Quick facts
- Category: Power of Attorney / Authorization
- Apostilled by the California Secretary of State (Sacramento or Los Angeles)
- Fee: $20 per document (mail) or $26 (walk-in) at the California Secretary of State
- Free document review before you pay any government fee
- Tracked outbound and return shipping included
What to know
Self-prepared — no issuing office. 1. Draft the delegation. Identify the child and the delegate, the powers delegated (care, custody, school, medical), and the period; exclude marriage/adoption consent. Both parents should sign where both have custody. 2. Sign and acknowledge before a California notary. The parent personally appears with satisfactory ID and acknowledges the signature; each signing parent is a separate $15 acknowledgment. 3. Confirm the notary’s seal, signature, commission number, and expiration are present and legible. Who can create it. A parent (or legal guardian) with authority over the child. Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified June 2026): notary $15 per signature (Gov. Code §8211(a)); usually same-day. Drafting is free. What the SOS needs to see: a California notary’s acknowledgment for each signing parent — current commission, legible seal/signature,.
Frequently asked questions
Is this different from a child-care POA?
Functionally it’s the same instrument (Probate Code §1500). Use whichever name the destination expects; don’t create duplicate documents.
Does it make the delegate a legal guardian?
No — legal guardianship is a court order (#41/#43).
What can’t I delegate?
Consent to the child’s marriage or adoption (§1500).
Both parents — do both sign?
Where both have custody, yes; each is a separate $15 acknowledgment.
Common destinations
Countries this document is most often sent to (pulled from this page's own guidance). Every destination has its own rulebook — apostille (Hague) or full legalization (non-Hague).