Completing and registering advance directives may seem daunting, but it’s easier when you follow a step-by-step process.
Follow the steps below to get started.
To learn more about Arizona advance directives, click here to view and print the Attorney General’s Life Care Planning packet. This packet contains the four advance directive forms accepted in Arizona:
You can use any advance directive form that meets Arizona’s requirements, and the forms in the packet meet these requirements.
If you would like the packet mailed to you, visit this page for instructions: azag.gov/seniors/life-care-planning.
Next, fill out any or all four of the advance directive forms included in the packet, and make sure each form has been either notarized or signed by a witness.
Please be aware that Contexture cannot answer legal questions about how to prepare advance directives. If you do not feel comfortable preparing an advance directive document by yourself, we encourage you to consult an attorney, speak with your healthcare provider(s) or contact one of the many organizations listed in our “Arizona Resources for Advance Care Planning” document guide.
A completed and signed AzHDR Registration Agreement needs to be included with your advance directives. If you would like to receive communications by email, please be sure to add your email address to the Registration Agreement along with your mailing address. Information on the agreement must be legible and clear to be accepted. You are welcome to type your responses if you prefer.
A Spanish AzHDR Registration Agreement is available as well.
NOTE: The Arizona Healthcare Directives Registry (AzHDR) is no longer able to accept the previous Secretary of State’s Healthcare Registry Registration Agreement. Please be sure to use the AzHDR Registration Agreement when submitting your advance directive documents. Beginning, Jan. 15, 2023, any advance directives that include the former Secretary of State Registration Agreement will be returned for correction.
Be sure to send copies of your forms—not the originals. Your documents cannot be returned once they have been uploaded into the registry, so you will want to hang onto your original forms.
Mail your forms to:
Arizona Healthcare Directives Registry – Contexture
2901 N. Central Ave., Ste. 1100
Phoenix, AZ 85012
NOTE: Please be aware that we do not accept walk-ins to drop off advance directives at our office location.
Or submit via email to: documents@azhdr.org.
Once Contexture has received your documents, we will review them and verify that they have been completed according to Arizona Statutes (A.R.S. §36-224, §36.3286, §36-3232, §36.3262).
You will be sent a letter or email stating that your documents have been received and processed.
Once you have received the letter stating your documents were reviewed and no corrections were needed, your advance directives will then be active in the AzHDR and available for viewing by anyone who has your username and password credentials (most likely shared via AzHDR wallet card).
Note: Your wallet card should only be shared with trusted loved ones, caregivers and/or healthcare providers.
Once you have set up your AzHDR account, you can then make demographic changes to your profile.
If you want to update an advance directive document at any point, you will need to fill out a new Registration Agreement and check the box to replace a directive in the registry. You can upload the new Registration Agreement and updated directive form directly into your AzHDR account—or you can email or postal mail them using the instructions above.
