An advance directive is a legally binding document that gives instructions for your healthcare in the event that you are no longer able to make or communicate those decisions yourself. Laws and instructions differ by state. Learn more about the basics of advance directives and advance care planning.
Below you will find the advance directive template for Texas.
Instructions for Downloading the Advance Directive Template
- Opening a PDF requires a file viewer such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or MacOS Preview.
- If you already have this software installed on your computer, click on your state to proceed.
- Due to formatting and printing requirements, for some states a blank page will appear in the Acrobat Reader as the first page. This does not mean the document has not loaded correctly.
- Use the reader’s navigational toolbar to go to the next page.
- Once completed, save and print the form, or store it digitally. If using paper, you should scan the form and save it everywhere you can – including your phone – and distribute them to your inner circle, your physician, and anyone else you think should have it.
What happens if you do not have an Advance Directive in Texas and are unable to speak for yourself
The decisionmaker is decided by order of priority:
- A spouse
- An adult child
- A parent
- The nearest living relative
If the individual is a patient of a home and community support service agency or in a hospital or nursing home, or an adult inmate of a county or municipal jail, the decisionmaker is decided by order of priority:
- A spouse
- An adult child who has the waiver and consent of all other qualified adult children to act as the sole decision-maker
- A majority of the reasonably available adult children
- A parent
- The individual clearly identified to act for the patient before the patient became incapacitated, the patient’s nearest living relative, or a member of the clergy
TX Health & Safety Code §166.039
TX Health & Safety Code §313.004
Note that in many states, there are separate requirements related to minors, specific types of treatment (such as mental healthcare or medical research), or for pregnant women. These more specific provisions are beyond the scope of this information. Some states will also allow for an oral designation of an agent. The purpose of this information is to help you plan ahead for when you may not be able to make a decision for yourself, so it does not address oral designations.
