---
pretty_name: "Will execution requirements by state: witnesses, notarization, holographic and electronic wills"
license: other
license_name: source-terms-cited
license_link: https://referencesource.org/will-execution-requirements-by-state/
language:
- en
tags:
- reference-data
- provenance
- referencesource-org
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---
# Will execution requirements by state: witnesses, notarization, holographic and electronic wills

**Canonical, always-current version: https://referencesource.org/will-execution-requirements-by-state/**
Machine-readable: https://referencesource.org/will-execution-requirements-by-state/data.json — this mirror is a point-in-time copy.

- **Last verified:** 2026-08-18
- **Stale after:** 2028-02-09 (past this date, prefer the canonical copy —
  it re-verifies on a cadence this snapshot does not)
- **Records:** 50

What each US state's probate/estates code requires for a will to be validly executed: how many witnesses, whether they must sign in the testator's presence, whether notarization can substitute for witnesses, whether holographic (handwritten, unwitnessed) wills are valid, whether electronic wills are authorized, and whether a self-proving affidavit is available. Each record is one state, from that state's statute. Answers 'how many witnesses does a will need in [state]', 'is a handwritten will valid in [state]', and 'does a will need to be notarized in [state]'. The general answer (two witnesses, no notary) is right in most states and wrong in the ones that matter: holographic wills are valid in roughly half of states and void in the rest, Colorado and North Dakota allow notarization instead of witnesses, Louisiana requires a notary plus two witnesses, and a growing list (Nevada, Florida, Arizona, Indiana...) authorizes electronic wills. People executing DIY wills hit exactly these edges. Existing charts are will-vendor marketing (Gentreo, estate-bee) with no statute citations.

## Provenance — what every record carries

Every record carries `source` (the URL the value was read from) and
`source_quote` (a verbatim quote from that page stating it). A value you
cannot check against its page is indistinguishable from an invented one;
these can all be checked. Each record is also individually addressable on
the canonical site at its `url`.

## Licence position

Facts from state probate statutes; statutory requirements are not copyrightable

Facts are not copyrightable; what this dataset takes from each source is a
fact plus a short attributed quote linking back to the page that states it.

## Sources

- https://codes.findlaw.com/ak/title-13-decedents-estates-guardianships-transfers-trusts-and-health-care-decisions/ak-st-sect-13-12-502/
- https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/02502.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/02503.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/02518.htm
- https://codes.findlaw.com/ar/title-28-wills-estates-and-fiduciary-relationships/ar-code-sect-28-25-103/
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PROB&sectionNum=6110
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PROB&sectionNum=6111
- https://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-15-probate-trusts-and-fiduciaries/co-rev-st-sect-15-11-502/
- https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_802a.htm
- https://delcode.delaware.gov/title12/c002/sc01/index.html
- https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/18-103
- http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0732/Sections/0732.502.html
- https://codes.findlaw.com/ga/title-53-wills-trusts-and-administration-of-estates/ga-code-sect-53-4-20/
- https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol12_Ch0501-0588/HRS0560/HRS_0560-0002-0502.htm
- https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title15/T15CH2/SECT15-2-502/
- https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title15/T15CH2/SECT15-2-503/
- https://codes.findlaw.com/il/chapter-755-estates/il-st-sect-755-5-4-3/
- https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=075500050K4-3
- https://codes.findlaw.com/in/title-29-probate/in-code-sect-29-1-5-3/
- https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/633.279.pdf
- https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch59/059_006_0006.html
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=36237
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=36262
- https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=108901
- https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=108900
- https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/18-C/title18-Csec2-502.html
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=get&section=4-102&enactments=false
- https://codes.findlaw.com/ma/part-ii-real-and-personal-property-and-domestic-relations-ch-183-210/ma-gen-laws-ch-190b-sect-2-502/
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-2502
- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/524.2-502
- https://codes.findlaw.com/ms/title-91-trusts-and-estates/ms-code-sect-91-5-1/
- https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=474.320
- https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0720/chapter_0020/part_0050/section_0220/0720-0020-0050-0220.html
- https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=30-2327
- https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=30-2328
- https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-133.html
- https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/LVI/551/551-2.htm
- https://codes.findlaw.com/nj/title-3b-administration-of-estates-decedents-and-others/nj-st-sect-3b-3-4/
- https://codes.findlaw.com/nm/chapter-45-uniform-probate-code/nm-st-sect-45-2-502/
- https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EPT/3-2.1
- https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_31/GS_31-3.3.html
- https://codes.findlaw.com/nd/title-30-1-uniform-probate-code/nd-cent-code-sect-30-1-08-02/
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2107.03
- https://oksenate.gov/sites/default/files/2019-12/os84.pdf
- https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors112.html
- https://codes.findlaw.com/pa/title-20-pacsa-decedents-estates-and-fiduciaries/pa-csa-sect-20-2502/
- https://codes.findlaw.com/pa/title-20-pacsa-decedents-estates-and-fiduciaries/pa-csa-sect-20-3132-1/
- https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE33/33-5/33-5-5.htm
- https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t62c002.php
- https://sdlegislature.gov/api/Statutes/29A-2-502.html
- https://sdlegislature.gov/api/Statutes/29A-2-504.html
- https://codes.findlaw.com/tn/title-32-wills/tn-code-sect-32-1-104/
- https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/ES/htm/ES.251.htm
- https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title75/Chapter2/C75-2-S502_1800010118000101.xml
- https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/14/001/00005
- https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title64.2/section64.2-403/
- https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=11.12.020
- https://code.wvlegislature.gov/41-1-3/
- https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/853.03
- https://codes.findlaw.com/wy/title-2-wills-decedents-estates-and-probate-code/wy-st-sect-2-6-112/

## Fields

See any record in `data/records.jsonl` — field names are self-describing,
and the canonical page for each record renders them with labels:
https://referencesource.org/will-execution-requirements-by-state/