Is an Online Will Legal in Arizona?

An online service can prepare a valid Arizona will. The standard path is to print it and execute it under § 14-2502: the testator signs, and two witnesses who watched the signing or an acknowledgment sign within a reasonable time, with no requirement that anyone sign in anyone's presence. Arizona also recognizes electronic wills under §§ 14-2518 to 14-2523, whose witnesses may participate remotely by electronic presence from anywhere in the United States.

Published: August 16, 2026Statutes verified: August 16, 2026

The Answer at a Glance

Prepare the will online

Valid

Whether a will drafted with online software can become a valid Arizona will.

Sign it fully remotely

Recognized

Whether Arizona recognizes an electronic will executed without an in-person paper signing.

What this means for you

For any will executed on or after October 1, 2019, a beneficiary or a beneficiary's relative may not serve as a witness unless the will is made self-proved, so use disinterested witnesses and add the § 14-2504 self-proving affidavit before an officer authorized to administer oaths at the signing. A fully remote electronic will is possible, but self-proving one requires a notary's electronic signature and seal plus a qualified custodian who keeps exclusive control of the record, and the will must include a copy of the testator's current government-issued ID.

What Arizona Law Requires

The governing law is A.R.S. tit. 14, ch. 2, art. 5 (Wills), §§ 14-2501 to 14-2523; electronic wills at §§ 14-2518 to 14-2523. Each rule below links to the official source it was read from.

Requirement	The Arizona rule	Statute
Who can make a will	Age 18 or older, sound mind.	A.R.S. § 14-2501
Written document	Required.	A.R.S. § 14-2502(A)(1)
Signature	The testator signs. The will may be signed in the testator's name by some other individual in the testator's conscious presence and by the testator's direction.	A.R.S. § 14-2502(A)(2)
Witnesses	2. The will must be signed by at least two people, each of whom signed within a reasonable time after that person witnessed either the testator's signing of the will or the testator's acknowledgment of that signature or acknowledgment of the will. The statute does not require the witnesses to sign in the testator's presence or in each other's presence.	A.R.S. § 14-2502(A)(3)
Notarization	Not required for validity. A self-proving affidavit is optional and speeds probate.	A.R.S. § 14-2504

Signing Day in Arizona

The will must be signed by at least two people, each of whom signed within a reasonable time after that person witnessed either the testator's signing of the will or the testator's acknowledgment of that signature or acknowledgment of the will. The statute does not require the witnesses to sign in the testator's presence or in each other's presence.

Testamentary intent that a tangible medium or an electronic record constitutes the will can be established by extrinsic evidence (§ 14-2502(B)).

The self-proving step worth adding

Self-proof is optional for validity, but under § 14-2505(B) it also lifts the interested-witness disqualification for wills executed on or after October 1, 2019, which makes it more than a probate convenience in Arizona. A signature on the self-proving affidavit counts as a signature on the will if needed to prove due execution. Timing: at execution (simultaneously executed, attested and made self-proved) or at any time after execution.

Choose witnesses carefully

Arizona flipped the usual rule in 2019. For any will executed on or after October 1, 2019, unless the will is made self-proved under § 14-2504 or § 14-2519, a person may not act as a witness if that person is a devisee under the will or is related by blood, marriage or adoption to a devisee ('devisee' includes a beneficiary of a trust designated in the will to receive a devise). A non-self-proved will attested by such a person risks failing the two-witness requirement of § 14-2502(A)(3). Arizona has no purging statute: the risk falls on the will's validity, not on automatic forfeiture of the witness's gift, and a self-proved will may be witnessed by anyone generally competent.

Shortcuts Arizona Does and Does Not Recognize

Handwritten (holographic) wills

Yes

The signature and the material provisions must be in the handwriting of the testator. Witnessing is not required and no date is required; portions of the document not in the testator's handwriting may be used as extrinsic evidence of testamentary intent under § 14-2502(B).

