How to Make a Will in Arizona (2026 Guide)

A will made in Arizona must be signed by you and by 2 witnesses to be valid. Yes (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2504). It lets the court accept the will without tracking down the witnesses later. Below is everything the signing cover sheet in your free Arizona will covers, generated from the same rules.

Make my free Arizona will

Arizona will requirements at a glance

Witnesses required	2
Self-proving affidavit	Yes
Notary required for the will	No
Notary for the affidavit	Yes
Holographic wills recognized	Yes
Electronic wills recognized	Yes
Remote witnessing allowed	No
Community property state	Yes
Personal property memorandum	Yes
No-contest clause	Limited
Will execution statute	Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2502
Financial POA statute	Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-5501 et seq. (durable power of attorney)
Healthcare directive statute	Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 36-3221 et seq. (health care power of attorney) and § 36-3261 et seq. (living will); sample forms at § 36-3224 and § 36-3262

Witnesses

Two witnesses. The will must be in writing, signed by the testator (or by another 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 either the signing or the testator's acknowledgment of the signature or of the will (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2502(A)). Any person generally competent to be a witness may act; a will is not invalid because it is signed by an interested witness (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2505). Use adult witnesses who take nothing under the will. The witnesses need not sign in each other's presence, but signing together in one sitting is the safest practice. Electronic wills have separate requirements (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2518).

Do you need a notary in Arizona?

Not for the will itself. A notary is needed only to make the will self-proving through the affidavit, which is strongly recommended.

Self-proving affidavit

Yes (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2504). It lets the court accept the will without tracking down the witnesses later. What a self-proving affidavit does.

How to sign your will in Arizona

1. Read the signing cover sheet. It is generated with your will and lists every requirement below in checklist form.
2. Gather your witnesses. You need 2 adult witnesses who are not beneficiaries. Two witnesses. The will must be in writing, signed by the testator (or by another 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 either the signing or the testator's acknowledgment of the signature or of the will (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2502(A)). Any person generally competent to be a witness may act; a will is not invalid because it is signed by an interested witness (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2505). Use adult witnesses who take nothing under the will. The witnesses need not sign in each other's presence, but signing together in one sitting is the safest practice. Electronic wills have separate requirements (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2518).
3. Sign in front of your witnesses. Declare that the document is your will, sign at the end, and have the witnesses sign while you are all together.
4. Complete the self-proving affidavit before a notary. Optional but strongly recommended (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2504). Many people sign the will and the affidavit at the notary's office in one sitting.
5. Store the original safely. Keep the original in a safe, fireproof place your executor can access without a court order; a safe-deposit box may be sealed at death. Tell your executor where it is and give them a copy. After death, the custodian must deliver the will to the court or personal representative (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2516).
6. Tell your executor. Your executor needs to know the will exists and where it is. Give them the Executor Information Sheet.

Your spouse's rights

Arizona is a community property state and has no elective share. Each spouse already owns an undivided one-half of the community property (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 25-211), so a will can dispose of only the testator's half of community property plus the testator's separate property (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-3101). A surviving spouse is also entitled to a homestead allowance, exempt property and family allowance (Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 14-2402 to 14-2404).

Arizona is a community property state. Property acquired during marriage is generally owned half by each spouse. A will disposes only of the testator's half plus separate property. Our Arizona will includes a community property acknowledgment.

Homestead

No special restriction on devising a homestead by will. A surviving spouse (or minor/dependent children) is entitled to a homestead allowance of $18,000 with priority over most claims and devises (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2402); the homestead exemption from creditors is in Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1101.

If you die without a will in Arizona

If you die without a will in Arizona, your spouse takes all of your separate property and your half of the community property if you leave no descendants, or if all of your descendants are also your spouse's. If you have any descendant who is not your spouse's, the spouse takes half of your separate property and none of your half of the community property; those descendants take the rest (Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 14-2102, 14-2103). With no spouse, everything passes to descendants, then parents, then siblings and their descendants. More on intestacy.

Other estate-planning documents in Arizona

• Durable financial power of attorney: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-5501 et seq. (durable power of attorney). A durable power of attorney must be signed by the principal, witnessed by one adult who is not the agent, the agent's spouse, or the agent's child, and the signature must be acknowledged before a notary public (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-5501(D)). Record it with the county recorder before using it for real estate.
• Advance healthcare directive: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 36-3221 et seq. (health care power of attorney) and § 36-3261 et seq. (living will); sample forms at § 36-3224 and § 36-3262. A health care power of attorney or living will must be signed and dated by the principal and either notarized or witnessed by one adult who affirms the principal appeared to be of sound mind and free of duress (Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 36-3221(A)(3), 36-3261). The witness (or notary) may not be the appointed agent, related to the principal by blood, marriage or adoption, entitled to any part of the estate, or involved in the principal's health care (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 36-3221(B)). The sample statutory forms are optional. Arizona maintains a voluntary advance directive registry through the Secretary of State (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 36-3291).
• HIPAA authorization: HIPAA authorization is governed by federal law (45 C.F.R. § 164.508); no state-specific execution formality. Sign and date it; no witnesses or notary are required, though notarization does no harm.
• Personal property memorandum: Recognized (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2513).

Arizona notes

• Arizona is a community property state (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 25-211). Your will controls only your separate property and your one-half interest in community property; your spouse already owns the other half.
• Arizona recognizes electronic wills (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2518), but the electronic-will statute has its own witnessing and custodian requirements; this service produces a paper will to be signed with pen and ink.
• Arizona recognizes holographic (handwritten) wills whose material provisions and signature are in the testator's handwriting (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2503).

Frequently asked questions

How many witnesses does a will need in Arizona?

Arizona requires 2 witnesses (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2502). Two witnesses. The will must be in writing, signed by the testator (or by another 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 either the signing or the testator's acknowledgment of the signature or of the will (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2502(A)). Any person generally competent to be a witness may act; a will is not invalid because it is signed by an interested witness (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2505). Use adult witnesses who take nothing under the will. The witnesses need not sign in each other's presence, but signing together in one sitting is the safest practice. Electronic wills have separate requirements (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2518).

Does a will need to be notarized in Arizona?

Not for the will itself. A notary is needed only to make the will self-proving through the affidavit, which is strongly recommended.

Does Arizona have a self-proving affidavit?

Yes (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2504). It lets the court accept the will without tracking down the witnesses later.

Are handwritten (holographic) wills valid in Arizona?

Yes, Arizona recognizes holographic wills under certain conditions, but a typed, witnessed will is far safer and is what this service produces.

Can I disinherit my spouse in Arizona?

Arizona is a community property state and has no elective share. Each spouse already owns an undivided one-half of the community property (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 25-211), so a will can dispose of only the testator's half of community property plus the testator's separate property (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-3101). A surviving spouse is also entitled to a homestead allowance, exempt property and family allowance (Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 14-2402 to 14-2404).

What happens if I die without a will in Arizona?

If you die without a will in Arizona, your spouse takes all of your separate property and your half of the community property if you leave no descendants, or if all of your descendants are also your spouse's. If you have any descendant who is not your spouse's, the spouse takes half of your separate property and none of your half of the community property; those descendants take the rest (Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 14-2102, 14-2103). With no spouse, everything passes to descendants, then parents, then siblings and their descendants.

Is a no-contest clause enforceable in Arizona?

A provision penalizing an interested person for contesting the will is unenforceable if probable cause exists for instituting the proceeding (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-2517; see also § 14-3905).

Statutes cited are for reference and may have been amended. This page is general information, not legal advice.