Your situation
A bank or financial institution will not honor the POA you presented.
What to check first
Ask for the exact reason for refusal in writing if possible.
Confirm whether the bank wants a certification, translation, legal opinion, or identity verification.
Check whether the requested transaction is actually authorized.
Check the acceptance/refusal rules in the governing jurisdiction.
Common rule
Governing law may require a financial institution to accept a POA when statutory conditions are met, subject to permitted grounds for refusal. Acceptance rules and timelines vary by jurisdiction.
What not to assume
Do not assume the bank is always wrong.
Do not open a joint account or share credentials merely to bypass a POA problem.
Do not assume another jurisdiction’s statutory deadlines apply.
What you can do now
Escalate to the bank’s legal/POA review team.
Provide requested certification or translation if legally appropriate.
Keep a record of dates, names, and reasons given.
When professional help becomes important
Prompt legal review is appropriate if the institution alleges invalidity, revocation, abuse, lack of authority, or refuses despite apparent compliance with the governing law.
Jurisdiction matters
Ontario does not use the U.S. statutory bank-acceptance deadlines used in states such as Washington. First identify whether the document is a continuing property POA, a limited bank POA, or another authority.
Au Québec, ne pas appliquer les délais d’acceptation propres aux lois américaines sur les POA. Il faut d’abord distinguer procuration ordinaire, mandat de protection homologué et pouvoir précis demandé à la banque.
Alaska generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within five business days and acceptance within three business days after receipt, subject to statutory refusal grounds in AS 13.26.615.
Arkansas has a seven/five-business-day acceptance framework for an acknowledged statutory-form POA, with statutory refusal grounds. Do not automatically apply it to every nonstatutory document.
For California’s statutory form POA, Probate Code § 4406 provides a remedy when a third party unreasonably refuses to honor the agent’s authority. This rule is form-specific and should not be generalized to every California POA.
Colorado generally requires acceptance or a permitted request for certification, translation or counsel opinion within seven business days and then acceptance within five business days after timely requested material, subject to statutory exceptions.
Delaware permits protective refusal in defined circumstances and provides court-compelled acceptance plus damages/fees for refusal that violates the statute.
Florida presumes four business days is a reasonable time for a financial institution or broker-dealer to accept or reject a qualifying POA for covered banking or investment transactions, subject to statutory refusal grounds.
Georgia generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after receipt for a statutory-form POA, subject to statutory refusal grounds.
Hawaii generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after timely requested material, subject to statutory exceptions.
Iowa generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after timely requested material, subject to statutory exceptions.
Idaho § 15-12-120 generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after requested support, subject to statutory exceptions.
Illinois distinguishes unreasonable refusal from reasonable refusal. A third party may request a certification and may have reasonable cause where abuse, termination or death concerns exist.
Kentucky generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after requested material, subject to statutory refusal grounds.
Louisiana R.S. 6:311.1 permits a federally insured financial institution to rely on a sufficient POA, procuration or mandate until written notice of termination and reasonable time to act; Louisiana does not use the standard UPOAA seven/five-day model here.
Maryland protects its statutory form POA from demands for an additional or different form where the granted authority already appears in the statutory form; wrongful refusal can lead to court-ordered acceptance and fees.
Maine generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after requested material, subject to statutory refusal grounds.
Michigan generally requires a person presented with an acknowledged POA to accept it or request permitted supporting material within seven business days; after timely requested material is received, a five-business-day acceptance rule applies unless a statutory exception permits refusal.
Minnesota imposes liability for refusal of a POA that conforms to its statutory requirements unless a listed exception applies, including actual notice of revocation or death.
Montana § 72-31-325 generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after requested support, subject to statutory exceptions.
North Carolina generally requires action on an acknowledged POA within seven business days and, after permitted supporting items are received, within five business days, subject to statutory exceptions.
Nebraska generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after timely requested material, subject to statutory refusal grounds.
New Hampshire generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after requested support, subject to statutory refusal grounds.
New Jersey has a banking-specific statute requiring banking institutions to accept a conforming POA subject to enumerated grounds for refusal, including actual notice of death, revocation or execution-time incapacity.
New Mexico’s § 45-5B-120 generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after receipt for an acknowledged statutory-form POA, subject to statutory refusal grounds.
New York General Obligations Law § 5-1504 governs acceptance and permitted refusal grounds for covered powers of attorney; a refusal is not automatically proof that the POA is invalid.
Oregon specifically prohibits refusing to recognize an agent solely because of the age of the POA; this is narrower than states with seven/five-business-day acceptance statutes.
Pennsylvania generally requires acceptance or a permitted request for supporting material within seven business days after presentation, with a further five-business-day rule after receipt of requested material, subject to statutory exceptions.
South Carolina generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after the requested material is received, subject to statutory refusal grounds.
South Dakota uses a ten-business-day initial response period for a South Dakota compliant POA, followed by five business days after requested certification, translation or legal opinion.
Texas Estates Code Chapter 751 provides a separate acceptance/refusal process for durable POAs; do not apply Washington deadlines in Texas.
Utah generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after timely requested material, subject to statutory refusal grounds.
Virginia generally requires acceptance or a permitted supporting-document request within seven business days, followed by a five-business-day acceptance rule after timely requested material is received, subject to statutory refusal grounds.
Vermont generally requires acceptance or a permitted certification, translation or opinion request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after receipt, subject to statutory refusal grounds.
Washington RCW 11.125.200 sets specific acceptance timelines and permitted refusal grounds for an acknowledged POA.
Wisconsin § 244.20 contains the state-specific refusal framework for acknowledged financial/property POAs; use Wisconsin’s conditions rather than another state’s timing rules.
West Virginia’s seven/five-business-day acceptance rule applies to an acknowledged statutory-form POA and has listed protective refusal grounds.
Wyoming generally requires acceptance or a permitted certification/translation request within seven business days and acceptance within five business days after requested material, subject to statutory refusal grounds.