A will that does not comply with § 14-2502 is valid as a holographic will, whether or not witnessed, if it meets these requirements. (A.R.S. § 14-2503)

Oral wills

Section 14-2502(A) requires a will to be in writing and signed, the holographic and electronic alternatives are likewise written or text records, and no provision of Title 14 authorizes a nuncupative (oral) will, so spoken words cannot operate as an Arizona will. (A.R.S. § 14-2502(A))

Electronic wills

Yes

An electronic will must be created and maintained in an electronic record readable as text at signing, contain the electronic signatures of the testator (or a proxy in the testator's conscious presence and by the testator's direction) and two witnesses, state the date of each electronic signature, and contain a copy of a government-issued identification card of the testator that was current at execution. To be self-proved, an electronic will must additionally carry the electronic signature and seal of a notary public, designate a qualified custodian, and remain under the qualified custodian's exclusive control until offered for probate or reduced to a certified paper original (§ 14-2519). (A.R.S. §§ 14-2518 to 14-2523)

Remote witnessing: allowed within the statute’s conditions. Each of the two required witnesses must have been physically present or electronically present with the testator when the testator electronically signed the will, acknowledged the signature or acknowledged the will, and must electronically sign within a reasonable time afterward. A witness who was only electronically present must have been physically located within the United States at the time of serving as a witness.

A Will Signed in Another State

A paper will or an electronic will is valid if its execution complies with the law at the time of execution of the place where the testator is physically present when executing the will, or with the law of the place where, at the time of execution or at the time of death, the testator is domiciled, has a place of abode or is a national. (A.R.S. § 14-2506(B))

Keep Going

The full Arizona will-requirements guide covers capacity, revocation, and what happens when formalities fail.
Arizona estate planning sets the will beside the other documents a complete plan needs.
A Arizona revocable living trust is the main alternative when avoiding probate is the goal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make my will online in Arizona?

Does a Arizona will need to be notarized?

No. Notarization is not required for a valid Arizona will. The optional self-proving step under A.R.S. § 14-2504 makes probate easier: Self-proof is optional for validity, but under § 14-2505(B) it also lifts the interested-witness disqualification for wills executed on or after October 1, 2019, which makes it more than a probate convenience in Arizona. A signature on the self-proving affidavit counts as a signature on the will if needed to prove due execution.

How many witnesses does a Arizona will need?

2. The will must be signed by at least two people, each of whom signed within a reasonable time after that person witnessed either the testator's signing of the will or the testator's acknowledgment of that signature or acknowledgment of the will. The statute does not require the witnesses to sign in the testator's presence or in each other's presence. (A.R.S. § 14-2502(A)(3))

Are handwritten (holographic) wills valid in Arizona?

Yes. The signature and the material provisions must be in the handwriting of the testator. Witnessing is not required and no date is required; portions of the document not in the testator's handwriting may be used as extrinsic evidence of testamentary intent under § 14-2502(B). A will that does not comply with § 14-2502 is valid as a holographic will, whether or not witnessed, if it meets these requirements. (A.R.S. § 14-2503)

Are electronic wills legal in Arizona?

Yes. An electronic will must be created and maintained in an electronic record readable as text at signing, contain the electronic signatures of the testator (or a proxy in the testator's conscious presence and by the testator's direction) and two witnesses, state the date of each electronic signature, and contain a copy of a government-issued identification card of the testator that was current at execution. To be self-proved, an electronic will must additionally carry the electronic signature and seal of a notary public, designate a qualified custodian, and remain under the qualified custodian's exclusive control until offered for probate or reduced to a certified paper original (§ 14-2519). (A.R.S. §§ 14-2518 to 14-2523)

Is a will made in another state valid in Arizona?

Generally yes, within the statute’s terms. A paper will or an electronic will is valid if its execution complies with the law at the time of execution of the place where the testator is physically present when executing the will, or with the law of the place where, at the time of execution or at the time of death, the testator is domiciled, has a place of abode or is a national. (A.R.S. § 14-2506(B))

SourcesOfficial references used for this page

Verified against A.R.S. tit. 14, ch. 2, art. 5 (Wills), §§ 14-2501 to 14-2523; electronic wills at §§ 14-2518 to 14-2523 on August 16, 2026

Settled Estate is not a law firm, and this content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Probate laws and procedures in Arizona can change. Consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation. Full disclaimer.

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