A Special Power of Attorney is a document in which a principal authorises an agent to carry out one defined task or a limited set of connected actions. “Specific POA” and “limited POA” are often used descriptively for the same narrow-scope idea, but the exact title is less important than the powers actually written in the instrument.
What It Is
The document identifies the principal, the agent and the act or transaction the agent may perform. It may be limited by property, account, company, vehicle, recipient, date or transaction. The receiving party and notary may require explicit wording rather than a general statement that the agent can do “everything necessary”.
What It Is Not
It is not automatically a broad or continuing delegation. It does not give an agent every power the principal has, and it does not remove recipient-specific KYC, attendance or approval rules. A notarised document can still be insufficient for a new purpose that is outside its wording.
Where It is used
Common examples include a named property transaction, vehicle transfer, bank procedure, company filing or document collection. Whether a task can be delegated, and the required form, depends on the transaction and receiving party.
Related Terms
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Last reviewed: August 2026