Does a Will Need to Be Notarized in Arizona?

A will does not need to be notarized in Arizona to be legally valid. State law requires only that the will be in writing, signed by the person making it, and signed by two witnesses who saw the signing or heard the testator acknowledge the document as their will.¹ Notarization is optional, but adding it unlocks two real benefits: the court can accept your will without tracking down witnesses, and relatives who inherit under the will can serve as witnesses in the first place.

What Arizona Actually Requires

Anyone 18 or older and of sound mind can make a will in Arizona.² For the document to hold up, three things have to be true.¹

The will exists in writing. Arizona does not recognize oral wills. Typed or handwritten both work.
You sign it yourself. If you physically cannot, someone else can sign for you, but only in your presence and at your specific direction.
Two witnesses sign within a reasonable time after watching you sign or hearing you acknowledge the document as your will.

A notary is not on that list. A will that meets those three conditions is valid and will be accepted by the probate court. The reason to add a notary is what happens next, not whether the will counts.

Why Most People Notarize Anyway: The Self-Proving Affidavit

When you die and your will goes to probate, the court has to confirm the document is genuine. For a regular witnessed will, that usually means tracking down at least one of your witnesses to testify that the signing happened properly. If the witnesses have moved, lost capacity, or died, your family has to find other ways to prove the will. That takes time and often costs money.

A self-proving affidavit avoids all of that. It is a sworn statement, signed by you and both witnesses in front of a notary public, confirming that the signing met every legal requirement. You declare that you signed freely and voluntarily. The witnesses declare they watched you sign. The notary verifies identities, watches the signatures, and applies an official seal.³

Once the affidavit is attached, the probate court can accept the will at face value with no witness testimony required. That is where the practical value of notarization lives. It saves your family effort, legal fees, and the risk of trying to locate witnesses years after the fact.

The Interested Witness Rule Makes Notarization Nearly Essential

Arizona has a second rule that makes self-proving affidavits more important than many people realize. For wills signed on or after October 1, 2019, a person cannot serve as a witness if they are named as a beneficiary in the will, or if they are related by blood, marriage, or adoption to someone who is.⁴

There is one exception. If the will is made self-proving through the notarized affidavit process, that restriction disappears.⁴ This matters in everyday life. People often sign wills at home with family nearby, and those family members are the natural choice to witness. Without the self-proving affidavit, a spouse or an adult child witnessing the will can create problems. With the affidavit, that risk is gone.

How to Make Your Will Self-Proving

You can notarize the will at the same time you sign it or at any point afterward. Either way, you and both witnesses must sign the affidavit in front of a notary public.³

The usual approach is to handle everything in one sitting. You sign the will, the witnesses sign, and then all three of you sign the affidavit while the notary watches. Attorney-drafted wills almost always include the affidavit as part of the package. If you already have a signed and witnessed will without an affidavit, you can add one later; you just have to gather your original witnesses and visit a notary together.

The affidavit itself follows a form set out in Arizona law. You declare that you are at least 18, of sound mind, under no undue influence, and signing freely. The witnesses declare they watched you sign and believe you met those conditions. The notary verifies identities and applies the official seal. The completed affidavit stays attached to the will.

Handwritten and Electronic Wills Work Differently

Arizona recognizes a handwritten, or holographic, will as valid without any witnesses, as long as the signature and the material provisions are in your own handwriting.⁵ Because there are no witnesses, the self-proving affidavit process does not apply. The court will need other evidence to confirm the will is genuine, usually handwriting analysis or testimony from people familiar with your writing. A holographic will is a useful fallback, but it faces more scrutiny in probate than a witnessed will with a self-proving affidavit.

Electronic wills are also recognized. An electronic will must be a readable electronic record, carry your electronic signature, and be electronically signed by at least two witnesses who were physically present or connected electronically during the signing. Remote witnesses must be located within the United States. The document must include a copy of your current government-issued ID and record the date each person signed.⁶

An electronic will can be made self-proving, but the requirements go beyond a standard affidavit. The will must contain the electronic signature and electronic seal of a notary public, and a qualified custodian must hold exclusive control of the electronic will until it is offered for probate.⁷ If the will leaves the custodian’s control before probate, it loses its self-proved status.

1
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 14-2502 – Execution of Paper Wills; Witnessed Wills; Holographic Wills; Testamentary Intent
2
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 14-2501 – Who May Make a Will
3
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 14-2504 – Self-Proved Wills; Sample Form; Signature Requirements
4
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 14-2505 – Witnesses; Requirements; Definition
5
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 14-2503 – Holographic Will
6
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 14-2518 – Electronic Will; Requirements; Interpretation
7
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 14-2519 – Self-Proved Electronic Will