Do You Need a Notary for a Will in Iowa?

No, not for the will itself.

The signing rule on the pages we read asks for two witnesses, who sign at the testator's request in the presence of the testator and each other. 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

"witnessed, at the testator's request, by two competent persons"

From the sources listed below, checked November 2026.

What else the signing needs

Self-proving affidavit: Allowed at signing or any later date, before a person authorized to administer oaths and take acknowledgments. A self-proved will can be admitted without witness testimony.
"before a person authorized to administer oaths and take acknowledgments under the laws of this state"
Interested witnesses: The will stays valid, but unless two disinterested witnesses also signed, an interested witness loses whatever the will gives beyond what that witness would get with no will.
"No will is invalidated because attested by an interested witness"
Remote or video signing: Presence can be physical or electronic, as long as the witness and testator can see and hear each other. Counterparts signed in different places are allowed.
"any manner, physical or electronic, in which the witness and testator can see and hear"
Electronic wills: Not authorized, per Nolo's Iowa page (updated September 2025).
"Iowa currently doesn't allow e-wills"
Handwritten wills: Not recognized unless witnessed: every will, to be valid, must be signed and declared before two witnesses (Iowa Code 633.279). The only exception the section names is for wills made under another state's law (633.283).
"All wills and codicils, except as provided in section 633.283, to be valid, must be in writing"
Who can make a will: Of full age: at least 18, or ever married (Nolo, citing Iowa Code 633.264 and 633.3).
"are at least 18 years old, or"
Witness age: The self-proving affidavit form says the witnesses were 16 or older.
"the witnesses were sixteen years of age or older"

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. Here: Presence can be physical or electronic, as long as the witness and testator can see and hear each other. Counterparts signed in different places are allowed.

Need a notary for the self-proving affidavit in Iowa? We can look for a mobile notary commissioned there; bring your own witnesses (two, each at least 16).

Request a mobile notary in Iowa

If a local notary in Iowa does it: A reasonable fee; Iowa Code chapter 9B sets no per-act maximum, under the state's fee rules (Iowa notary fees).

Sources

Iowa Code 633.279, Signed and witnessed (Iowa Legislature, 2024) (checked November 2026)
Iowa Code 633.281, Interest of witnesses (Iowa Legislature, 2024) (checked November 2026)
Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Iowa (Nolo, updated September 2025) (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 Iowa?

No, not for the will itself. The signing rule on the pages we read asks for two witnesses, who sign at the testator's request in the presence of the testator and each other. A notary isn't part of that rule; one comes in for the self-proving affidavit, where it's used.

Where does a notary come in for a Iowa will?

The self-proving affidavit. Allowed at signing or any later date, before a person authorized to administer oaths and take acknowledgments. A self-proved will can be admitted without witness testimony.

Can a will be signed over video in Iowa?

Presence can be physical or electronic, as long as the witness and testator can see and hear each other. Counterparts signed in different places are allowed.

Can a beneficiary witness a Iowa will?

The will stays valid, but unless two disinterested witnesses also signed, an interested witness loses whatever the will gives beyond what that witness would get with no will.

Keep going

A will in another state: Indiana · Kansas · every state

Do you need a notary for a will in Iowa?