's Full Legal Name], by [Agent's Full Legal Name], Attorney-in-Fact

Some title offices accept "Agent under Power of Attorney" instead of "Attorney-in-Fact." Either is legally correct, but matching the language used in the POA document itself avoids confusion.

The Alabama Power of Attorney Kit includes the agent duty reference sheet with proper signature formats for vehicle titles, real estate deeds, bank documents, and other common transactions.

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