Educational guide — not legal advice. Will-execution rules are state-specific and change over time. Confirm current requirements with a licensed Arizona attorney before relying on them.
The short answer
No — a will does not have to be notarized in Arizona to be valid. Arizona recognizes two kinds of valid will — the attested will under A.R.S. §14-2502 and the holographic will under A.R.S. §14-2503 — and neither one requires a notary.
1. An attested (typed) will — A.R.S. §14-2502
- In writing
- Signed by you (the testator), or by someone at your direction in your presence
- Signed by at least two witnesses, each of whom signs within a reasonable time after witnessing you sign the will (or acknowledge your signature or the will)
Notarization is not required. A typed will signed by you and two witnesses is valid in Arizona under A.R.S. §14-2502.
2. A holographic (handwritten) will — A.R.S. §14-2503
Arizona honors a handwritten will. It’s valid — with no witnesses and no notary — if:
- The signature and the material provisions (who gets what) are in your own handwriting.
The rest of the document can be typed, as long as the key provisions and signature are handwritten. Holographic wills are legal in Arizona. A.R.S. §14-2503 requires the material provisions and the signature to be in the testator’s handwriting, so typed or pre-printed material in those parts takes the document outside the holographic provision.
The Arizona twist: the self-proving affidavit (this one is notarized)
Here’s where a notary actually helps. Arizona uses a self-proving affidavit (A.R.S. §14-2504), and that document is notarized.
A self-proving affidavit is a short sworn statement, signed by you and your two witnesses in front of a notary, confirming the will was properly executed. §14-2504 sets out the two forms it can take. What it does at probate is set by a different section:
- Under §14-3406(B), if the will is self-proved, compliance with the signature requirements for execution is conclusively presumed, and the other requirements of execution are presumed subject to rebuttal, without the testimony of any witness, upon filing the will and the acknowledgment and affidavits annexed to it — unless there is proof of fraud or forgery affecting the acknowledgment or affidavit.
§14-2504(A) provides that a will may be simultaneously executed, attested and made self-proved, so the signatures and the notarization can be taken at one sitting; §14-2504(B) provides the form for making an already-executed attested will self-proved later.
Stated precisely: the will itself doesn’t need notarization, but the optional self-proving affidavit does.
So do you need a notary or not?
- For validity: No notary required. Sign a typed will with two witnesses, or write one entirely in your own handwriting.
- For the self-proving affidavit: a notary, because A.R.S. §14-2504 prescribes an affidavit sworn before an officer authorized to administer oaths. It is optional.
A will without a self-proving affidavit is valid. The difference is procedural: under §14-3406(A), where evidence of the execution of an attested will that is not self-proved is necessary in a contested case, the testimony of at least one attesting witness is required if that witness is within the state, competent and able to testify. In an uncontested formal testacy proceeding, §14-3405 provides that the affidavit or testimony of one attesting witness is sufficient, and that execution may be proved by other evidence or affidavit if that is unavailable.
A notarized but unwitnessed typed will
A will typed, signed before a notary and not witnessed does not meet the execution requirements set out above. A notary’s acknowledgement is not among them.
A typed will that’s notarized but not witnessed is not valid in Arizona — the notary doesn’t replace the two witnesses required by §14-2502. (The only no-witness option is a valid holographic will, which must have its material provisions and signature in your own handwriting — a typed document doesn’t qualify.) If you want a typed will, you need the two witnesses.
Who can witness an Arizona will?
- Witnesses must be generally competent (adults of sound mind) — A.R.S. §14-2502.
- Arizona does not void a will merely because an interested person (someone who inherits) served as a witness.
- Witnesses should sign within a reasonable time after watching you sign or acknowledge the will.
