Authorisation Letter Format (Authorization Letter) · Bank
Let someone operate an account or collect statements and instruments.
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Dear Sir / Madam,
I, [your name], hold Account No. [account no.] with [bank name], [branch].
I hereby authorise [authorised person] to collect statements, cheque books, debit cards and other instruments relating to the said account on my behalf, and to sign the acknowledgement for the same.
This authorisation does not extend to withdrawal of funds, closure of the account, or any change to the account mandate. It is valid until revoked by me in writing. Their signature is attested below.
What is an Authorisation Letter?
An authorisation letter — also spelt authorization letter, and sometimes called an authority letter — lets someone else act for you — collect a document, operate an account, sign for a delivery, represent you at an office. It is what a counter clerk asks for when the person in front of them is not the person named on the file.
The letter does one job: it links you to the person standing at the counter, and states exactly what they may do. Offices reject authorisation letters far more often than any other document, and almost always for the same reasons — the authorised person's identity is not verifiable, or the scope is too broad to accept.
What an office will accept is set by that office, not by the letter. Banks follow their own rules and the mandate on the account, and some have a set form for letting another person collect a cheque book or a statement. Colleges, government offices, courier companies and hospitals each decide whether a letter is enough, which identity documents they accept, and whether they want it notarised or on stamp paper. Ask the office what it needs before you write, and use its own form if it has one.
An authorisation letter is not a power of attorney. It works for routine, one-off acts: picking up a certificate, submitting a form, collecting a cheque book, attending an inspection. Anything that transfers property, operates a bank account long term, or binds you legally usually needs a properly executed power of attorney instead, which is a different instrument with its own formalities.
What to put in an Authorisation Letter
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Issuing organisation | For example: Maple Grove Homeowners Association |
| Branch | For example: Dublin Branch |
| Organisation address | For example: 1420 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Account no. | For example: 30412876591 |
| Person being authorised | For example: Linda Alvarez |
| Their ID reference optional | For example: Driver license OH-4471882 |
| Valid until optional | Free text |
| Issued to (full name) | For example: James Whitfield |
| Their address | For example: 588 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
How to write an Authorisation Letter
Write the date and the recipient first
An undated authorisation letter is easy to refuse. Address it to the specific office or person who will act on it.
Identify yourself with the reference the office holds
Your name as it appears on their records, plus the account number, application number, file reference or customer ID. This is how they find you.
Identify the authorised person properly
Full name, relationship to you, and the number of an identity document they will be carrying — passport, driving licence, national ID. Say which document, so the clerk knows what to ask for.
State the single act you are authorising
'To collect my original degree certificate' or 'to submit the completed KYC form and supporting documents on my behalf'. One act, plainly worded. Broad wording like 'to do all needful' is what gets letters rejected.
Add a validity date and sign
Give the letter an expiry, sign it by hand, and where the office asks for it, have the authorised person counter-sign so their specimen signature is on the same page. If you leave ‘Valid until’ blank in the form, the letter says it lasts until you withdraw it in writing — or, in some versions, for one collection or one course of treatment.
Authorisation letter sample
Here is a letter for collecting documents from a college, as the form on this page sets it out.
Authorisation letter to collect documents
Date: 2 November 2026
To,
Sunrise Degree College
Brodipet, Guntur
Subject: Authorisation to collect documents on my behalf
Dear Sir / Madam,
I, Ananya Rao, am unable to attend in person to collect the documents described below.
I hereby authorise my brother, Kiran Rao (Aadhaar XXXX XXXX 4821), to collect the following from Sunrise Degree College on my behalf: original transfer certificate; original consolidated marks memo.
They are authorised to sign the receipt or acknowledgement for the same. This authorisation is valid until 30 November 2026. I take full responsibility for the documents once handed over to them.
Ananya Rao
Guntur
Authorisation letter templates for bank, property, documents, vehicle or hospital
- The bank letter lets the person collect statements, cheque books, debit cards and other instruments for your account, but not withdraw money, close the account or change its mandate.
- The property letter lets the person submit and collect papers on registration, mutation or property tax matters, but a sale, mortgage, gift or transfer needs a formal document, so speak to a lawyer or the sub-registrar’s office.
- The document collection letter lets the person collect the certificates or papers you list and sign the receipt for them.
- The vehicle letter lets the person drive the vehicle, produce it, and submit or collect its papers at an authority or a service centre, but not sell it, transfer it or pledge it for a loan.
- The medical letter lets the person deal with a hospital for you on admission, discharge, records, bills and consent for routine procedures, while the hospital’s own consent policy still applies.
What the authorised person should carry
- Give them the signed original letter, since many offices will not act on a photocopy, scan or photo of it.
- They need the original of the identity document named in the letter, and a copy of your identity proof if the office asks for one.
- Pass on any slip, receipt, token or reference number the office gave you when you applied.
- For a bank, include any request form the bank needs signed by you, such as a cheque book requisition slip.
- For a vehicle, they need their driving licence and the vehicle papers that the authority or service centre asks for.
Common mistakes
- Authorising 'anything required' instead of one specific act.
- No identity document number for the person being authorised.
- No expiry date, leaving an open-ended authority in circulation.
- Signature that does not match the one the office holds on file.
- Sending a scan where the office requires the signed original.
Frequently asked questions
Is an authorisation letter the same as a power of attorney?
No. An authorisation letter covers a specific routine act and needs no registration. A power of attorney is a formal legal instrument, often notarised or registered, used where someone must act for you in matters with legal or financial consequence.
Does an authorisation letter need to be notarised?
Usually not for routine collection or submission. Banks and government offices sometimes require notarisation for higher-value matters, and a few ask for the letter on stamp paper — the requirement varies by office and by State. Ask the receiving office before you go, because a letter it will not accept means a wasted trip for the person you send.
What identity proof should the authorised person carry?
The original of whichever document you named in the letter, plus, in most cases, a copy of your own identity proof. Offices generally want to see both. In India this is often an Aadhaar card, PAN card, voter ID, passport or driving licence. If you quote an Aadhaar number, many offices accept the masked version that shows only the last four digits.
Can I authorise more than one person?
Yes, but name each of them and say whether they may act separately or must act together. Ambiguity here is a common reason for rejection. Give each person’s identity document number, and ask whether the office will accept one letter naming several people or wants a separate letter for each.
Can I cancel an authorisation letter?
Yes. Write to the same office withdrawing it, and keep the acknowledgement. Until they have been told, they may still act on the original letter. If the authorised person still has the letter, ask for it back. Where a bank or office holds a copy on file, your written withdrawal is what stops it acting on that copy.
How do I write a vehicle permission letter?
Name the owner and the person being given permission, identify the vehicle by make, model and registration number, and say exactly what the person may do — drive it, collect it from a garage or car park, or deal with its paperwork — and for how long. Ask them to carry their own driving licence and a copy of your ID. Check your insurance covers another driver before handing over the keys; a letter does not extend the cover.
Can an authorisation letter be used to withdraw money from a bank?
Not usually. A letter like the bank version of this template lets someone collect statements, cheque books and cards, and it says plainly that it does not cover withdrawals, closing the account or changing the mandate. To let someone draw cash, banks normally rely on a cheque you sign, or on their own mandate forms. Ask your branch what it accepts.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.