How to make a will in Iowa

Iowa will requirements at a glance

How to sign a will in Iowa

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. (Iowa Code §§ 633.279(1), (3), (5); 633.280)
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. (Iowa Code § 633.279(2))
5. Store the original safely and tell your executor where it is. Iowa also lets you deposit your will with the probate court for safekeeping.

Who can make a will

Anyone 18 or older and of sound mind. A married minor is of full age: all minors attain majority by marriage (Iowa Code § 599.1). (Iowa Code §§ 633.264, 599.1)

Witness rules

The testator must sign (or have someone sign in the testator's presence and at the testator's express direction) and declare the document to be his or her will. Two competent witnesses, at the testator's request, sign in the presence of the testator and of each other. 'Presence' includes electronic presence (seeing and hearing each other in real time), and a remotely signed will may be executed in counterparts. Witnesses must be 16 or older. (Iowa Code §§ 633.279(1), (3), (5); 633.280)

If a witness inherits: Will stays valid, but an interested witness forfeits whatever exceeds his or her intestate share unless two other competent, disinterested witnesses also attest (Iowa Code § 633.281).

Handwritten wills

Not recognized for wills made in Iowa; every will needs two witnesses (Iowa Code § 633.279). A will executed elsewhere is valid if it complied with the law of the place of execution or the testator's domicile and is in writing and subscribed by the testator (§ 633.283).

Self-proving affidavit

Testator acknowledgment and witness affidavits before a person authorized to administer oaths and take acknowledgments under Iowa law, at signing or later. The affidavit recites that the witnesses are 16 or older. (Iowa Code § 633.279(2))

Can I sign my will online in Iowa?

Witnesses can take part by live video, under conditions. Iowa has no electronic-will (e-signature) statute, but witnessing presence may be physical or electronic (real-time see and hear), and a remotely signed will may be signed in counterparts at different locations and combined. Wills signed remotely under the governor's April 2, 2020 to Feb. 15, 2022 disaster proclamation are deemed valid. (Iowa Code § 633.279(3)-(5) (2023 Iowa Acts ch. 133, H.F. 397))

In effect since H.F. 397 approved June 1, 2023 (Iowa's standard July 1, 2023 effective date applies); the COVID-era validation in subsection 4 is retroactive to April 2, 2020.

Online notarization: An Iowa notary may notarize for a remotely located individual. H.F. 397 addressed remote presence for both notarial acts and will execution, and § 633.279's electronic-presence definition covers the self-proving affidavit. This conclusion combines the two statutes; neither says so expressly. (Iowa Code § 9B.14A (2019 Iowa Acts ch. 44; amended 2023 Iowa Acts ch. 133))

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 Iowa law, and keep the signed original as the law requires. How online will signing works.

Good to know in Iowa

The clerk of the district court keeps a file for wills deposited by living testators (Iowa Code § 633.286). Witnesses can be as young as 16.

Estate and inheritance taxes

Iowa 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.

Iowa will questions

Does a will need to be notarized in Iowa?

No. Two witnesses make a Iowa 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 Iowa?

Not recognized for wills made in Iowa; every will needs two witnesses (Iowa Code § 633.279). A will executed elsewhere is valid if it complied with the law of the place of execution or the testator's domicile and is in writing and subscribed by the testator (§ 633.283).

Can a beneficiary witness a will in Iowa?

Will stays valid, but an interested witness forfeits whatever exceeds his or her intestate share unless two other competent, disinterested witnesses also attest (Iowa Code § 633.281).

Can I make a will online in Iowa?

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

Does Iowa have an estate or inheritance tax?

Iowa 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 Iowa statutes. Laws change, and this is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, talk with a Iowa attorney.