Will witness and notary requirements by state

Two, in all 49 jurisdictions where an official page we opened set a witness requirement. Pennsylvania's statute requires none for a will the testator signs, and two when someone signs by mark or for the testator. The witnesses watch the signing, or hear the testator acknowledge it, and then sign.

Not to be valid, on the pages we read for a typed will signed with witnesses. The notary comes in for the self-proving affidavit, a sworn statement by the testator and witnesses that lets the court accept the will without calling the witnesses. Louisiana is the exception: its notarial testament is signed before a notary and two witnesses.

Most statutes we read say an officer authorized to administer oaths, which is the role a notary fills. Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Vermont name a notary public outright. Michigan, Nevada and Oklahoma also accept a signed statement under penalty of perjury. Our self-proving affidavit guide, linked below, walks through it.

Avoid it. In Arkansas, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming, a gift to a witness is void or at risk unless enough other witnesses signed. Arizona bars a beneficiary or a relative of one from witnessing a will that isn't self-proved. Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia say an interested witness doesn't invalidate the will.

Where the testator writes the will by hand, the pages we read recognize it in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. Maryland and New York allows it only for the armed forces in wartime service and mariners at sea. Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin require witnesses for every will.

Remote witnessing is in the statutes we read for Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming, and in a narrower form for Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Idaho, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin. Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas do not allow remote witnessing now; witnesses must be physically present. Electronic wills are authorized in Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah and Washington; Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming say no, and New York's law takes effect later.

We fill in a fact only after reading it on a state legislature page or a county probate office page. 335 of 357 facts are confirmed.