No, not for the will itself.
The signing rule on the pages we read asks for two adult witnesses, who sign in your presence and in each other's, per the California statutory will form published by the courts. Notarization alone isn't enough. A notary isn't part of that rule; one comes in for the self-proving affidavit, where it's used.
In the source's wording
"You must sign this Will in the presence of two (2) adult witnesses."
From the sources listed below, checked November 2026.
What else the signing needs
- Interested witnesses
- The will stays valid, but a gift to a witness is presumed to have been obtained by duress, menace, fraud or undue influence unless two other disinterested witnesses signed. If the witness can't rebut that, the witness takes no more than an intestate share. The presumption doesn't apply to a witness who takes only as a fiduciary (Probate Code 6112, FindLaw's code text current as of January 2026).
- Handwritten wills
- Recognized. The courts' self-help page says a will written entirely by hand, signed and dated doesn't need a witness.
"you don't need a witness"
- Who can make a will
- 18 or older; the statutory form's witness statement says the maker is 18 or older.
"The maker is age 18 or older"
- Witness age
- The statutory form's witness statement says each witness is 18 or older.
"Each of us is now age 18 or older, is a competent witness"
Not confirmed on the pages we read: whether a notarized self-proving affidavit is used, electronic wills and remote witnessing. Check with the probate court for the county where the will-maker lives (statute: California Statutory Will form, Probate Code 6240 (California Courts Self-Help Guide)).
Next step
Plan an in-person signing, with the witnesses in the room. Online notarization of a will is generally not available through us: New Jersey's remote notarization law leaves wills and codicils out for signers outside the U.S. (N.J.S.A. 52:7-10.10), and states set their own rules on video witnessing.
Need a notary for the self-proving affidavit in California? We can look for a mobile notary commissioned there; bring your own witnesses (two, each at least 18).
Request a mobile notary in California
If a local notary in California does it: Administering an oath or affirmation to one person, $15; Jurat, including the seal, $15, under the state's fee rules (California notary fees).
Worth knowing
California has a fill-in statutory will form (Probate Code 6240) for people with relatively small estates. The form says witnesses should not receive assets under the will and that notarization alone is not sufficient.
Sources
- California Statutory Will form, Probate Code 6240 (California Courts Self-Help Guide) (checked November 2026)
- Wills, trusts, and advance care planning: legal documents (California Courts Self-Help Guide) (checked November 2026)
- Proof of Holographic Instrument, form DE-135 (California Courts Self-Help Guide) (checked November 2026)
- FindLaw Codes (secondary source): California Probate Code 6112 (FindLaw Codes, current as of January 1, 2026) (checked November 2026)
Sourced from official pages; a few facts from vetted secondary sources, marked "(secondary source)".
We are not lawyers, and this is general information, not legal advice. Checked November 2026. Rules change, and whoever receives the document decides what it accepts; we can't guarantee acceptance.
Common questions
Does a will have to be notarized in California?
No, not for the will itself. The signing rule on the pages we read asks for two adult witnesses, who sign in your presence and in each other's, per the California statutory will form published by the courts. Notarization alone isn't enough. A notary isn't part of that rule; one comes in for the self-proving affidavit, where it's used.
Can a beneficiary witness a California will?
The will stays valid, but a gift to a witness is presumed to have been obtained by duress, menace, fraud or undue influence unless two other disinterested witnesses signed. If the witness can't rebut that, the witness takes no more than an intestate share. The presumption doesn't apply to a witness who takes only as a fiduciary (Probate Code 6112, FindLaw's code text current as of January 2026).
Who can make a will in California?
18 or older; the statutory form's witness statement says the maker is 18 or older.
Keep going
A will in another state: Arkansas · Colorado · every state