Quick checklist for a valid Arizona will
- [ ] In writing (typed, or with material provisions and signature handwritten for a holographic will)
- [ ] Signed by you
- [ ] For a typed will: two competent witnesses sign (not needed for a valid holographic will)
- [ ] Witnesses are disinterested (don’t inherit) — not a requirement of the execution statute
- [ ] Self-proving affidavit signed by you + witnesses before a notary — optional under §14-2504
What to do if your will is notarized but not witnessed
If you typed a will and signed it in front of a notary without two witnesses, treat the typed version as invalid in Arizona (unless the material provisions and signature happen to be in your own handwriting, which would make it a valid holographic will). What the statutes leave available:
- Re-execution under §14-2502 — signature before two witnesses, each of whom signs within a reasonable time after witnessing the signing or the testator’s acknowledgement. A self-proving affidavit may then be taken at that same signing under §14-2504(A), or added later under §14-2504(B).
- A holographic will under §14-2503, with the material provisions and the signature in the testator’s handwriting, which requires neither witnesses nor a notary.
Re-execution carries no statutory fee; the cost is whatever an attorney or service charges, if one is used.
What about electronic and online wills in Arizona?
A few practical notes for 2026:
- Arizona has been ahead of most states on electronic wills — it enacted an electronic-wills statute allowing wills to be signed and witnessed electronically under specific conditions. The statute sets conditions for an electronic will that differ from those for a paper will; both routes are in the code.
- Remote online notarization is available for the self-proving affidavit, but remember notarization isn’t what makes a will valid — it only matters for the affidavit, and it never substitutes for the witnesses on a typed will.
- If you use an online will service, it will still instruct you to print, sign, and witness the final document (or follow Arizona’s e-will procedure exactly). The document is not executed until that step is completed.
What the record shows
Arizona does not require a will to be notarised. A typed will requires the testator’s signature and two witnesses (A.R.S. §14-2502). A holographic will — material provisions and signature in the testator’s handwriting — requires neither witnesses nor a notary (§14-2503). Notarisation appears in Arizona law only in the optional self-proving affidavit, whose forms are set by §14-2504 and which may be executed at the same time as the will (§14-2504(A)). The probate effect is set by §14-3406(B): where the will is self-proved, compliance with the signature requirements for execution is conclusively presumed and the other requirements of execution are presumed subject to rebuttal, without the testimony of any witness, absent proof of fraud or forgery. A notary’s acknowledgement is not a substitute for the two witnesses a typed will requires; a typed will signed before a notary alone does not satisfy §14-2502.
Common questions
Is a will valid in Arizona without a notary?
Yes. A typed will signed before two competent witnesses is valid with no notary under A.R.S. §14-2502, and a valid holographic will under A.R.S. §14-2503 needs neither witnesses nor a notary. Notarization only matters for the optional self-proving affidavit (A.R.S. §14-2504).
Are handwritten wills legal in Arizona?
Yes — A.R.S. §14-2503 recognizes holographic wills where the material provisions and signature are in your own handwriting. They are valid where the statutory conditions are met.
What is a self-proving affidavit in Arizona?
A notarized statement made by the testator and the witnesses before an officer authorized to administer oaths, in one of the forms set by A.R.S. §14-2504. Its effect is given by §14-3406(B): where the will is self-proved, compliance with the signature requirements for execution is conclusively presumed and the other execution requirements are presumed subject to rebuttal, without the testimony of any witness. §14-2504(A) allows the will to be executed, attested and made self-proved at one sitting. It is optional.
Can I notarize my will instead of using witnesses?
No. For a typed will, a notary does not replace the two witnesses A.R.S. §14-2502 requires. A notarized-but-unwitnessed typed will is invalid; only a valid handwritten will under A.R.S. §14-2503 can skip witnesses.
Related reading
- Do You Need a Living Trust in Arizona if You Have a Will?
- How Much Does an Estate Plan Cost in Arizona?
- Transfer on Death Deed vs. Living Trust in Arizona
- Estate Planning in Arizona: The Complete Guide
- How to Write a Will (and What Makes It Valid)
Educational information only — not legal advice. Arizona will-execution rules are set by statute and can change; confirm current requirements with a licensed Arizona attorney before relying on them. Sources: A.R.S. §§14-2502, 14-2503, 14-2504, 14-3405, 14-3406.