Minnesota DOPA Form: Where to Get It and What It Does

What Is a Minnesota DOPA Form?

DOPA stands for Delegation of Parental Authority. It's a legal document under Minnesota Statutes § 524.5-211 that lets a parent or legal custodian temporarily delegate decision-making power over a child to another person — often a relative or trusted caregiver.

The DOPA gives the designated person (called the "Attorney-in-Fact") authority to handle school enrollment, medical appointments, dental visits, and day-to-day care decisions. The parent keeps all their underlying legal rights and can revoke the DOPA at any time.

A DOPA is not custody. It's not guardianship. It's a voluntary delegation that works when a parent cooperates but can't be physically present — because of hospitalization, addiction treatment, incarceration, military deployment, or any other temporary absence.

Where to Download the Free Minnesota DOPA Form

The standard form is the F-6 DOPA published by Legal Services State Support through LawHelpMN.org. Two versions are available:

• Printable PDF — download, print, fill in by hand, then sign before a notary public
• Do-It-Yourself online interview — LawHelp Interactive walks you through the fields and generates a completed document ready for notarization

Both are completely free. No subscription, no account, no recurring charge.

The Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) also publishes a DOPA information sheet and sample form. Urban League Twin Cities offers in-person DOPA preparation with free notarization at their Minneapolis office.

Legal Requirements for a Valid DOPA

A Minnesota DOPA must meet specific requirements under § 524.5-211:

Who can sign: A parent, legal custodian, or nonprofessional guardian. Professional guardians are limited to 30-day delegations and must submit the document to the court.

Notarization: The delegating parent must sign the DOPA in front of a notary public. The Attorney-in-Fact signs an acceptance, but the caregiver's signature does not require notarization.

Duration: Maximum 12 months. There is no automatic renewal — the parent must execute an entirely new DOPA before the old one expires to maintain uninterrupted authority.

30-day notice: The signing parent must mail or hand-deliver a copy to any other living parent within 30 days. Two exceptions: the other parent has no court-ordered parenting time or has only supervised time, or an Order for Protection under Ch. 518B is in effect against that parent to protect the delegating parent, legal custodian, or child.

What a DOPA cannot do: It cannot authorize consent to the child's marriage or adoption, and it cannot override an existing court order.

DOPA vs. Other Minnesota Options

A DOPA isn't always the right tool. Here's a quick comparison:

• Standby or Temporary Custodian (Ch. 257B): A standby designation takes effect upon a triggering event such as incapacity, debilitation, or death. A temporary custodian designation may last up to 24 months. The parent's signature must be witnessed by two adults instead of notarized.
• Third-Party Custody (Ch. 257C): Court-ordered custody for a non-parent who has been the child's primary caregiver for 6+ months (under age 3) or 12+ months (age 3+).
• Minor Guardianship (§ 524.5-201): Full court-appointed guardianship when a parent can't exercise parental rights.

A DOPA works best when a parent is cooperative and the arrangement is temporary. When a parent is absent, deceased, or unwilling to sign, caregivers need to consider court-based options. A standby designation under Ch. 257B helps only if the parent made it before a triggering event.

What to Do After You Get the Form

Download and fill out the form, but don't sign it yet — you need to sign in front of the notary. Bring government-issued photo ID. After signing and notarizing, make multiple copies for the child's school, pediatrician, dentist, and any other institution that needs to see it.

Keep a log of who received copies and when. If you ever need to revoke or replace the DOPA, you'll know exactly who to notify.

Our Minnesota School and Medical Consent Guide includes execution checklists, a copy distribution log, a 30-day notice tracker, and institutional refusal scripts — everything you need to go from blank form to accepted document at the school and the clinic.

See more Minnesota guides →