Is an Online Will Legal in Iowa?
An online service can prepare a valid Iowa will. The document is printed and executed under § 633.279(1): the testator signs it (or directs someone to sign), declares it to be the testator's will, and two competent witnesses age sixteen or older sign at the testator's request, in the presence of the testator and of each other. Since 2023, that presence can be physical or electronic in real time, and the paper may be signed in counterparts from different locations. Iowa has not authorized wills that exist only as electronic records, so an entirely screen-based electronic will is not valid.
The Answer at a Glance
Prepare the will online
ValidWhether a will drafted with online software can become a valid Iowa will.
Sign it fully remotely
Paper signingWhether Iowa recognizes an electronic will executed without an in-person paper signing.
What this means for you
Do not skip Iowa's declaration step: the testator must declare the document to be the testator's will in front of the witnesses, a publication requirement many other states dropped. Use disinterested witnesses, because an interested witness forfeits whatever exceeds an intestate share unless two disinterested witnesses also signed. Signing the § 633.279(2) self-proving affidavit before a notary at execution lets the will be admitted to probate without witness testimony.
What Iowa Law Requires
The governing law is Iowa Code ch. 633 (Probate Code); will execution at §§ 633.264 to 633.283. Each rule below links to the official source it was read from.
| Requirement | The Iowa rule | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Who can make a will | Age 18 or older, sound mind; married minors qualify. | Iowa Code § 633.264 |
| Written document | Required. | Iowa Code § 633.279(1) |
| Signature | The testator signs. The will may be signed by some person in the testator's presence and by the testator's express direction writing the testator's name thereto. | Iowa Code § 633.279(1) |
| Witnesses | 2. The will must be declared by the testator to be the testator's will and witnessed, at the testator's request, by two competent persons who signed as witnesses in the presence of the testator and in the presence of each other. Under § 633.279(5), 'presence' means any manner, physical or electronic, in which the witness and testator can see and hear the acts of each other in real time. | Iowa Code § 633.279(1) |
| Notarization | Not required for validity. A self-proving affidavit is optional and speeds probate. | Iowa Code § 633.279(2) |
Signing Day in Iowa
The will must be declared by the testator to be the testator's will and witnessed, at the testator's request, by two competent persons who signed as witnesses in the presence of the testator and in the presence of each other. Under § 633.279(5), 'presence' means any manner, physical or electronic, in which the witness and testator can see and hear the acts of each other in real time.
Witnesses must be sixteen years of age or older and competent to be a witness generally in Iowa (§ 633.280, see source ia_633_280). When remote signing is used, the document may be executed in counterparts by parties in different locations, aggregated to comprise the complete will (§ 633.279(3)).
The self-proving step worth adding
A self-proved will constitutes proof of due execution as required by § 633.293 and may be admitted to probate without testimony of witnesses (§ 633.279(2)(b)). The statutory affidavit form has the testator and witnesses swear to the execution facts, including that the witnesses were sixteen years of age or older. Timing: at the time of its execution, or at any subsequent date.
Choose witnesses carefully
No will is invalidated because attested by an interested witness; but any interested witness, unless the will is also attested by two competent and disinterested witnesses, forfeits so much of the provisions made for the witness as in the aggregate exceeds in value, as of the date of the decedent's death, what the witness would have received had the testator died intestate. No attesting witness is interested unless devised or bequeathed some portion of the testator's estate.
Shortcuts Iowa Does and Does Not Recognize
Handwritten (holographic) wills
NoNo Iowa statute recognizes an unwitnessed handwritten will: § 633.279(1) makes every will invalid unless witnessed by two competent persons, and ch. 633 contains no holographic-will provision. A handwritten will executed with the full § 633.279 formalities is simply an ordinary will. A holographic will executed outside Iowa in the mode prescribed by the law of the place of execution or of the testator's domicile can qualify under § 633.283, which requires only that the will be in writing and subscribed by the testator. (Iowa Code § 633.279(1))
Oral wills
NoNuncupative (oral) wills are not valid in Iowa: § 633.279(1) requires all wills and codicils to be in writing, and the only exception it names is § 633.283 for wills executed in a foreign state or country, which must themselves be in writing and subscribed by the testator. Chapter 633 contains no nuncupative-will provision. (Iowa Code § 633.279(1))
Electronic wills
NoBasis for the negative: § 633.279(1) requires a will to be in writing, signed, declared, and witnessed as prescribed, and ch. 633 contains no authorization for a will existing as an electronic record; the 2023 amendment changed only the manner of witness presence, not the medium of the document. Iowa's Uniform Electronic Transactions Act also does not apply to a transaction governed by a law governing the creation or execution of wills, codicils, or testamentary trusts (Iowa Code § 554D.104(2)(a), see source ia_554d_104). Iowa has not enacted the Uniform Electronic Wills Act. (Iowa Code § 633.279(1))
Remote witnessing: allowed within the statute’s conditions. For § 633.279, 'presence' means any manner, physical or electronic, in which the witness and testator can see and hear the acts of each other in real time (§ 633.279(5), added by 2023 Acts, ch 133). When a will is executed using remote signing, the original document may be executed in one or more counterparts by parties in different locations, and the counterparts aggregate to comprise the complete will (§ 633.279(3)). Wills executed remotely under the governor's disaster proclamation of April 2, 2020 (expired February 15, 2022) are deemed to satisfy the presence requirements (§ 633.279(4)).
A Will Signed in Another State
A will executed outside Iowa, in the mode prescribed by the law, either of the place where executed or of the testator's domicile, is deemed legally executed and has the same force and effect as if executed in the mode prescribed by Iowa law, provided the will is in writing and subscribed by the testator. (Iowa Code § 633.283)
Keep Going
- The full Iowa will-requirements guide covers capacity, revocation, and what happens when formalities fail.
- Iowa estate planning sets the will beside the other documents a complete plan needs.
- A Iowa revocable living trust is the main alternative when avoiding probate is the goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make my will online in Iowa?
Does a Iowa will need to be notarized?
How many witnesses does a Iowa will need?
Are handwritten (holographic) wills valid in Iowa?
Are electronic wills legal in Iowa?
Is a will made in another state valid in Iowa?
Verified against Iowa Code ch. 633 (Probate Code); will execution at §§ 633.264 to 633.283 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 Iowa can change. Consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation. Full disclaimer.
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