Can I use a power of attorney for my Tesla trade-in, or can someone else sign for me?

The short answer

It depends on the country. In the US, the Tesla trade-in page we read on October 31, 2026 does not mention a power of attorney. It says: “All owner(s) listed on the trade-in vehicle title and/or registration must be present at delivery to sign the trade-in documentation.” If the car is in a trust, it asks you to upload your trust packet and says all listed trustees must be present.

Elsewhere, Tesla’s pages differ, and the difference is the point:

• Germany and Spain: if you are not the owner named on the registration, you must complete a power of attorney (Vollmacht, poder notarial) at least 96 hours before the scheduled delivery.
• France: “a power of attorney is not accepted to determine trade-in eligibility”.
• Korea: the page asks for a consent document from the owner and proof of your relationship, such as a family relation certificate or a business registration.

We found no Turkish trade-in page (the address returned not found). We give no prices, and this is not legal advice.

What Tesla’s US page says

The US page covers trade-ins in detail: the estimate, the final offer and the paperwork. For who signs, it says every owner on the title or registration must be present at delivery. It does not describe a power of attorney, a stand-in signer or a process for an owner who cannot attend. That silence does not mean it is accepted or refused. Ask your advisor in writing, and keep the answer with your order.

What other countries say

In Germany, Tesla asks a non-owner to complete a power of attorney at least 96 hours before the delivery appointment, “to make sure you are authorized by the owner” to trade in the car and transfer ownership. The same page says all owners listed on the registration must be present to sign, and that the handover may be delayed if they are not. In Spain the wording is the same: a power of attorney at least 96 hours ahead, and all owners present.

In France, Tesla writes that the traded-in car must be registered in the country of delivery in the name of the owner, their spouse or both, and that a power of attorney is not accepted to determine eligibility. In Korea, Tesla asks for a consent document and proof of the relationship when the car is in someone else’s name.

Taking delivery of the new car

Our reading, not Tesla’s: a trade-in and a delivery are different steps. For the new car, the US pages we read list documents such as final payment, driver’s license, insurance and trade-in ownership documents. Tesla’s Korean delivery page lists a power of attorney among the documents needed, and its Turkish page lists one among the details to confirm in your account, without explaining it. If someone else will collect the car, ask Tesla in writing what it accepts.

Before delivery

Our suggestions, not Tesla’s:

• List every name on the trade-in car’s title or registration and check that each can attend.
• If you are not the owner, ask Tesla for the document it accepts well before the appointment; in Germany and Spain that is at least 96 hours.
• Keep Tesla’s written answer and a dated screenshot of the page you relied on.
• Do not use a power of attorney template from a website without Tesla confirming it.

What Tesla UK says

Tesla UK’s delivery page, which we read on October 31, 2026, has a section on trade-ins. It says the registered keeper of the trade-in vehicle needs to be present at delivery, “unless we have obtained a ‘Power of Attorney’ in advance”. It also asks you to bring a driver’s licence as identification, the vehicle’s current V5C with the correct registration number, at least two car keys and the other items it lists. The page does not say how to give Tesla a power of attorney, what it must contain or how long before delivery it is needed. Ask your advisor in writing. This is not legal advice, and we quote no prices.

What we did not confirm

We did not confirm what a valid power of attorney must contain, whether it must be notarized, or whether any country accepts a stand-in at delivery. We found no US or Turkish trade-in text on this point. See our guide on how a Tesla trade-in works and what to expect at a Tesla delivery center.

For delivery day, TSL Check is the iPhone app we make: its checklist takes you around the car with a photo and a note for whatever you find (how it works).

Whatever you find at delivery, ask the advisor to record it before you sign, and keep a copy.