How to Make a Will in Connecticut (2026 Guide)

A will made in Connecticut must be signed by you and by 2 witnesses to be valid. Yes (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-285). It lets the court accept the will without tracking down the witnesses later. Below is everything the signing cover sheet in your free Connecticut will covers, generated from the same rules.

Make my free Connecticut will

Connecticut 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	No
Electronic wills recognized	No
Remote witnessing allowed	No
Community property state	No
Personal property memorandum	No
No-contest clause	Limited
Will execution statute	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-251
Financial POA statute	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-350 et seq. (Connecticut Uniform Power of Attorney Act, 2016); statutory forms at §§ 1-352, 1-352a
Healthcare directive statute	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-570 et seq. (living will and appointment of health care representative); optional combined form at § 19a-575a

Witnesses

Two witnesses. The will must be in writing, subscribed by the testator, and attested by two witnesses, each of whom subscribes in the testator's presence (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-251). Use adult witnesses who take nothing under the will: a gift to a subscribing witness (or the witness's spouse) is void unless the will is also attested by two other disinterested witnesses, although the interested witness may still take what he or she would have received by intestacy (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-258). The statute does not require the witnesses to sign in each other's presence, but the safest practice is for everyone to sign together in one sitting.

Do you need a notary in Connecticut?

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 (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-285). 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 Connecticut

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, subscribed by the testator, and attested by two witnesses, each of whom subscribes in the testator's presence (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-251). Use adult witnesses who take nothing under the will: a gift to a subscribing witness (or the witness's spouse) is void unless the will is also attested by two other disinterested witnesses, although the interested witness may still take what he or she would have received by intestacy (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-258). The statute does not require the witnesses to sign in each other's presence, but the safest practice is for everyone to sign together in one sitting.
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 (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-285). Many people sign the will and the affidavit at the notary's office in one sitting.
5. Store the original safely. Connecticut probate courts accept a will for safekeeping during the testator's lifetime (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-283). If you do not deposit it: 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.
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

A surviving spouse cannot be completely disinherited. The spouse may elect to take a statutory share consisting of the use for life of one-third of the estate remaining after debts and expenses (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-436). A spouse may also claim a family allowance during settlement (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-320).

Homestead

No special restriction on devising a homestead by will; Connecticut's homestead exemption from creditors is in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-352b.

If you die without a will in Connecticut

If you die without a will in Connecticut, your spouse takes everything if you leave no descendants and no parents. If you leave parents but no descendants, the spouse takes the first $100,000 plus three-quarters of the balance. If all of your descendants are also your spouse's, the spouse takes the first $100,000 plus half; if any descendant is not your spouse's, the spouse takes half (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 45a-437, 45a-438). With no spouse, everything passes to descendants, then parents, then siblings and their descendants. More on intestacy.

Other estate-planning documents in Connecticut

• Durable financial power of attorney: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-350 et seq. (Connecticut Uniform Power of Attorney Act, 2016); statutory forms at §§ 1-352, 1-352a. The power of attorney must be signed by the principal (or by another adult in the principal's conscious presence at the principal's direction) in the presence of two witnesses and acknowledged before a notary public or other officer authorized to take acknowledgments (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-350d). The agent should not be a witness. Record it on the land records before using it for real estate.
• Advance healthcare directive: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-570 et seq. (living will and appointment of health care representative); optional combined form at § 19a-575a. A living will and appointment of a health care representative must be signed by the declarant in the presence of two adult witnesses, who also sign (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 19a-575, 19a-575a, 19a-577). The appointed health care representative should not serve as a witness. Notarization is not required. The statutory combined form may be used but is optional.
• 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: None — not authorized by statute; gifts of tangible property should be made in the will itself.

Connecticut notes

• Connecticut does not recognize a separate personal property memorandum; list gifts of specific items in the will itself.
• Connecticut does not recognize holographic (unwitnessed handwritten) wills.

Frequently asked questions

How many witnesses does a will need in Connecticut?

Connecticut requires 2 witnesses (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-251). Two witnesses. The will must be in writing, subscribed by the testator, and attested by two witnesses, each of whom subscribes in the testator's presence (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-251). Use adult witnesses who take nothing under the will: a gift to a subscribing witness (or the witness's spouse) is void unless the will is also attested by two other disinterested witnesses, although the interested witness may still take what he or she would have received by intestacy (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-258). The statute does not require the witnesses to sign in each other's presence, but the safest practice is for everyone to sign together in one sitting.

Does a will need to be notarized in Connecticut?

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

Does Connecticut have a self-proving affidavit?

Yes (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-285). It lets the court accept the will without tracking down the witnesses later.

Are handwritten (holographic) wills valid in Connecticut?

Connecticut does not generally recognize unwitnessed handwritten wills. Use a typed, witnessed will.

Can I disinherit my spouse in Connecticut?

A surviving spouse cannot be completely disinherited. The spouse may elect to take a statutory share consisting of the use for life of one-third of the estate remaining after debts and expenses (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-436). A spouse may also claim a family allowance during settlement (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-320).

What happens if I die without a will in Connecticut?

If you die without a will in Connecticut, your spouse takes everything if you leave no descendants and no parents. If you leave parents but no descendants, the spouse takes the first $100,000 plus three-quarters of the balance. If all of your descendants are also your spouse's, the spouse takes the first $100,000 plus half; if any descendant is not your spouse's, the spouse takes half (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 45a-437, 45a-438). With no spouse, everything passes to descendants, then parents, then siblings and their descendants.

Is a no-contest clause enforceable in Connecticut?

Connecticut has no statute on no-contest clauses. Connecticut courts have enforced them when a beneficiary contests the will (South Norwalk Trust Co. v. St. John, 92 Conn. 168 (1917)), but they are strictly construed and may not reach a good-faith challenge with probable cause. Treat enforceability as uncertain.

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