To make a valid will in Arizona, you must be 18 or older and of sound mind, put your wishes in writing, sign the document, and have two witnesses sign within a reasonable time under A.R.S. § 14-2502. Arizona also recognizes handwritten holographic wills.
Key Takeaways
- Arizona is a Uniform Probate Code state, so witnesses can sign within a reasonable time of witnessing your signature rather than at the exact same moment.
- Holographic wills are valid in Arizona without witnesses if the signature and material provisions are in your handwriting.
- Arizona's self-proving affidavit statute lets you make a will self-proved at signing or any time afterward.
- You are 18 or older, of sound mind, and executing the will voluntarily, which the statute states in plain terms.
What are the basic requirements to make a valid will in Arizona?
Under A.R.S. § 14-2502, a paper will must be in writing, signed by the testator or by another person in the testator's conscious presence and at the testator's direction, and signed by at least two people, each of whom signed within a reasonable time after witnessing the signing or the testator's acknowledgment of the will. Arizona does not require witnesses to sign at the same instant you do, though signing together in one sitting is still the safest practice for avoiding disputes.
The witnesses do not need to read the will's contents. They only need to see you sign it, or hear you acknowledge that the document is your will and that the signature on it is yours.
Step-by-step: how do you make a will in Arizona?
- Inventory your assets, debts, and the people or organizations you want to inherit.
- Choose an executor to administer your estate and a guardian if you have minor children.
- Draft the will naming your executor, guardian, and beneficiaries, and state that it is your last will and testament.
- Sign the will yourself, or have someone sign your name in your conscious presence at your direction.
- Have two witnesses, each 18 or older, sign after witnessing your signature or acknowledgment.
- Add a self-proving affidavit before a notary, ideally at the same sitting, under A.R.S. § 14-2504.
- Store the original will somewhere secure and tell your executor where to find it.
If you would rather not draft a will line by line, FastWill's online will builder walks through these steps and produces an Arizona-compliant document.
Does Arizona recognize handwritten (holographic) wills?
Yes. Arizona law allows testamentary intent for a holographic will to be shown through extrinsic evidence, including portions of the document not in the testator's own handwriting, under the holographic will provisions referenced in A.R.S. § 14-2502. In practice this means a will that is signed and largely handwritten by you can be valid even without witnesses, so long as the signature and material provisions are in your own hand. That flexibility is a safety net, not a plan. A typed, properly witnessed will is far less likely to be challenged and far easier for a probate court to interpret.
What is a self-proving affidavit and do you need one in Arizona?
Under A.R.S. § 14-2504, a will can be made self-proved at the time you sign it, or at any point afterward, through your acknowledgment and your witnesses' affidavits made before a notary. The statute even spells out the language the testator swears to, including that you are 18 or older, of sound mind, and signing willingly and without undue influence. A self-proved will can be admitted to probate without needing your witnesses to testify, which matters years down the road if a witness has moved away, lost contact, or died before you.
DIY will vs. hiring a lawyer in Arizona
A typical Arizona estate, meaning a home, some savings, retirement accounts, and ordinary personal belongings, generally does not need a custom will from an attorney's office. The formalities in A.R.S. § 14-2502 are exactly what a DIY will needs to get right, and Arizona's UPC framework makes that easier than in some stricter states. Talk to an attorney if you run a business, have a blended family with competing claims, own property in more than one state, or need to leave assets in trust for a beneficiary who cannot manage an outright inheritance. A will works alongside the rest of your plan; see our Arizona estate planning overview, Arizona estate planning checklist, and guide to Arizona power of attorney for what else belongs in it.
How do you update or revoke a will in Arizona?
You can revoke an Arizona will by physically destroying it with intent to revoke, by executing a new will that revokes prior wills, or by a subsequent written instrument executed with the same formalities as a will. Marriage, divorce, a move out of state, and the birth or adoption of a child are the most common reasons Arizona residents update their wills. Do not scratch out lines or scribble changes on a signed will; that kind of edit generally is not enforceable and can call the whole document into question. Execute a new will or a formal codicil that follows the same signing rules instead.
A codicil amends one or more specific provisions in an existing will without replacing the whole document, and it must be signed and witnessed exactly as a will would be. For most people, especially after a significant life change like a divorce, a remarriage, or a move to Arizona from another state, it is cleaner to execute a completely new will that revokes every earlier will and codicil rather than layering amendments on top of each other. Multiple codicils increase the odds that a probate court finds a conflict between documents, which is precisely the kind of dispute a current, clearly written will is meant to prevent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a lawyer to make a will in Arizona?
No. Arizona does not require an attorney to draft or witness a will, but you must follow A.R.S. § 14-2502 exactly, since execution mistakes are the most common reason DIY wills fail.
Can a beneficiary act as a witness in Arizona?
Arizona does not automatically void a will because an interested party witnessed it, but it is safer to choose two witnesses who receive nothing under the will to avoid inviting a challenge.
Is an out-of-state will valid once I move to Arizona?
Generally yes, if it was validly executed under the law of the state where it was signed or where you were domiciled. Have it reviewed after your move to make sure it still reflects your Arizona assets and wishes.
What happens if I die without a will in Arizona?
Arizona's intestacy statutes decide who inherits, typically your spouse and children in shares set by law rather than by your preference. See our guide on what happens if you die without a will in Arizona for the full breakdown.
Do I need to notarize my will in Arizona?
Notarization is not required for the will itself to be valid. It is required only for the optional self-proving affidavit under A.R.S. § 14-2504, which is worth doing anyway.
Want your Arizona estate handled your way instead of by default rules? Build a compliant will with FastWill's will package and cover the execution steps correctly from the start. You can also see our general guide to writing your own will for concepts that apply nationwide.
