How to make a will in Arizona

Arizona will requirements at a glance

How to sign a will in Arizona

1. Print your will and read every word. Fill in any blanks in ink, but don't sign yet.
2. Choose two adult witnesses who receive nothing under your will and aren't married to anyone who does.
3. Sign and date your will in front of both witnesses, at the same time. Then each witness signs while you and the other witness watch. (A.R.S. § 14-2502(A))
4. Make it self-proving. You and your witnesses sign a short self-proving affidavit in front of a notary, so the court won't need to find your witnesses later. (A.R.S. § 14-2504 (paper); § 14-2519 (electronic, separate form))
5. Store the original safely and tell your executor where it is.

Who can make a will

Anyone 18 or older and of sound mind. (A.R.S. § 14-2501)

Witness rules

Paper will: each witness signs within a reasonable time after witnessing the testator sign, or after the testator acknowledges the signature or the will. No requirement that witnesses sign in the testator's or each other's presence. Someone else may sign for the testator in the testator's conscious presence and at the testator's direction. (A.R.S. § 14-2502(A))

If a witness inherits: Disqualified: for wills signed on or after Oct. 1, 2019, a devisee, or anyone related by blood, marriage or adoption to a devisee, may not act as a witness unless the will is self-proved (A.R.S. § 14-2505(B)).

Handwritten wills

Valid whether or not witnessed if the signature and the material provisions are in the testator's handwriting (A.R.S. § 14-2503).

Self-proving affidavit

Before an officer authorized to administer oaths, at signing or later. A self-proved electronic will also needs a notary's electronic signature and seal and a designated qualified custodian. (A.R.S. § 14-2504 (paper); § 14-2519 (electronic, separate form))

Can I sign my will online in Arizona?

Yes, electronic wills are allowed. Electronic wills only. The record must be readable as text when signed, state the date each person signed, and include a copy of the testator's current government ID. Two witnesses may be physically or 'electronically present' (real-time audio-video); a remote witness must be physically located in the United States. To be self-proved it needs a notary's electronic signature and seal and must stay under a qualified custodian's exclusive control (§§ 14-2519, 14-2520). Paper wills still need witnesses physically present. (A.R.S. §§ 14-2518 to 14-2523 (HB 2656, 2018); remote witnessing added by HB 2197, 2023 Ariz. Sess. Laws ch. 32)

In effect since July 1, 2019 (electronic wills); 2023 remote-witness amendment effective 91 days after the 2023 session adjourned (general effective date, Oct. 30, 2023).

Online notarization: For electronic wills: witnesses may be electronically present and a self-proved electronic will is notarized electronically, and § 41-263 lets an Arizona notary act for a remotely located individual. No statute expressly bars remote notarization of a will affidavit; this reading combines the two statutes and is not stated expressly in either. (A.R.S. § 41-263 (Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, in effect July 1, 2022; Arizona authorized remote online notarization under earlier law before that, per § 41-276))

Online notary services such as Proof can host a signing session with a notary and, for a fee, witnesses (published prices start at about $25 per notarization plus $15 per witness). Before you sign, confirm the service supports will signings under Arizona law, and keep the signed original as the law requires. How online will signing works.

Good to know in Arizona

Arizona bars beneficiaries and their relatives from witnessing an unself-proved will signed after Sept. 30, 2019, so use two unrelated, non-beneficiary witnesses or add the self-proving affidavit. No lifetime will-deposit statute was found (A.R.S. § 14-2515 does not exist).

Estate and inheritance taxes

Arizona has no state estate or inheritance tax (2026). The federal estate tax applies only to estates over $15,000,000 per person in 2026, and gifts to charity are deductible.

Arizona will questions

Does a will need to be notarized in Arizona?

No. Two witnesses make a Arizona will valid. A notary is needed only for the optional self-proving affidavit, which lets the court accept your will without contacting your witnesses.

Are handwritten wills legal in Arizona?

Valid whether or not witnessed if the signature and the material provisions are in the testator's handwriting (A.R.S. § 14-2503).

Can a beneficiary witness a will in Arizona?

Disqualified: for wills signed on or after Oct. 1, 2019, a devisee, or anyone related by blood, marriage or adoption to a devisee, may not act as a witness unless the will is self-proved (A.R.S. § 14-2505(B)).

Can I make a will online in Arizona?

You can write your will online for free with MyLastWill, then print it and sign it with your witnesses. Arizona also allows electronic wills, and witnesses can take part by live video under conditions in state law.

Does Arizona have an estate or inheritance tax?

Arizona has no state estate or inheritance tax (2026). The federal estate tax applies only to estates over $15,000,000 per person in 2026, and gifts to charity are deductible.

Last reviewed October 24, 2026 against Arizona statutes. Laws change, and this is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, talk with a Arizona attorney.