Federal TSP POA acceptance rules no longer require a notary on every POA. Notarization may still be required by state domicile law or the POA instrument—and remote notarization applies only when a notarized signature is actually needed.
Published and reviewed by iRemoteNotary Compliance Review
Last reviewed September 20, 2026
Current 5 CFR §1690.12 does not require a federal notary to authenticate every TSP power of attorney. The record keeper may approve a POA that is signed by the participant, identifies the participant and agent with names and addresses, meets the participant's state-of-domicile law, is complete, and is submitted for approval. Notarization can still be required if state domicile law or the POA document itself demands an acknowledgment or similar formality.
To revoke a previously approved TSP POA, use the POA Management System contact channel and the linked POARevocationForm.pdf (submit by fax, PO Box, or upload as that page directs). Remote online notarization is expressly allowed by TSP for forms that require notarized signatures—but only book a session after confirming that your specific document actually needs notarization.
A Thrift Savings Plan power of attorney is a TSP record-keeper acceptance path for an agent to act on designated account matters. It is not the same as a DFAS retiree POA, a PBGC representative form, or a TSP court-order restriction-removal letter.
This guide separates federal acceptance conditions, state-law and document notarization triggers, revocation through the POA Center, and when remote notarization fits. It does not draft your POA, choose an agent, or advise tax or estate planning. For spouse-signature withdrawals, see TSP withdrawal spousal consent. For court-order freezes, see TSP restriction-removal notarized letter. Return to the Retirement, 401(k), TSP & Pension Notary Document Center for multi-plan routing.
TSP booklet TSP-BK-11 describes general powers of attorney (broad TSP-related authority such as withdrawals, loans, and beneficiaries) and specific or special powers (authority limited to actions the instrument expressly describes).
A springing POA takes effect only after the event described in the document. When you submit a springing POA, TSP materials expect evidence that the triggering event has occurred (for example, a physician letter when that is the stated trigger).
When an agent signs for the participant, TSP-BK-11 directs the agent to sign the agent's own name followed by “POA for” and the participant's name. A valid POA on file does not remove the participant's ability to conduct TSP business personally.
Submit the POA through the TSP POA Center / life-events upload path (including poac.rk.tsp.gov) or the mail and fax addresses listed in the current booklet. TSP—not the notary—decides whether the instrument is approved for record-keeper purposes.
Keep four questions separate: (1) Is the POA valid under applicable state law? (2) Will the TSP record keeper accept it under 5 CFR §1690.12 and TSP-BK-11? (3) Does this particular signing ceremony require a notary? (4) If a notary is required, will TSP accept remote online notarization for that notarized signature?
Current 5 CFR §1690.12 (as revised; cite 87 FR 31695, May 24, 2022) lists acceptance conditions that include participant signature, names and addresses, compliance with the participant's state-of-domicile law (address on file with TSP), a complete document, and submission to the record keeper. It does not restate a federal requirement that a notary authenticate every POA signature. Older federal text that required notary authentication is superseded for current drafting.
Notarization may still be required because §1690.12 incorporates state domicile formalities, because the POA instrument itself calls for acknowledgment or notarization, or because a different TSP form independently requires a notarized signature. Do not assume that “TSP POA” always means “must be notarized under federal TSP rules.”
| Task | Document | Notary? | RON? | Who acts? | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obtain TSP approval of a POA | Participant-signed POA (general or specific) | Not required by current 5 CFR §1690.12 alone; maybe if state domicile law or the instrument requires it | Only if notarization is actually required for that POA | Participant executes; agent later acts under approved authority | 5 CFR §1690.12; TSP-BK-11; POA Center submission |
| Execute POA under state domicile formalities | Same POA instrument | Follow state law of the participant's domicile on file with TSP | Only if that formality is a notarized acknowledgment (or similar) and a notary is used | Participant (and any witnesses state law requires) | 5 CFR §1690.12(a)(4) incorporating state domicile law |
| POA instrument itself requires acknowledgment | POA with notary block / statutory formality | Yes — complete the required notarial act | Yes — TSP accepts electronic and remote notarization for forms requiring notarized signatures | Participant before a notary | Instrument design; TSP plan-news remote/electronic notarization policy |
| Revoke a previously approved TSP POA | POARevocationForm.pdf via POA Management System | Follow the form and any applicable state/TSP instructions; do not invent extra notary rules | Only if that revocation package actually requires a notarized signature | Participant (or other signer the form requires) | POA Center Contact Us / POARevocationForm.pdf |
| TSP form that independently requires notarized signatures | Separate TSP form (not the §1690.12 POA approval list) | Yes when that form requires it | Yes when the form requires notarized signatures | Person named on that form | TSP plan news (2020-10-01 reinstatement); live form instructions |
| Remove a court-order benefit restriction by letter | Notarized restriction-removal letter (draft-order / booklet paths) | Yes when using an authorized letter path | Yes when a notarized letter is the correct path | Payee and/or both parties as that path requires | Court Order Center / TSP-BK-11 — see restriction-removal guide |
Federal POA acceptance, state execution formalities, revocation intake, and restriction-letter paths are different workflows. Confirm which row matches your task before booking a notary.
