Power of Attorney Acceptance and Refusal Rules in Oregon

At a glance

Financial-power recognition

Oregon’s rule is narrow. A principal may designate an agent by a power of attorney in writing, and the agent’s powers are unaffected by the passage of time unless the instrument limits its effective period (ORS § 127.005(1)). A person may not refuse to recognize the agent’s authority solely because of the time elapsed since execution (ORS § 127.025). The financial-power recognition provision gives no numbered response deadline, supporting-document request process, required written rejection, or special refusal order and fee award.

What trips people up

The time rule does not say every presented document must be accepted for every transaction. Oregon separately protects a person who reasonably relies in good faith on an agent’s authority, and says that person need not ensure that assets delivered to the agent are properly applied. A person lacking actual revocation notice is protected against liability based on reliance on a revoked power (ORS § 127.035).

Common questions

Can a bank reject a power simply because it is old? No. Passage of time alone is not a permissible reason under ORS § 127.025.

Is there a seven-day response deadline? ORS § 127.025 supplies no response clock; it addresses refusal based solely on elapsed time.

Statutes and sources

Oregon Legislature, 2025 Edition Chapter 127, accessed October 4, 2026.

ORS § 127.005. “When a principal designates another person as an agent by a power of attorney in writing, and the power of attorney does not contain words that otherwise delay or limit the period of time of its effectiveness:” Official statute (accessed October 4, 2026).

ORS § 127.005. “(b) The powers of the agent are unaffected by the passage of time;” Official statute (accessed October 4, 2026).

ORS § 127.025. “A person may not refuse to recognize the authority of an agent under a power of attorney based solely on the passage of time since the power of attorney was executed.” Official statute (accessed October 4, 2026).

ORS § 127.035. “Any person who reasonably relies in good faith on the authority of an agent under a power of attorney is not liable to any other person based on that reliance, and is not required to ensure that assets of the principal that are paid or delivered to the agent are properly applied. Any person who has not received actual notice of revocation of a power of attorney is not liable to any other person by reason of relying on a power of attorney that has been revoked.” Official statute (accessed October 4, 2026).