The TSP Power of Attorney Management System Contact Us page includes instructions to revoke a previously approved Power of Attorney and links POARevocationForm.pdf.
Submit the completed revocation form through the channels that page lists—typically fax, the published PO Box, or upload to the POA Management System. Confirm the live contact page at submission time; do not invent additional revocation notarization requirements beyond the form, applicable state law, and TSP acceptance.
Revocation is a separate submission from the original POA approval package. Approving a new POA does not automatically explain how to cancel a prior one—use the revocation form path.
A TSP-accepted POA does not substitute for DFAS retiree or annuitant third-party authority. DFAS customer-service POA materials still require the principal's notarized signature for that DFAS pathway—a different administrator with different rules.
Do not treat a TSP POA as a PBGC Form 715 (witness-and-notary architecture) or as Railroad Retirement Board benefit-payment authority. RRB materials do not treat a general POA as a substitute for RRB's own representative rules for benefit payment.
A notarized TSP restriction-removal letter is a Court Order Center / booklet remedy for certain freezes—not a POA approval or revocation step. See TSP account restriction removal when the issue is a court-order benefit restriction.
Before booking a remote session:
TSP plan news (notarization requirements reinstated as of October 1, 2020) states that forms requiring notarized signatures must be signed and notarized, and that TSP accepts electronic and remote notarization in addition to traditional in-person notarization. That policy supports remote online notarization as a method when a notarized signature is actually required.
The same plan-news URL can return a 404 in some fetches; the substance also appears via the TSP plan-news index. Cite current TSP materials at booking time and do not invent a newer blanket ban on remote notarization.
Remote online notarization is performed under the law of the online notary's commissioning state. That answers whether the notary may perform the act—not whether your POA needed a notary in the first place, and not whether TSP has approved the underlying authority.
Do not schedule a session solely because you are submitting a TSP power of attorney. Book only after state law, the POA instrument, or another TSP form that requires a notarized signature makes notarization necessary.
If state domicile law, your POA instrument, or a TSP form that requires notarized signatures makes a notary necessary—and TSP materials accept remote notarization for that signature—you may start a secure session with a commissioned U.S. online notary.
This guide is educational. It does not create TSP authority, draft or revoke a POA for you, interpret state POA statutes, or provide legal, tax, or investment advice.
An online notary verifies identity and completes the authorized notarial act when one is required. The notary cannot promise TSP approval, expand a specific POA into general authority, or replace the POA Center revocation process.
Return to the retirement notary document center for TSP withdrawals, restriction letters, and other retirement paperwork.
No. Current 5 CFR §1690.12 does not mandate a federal notary for every TSP POA. Acceptance turns on participant signature, identifying information, state-of-domicile compliance, completeness, and submission to the record keeper.
When the participant's state-of-domicile law requires acknowledgment or similar formalities, when the POA instrument itself requires a notary, or when you are signing a different TSP form that independently requires notarized signatures.
Use the TSP POA Management System Contact Us channel and POARevocationForm.pdf. Submit by fax, PO Box, or upload as that page directs. Confirm the live instructions at submission time.
TSP plan news states that TSP accepts electronic and remote notarization for forms that require notarized signatures. Book remote notarization only after confirming that your specific document actually needs a notary.
No. Each administrator has its own rules. A TSP-accepted POA does not automatically authorize DFAS or PBGC actions, and DFAS customer-service POA materials still require a notarized principal signature for that DFAS path.
No. Restriction-removal letters address certain court-order benefit freezes. They are not a substitute for POA approval or revocation. Use the dedicated restriction-removal guide when that is your issue.
No. The notary performs the notarial act only when notarization is required. TSP decides whether the POA or revocation package is accepted under federal rules and operational instructions.
The following primary sources support the legal and procedural information in this guide. Requirements can change, so confirm current rules with the receiving organization before relying on a notarized document.
5 CFR §1690.12 — Powers of attorney(opens in a new tab)
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations / FRTIB
Accessed September 20, 2026
Court Orders and Powers of Attorney (TSP-BK-11)(opens in a new tab)
Thrift Savings Plan / Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
Accessed September 20, 2026
TSP Power of Attorney Management System — Contact Us(opens in a new tab)
Thrift Savings Plan / Broadridge
Accessed September 20, 2026
Notarization requirements reinstated as of October 1, 2020(opens in a new tab)
Thrift Savings Plan
Accessed September 20, 2026
Thrift Savings Plan
Accessed September 20, 2026
Current federal TSP POA rules do not put a notary on every power of attorney. If state law, your instrument, or another TSP form that requires notarized signatures makes a notary necessary, start a secure session with a commissioned U.S. online notary.