--- title: "Will Witness Requirements Open Dataset (CSV, JSON) | MCC" description: "How many witnesses a will needs in each state and DC, self-proving affidavits, handwritten wills, electronic and remote signing and minimum ages, as a free…" url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/data/will-signing" --- Open data · CC BY 4.0 # Will witness and signing rules by state: open dataset Will signing and witness rules by state for 51 jurisdictions as a documented CSV and JSON file, free to reuse with a credit link. Sources checked November 2026. - **51**jurisdictions - **25**fields - **November 2026**sources checked - **708**confirmed values - **22**unconfirmed items [Download CSV](/data/will-signing.csv)[Download JSON](/data/will-signing.json) **Need it always current?** [API from $19/mo](/data/api): the same data as JSON with an API key, change notices and a commercial-use license. The CSV and JSON downloads stay free. Readable version: [Will signing and witness rules by state, explained state by state](/notary/will-witness-requirements-by-state). All site datasets: [open data](/data/open) · [data roundups](/data/). ## What this dataset covers The signing formalities for a will in each state and DC: the number of witnesses, what happens when a witness inherits, whether a self-proving affidavit is allowed and who notarizes it, whether handwritten (holographic) and electronic wills are recognized, remote witnessing, and the minimum age for the will-maker and witnesses. Most often unconfirmed in this release: `remote` (13), `electronic` (4), `interested` (2), `min_age` (1), `self_proving` (1). 46 jurisdictions have their own page on the site (AK, AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, ME, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY); their rows also carry the explanatory text and all sources shown there. ## Field dictionary | Field | Meaning | Type | In this release | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `jurisdiction_code` | Two-letter postal code of the state or DC. | string | 51 of 51 filled | | `jurisdiction` | State name (or District of Columbia). | string | 51 of 51 filled | | `witnesses.n` | Number of witnesses required. | integer | 50 of 51 filled; 0 to 2 | | `witnesses.text` | The witness rule in plain English. Present only for jurisdictions that have their own page on the site. | string (free text) | 46 of 51 filled | | `interested.effect` | What happens when a witness also inherits under the will. | string (code) | 49 of 51 filled: gift_at_risk (29), none (19), restricted (1) | | `interested.text` | The interested-witness rule in plain English. Present only for jurisdictions that have their own page on the site. | string (free text) | 45 of 51 filled | | `self_proving.allowed` | Whether a self-proving affidavit is allowed. | boolean | 50 of 51 filled: true (46), false (4) | | `self_proving.notary` | Who takes the self-proving affidavit. | string (code) | 50 of 51 filled: officer (21), notary (19), not_stated (7), officer_or_declaration (3) | | `self_proving.later` | Whether the affidavit can be added after the signing. | boolean | 14 of 51 filled: true (14) | | `self_proving.text` | The self-proving rule in plain English. Present only for jurisdictions that have their own page on the site. | string (free text) | 46 of 51 filled | | `holographic.status` | Whether handwritten wills without witnesses are recognized. | string (code) | 51 of 51 filled: yes (27), no (22), limited (2) | | `holographic.text` | The holographic will rule in plain English. Present only for jurisdictions that have their own page on the site. | string (free text) | 46 of 51 filled | | `electronic.status` | Whether electronic wills are authorized. | string (code) | 47 of 51 filled: no (30), yes (16), pending (1) | | `electronic.statute` | Statute authorizing electronic wills. Present only for jurisdictions that have their own page on the site. | string | 18 of 51 filled | | `electronic.text` | The electronic will rule in plain English. Present only for jurisdictions that have their own page on the site. | string (free text) | 45 of 51 filled | | `remote.status` | Whether witnesses may take part remotely. | string (code) | 38 of 51 filled: no (19), yes (10), limited (9) | | `remote.text` | The remote witnessing rule in plain English. Present only for jurisdictions that have their own page on the site. | string (free text) | 38 of 51 filled | | `min_age.age` | Minimum age to make a will. | integer | 50 of 51 filled; 14 to 18 | | `witness_age.age` | Minimum age for a witness, where the state sets one. | integer | 5 of 51 filled; 14 to 18 | | `notes` | Other points from the official source. Present only for jurisdictions that have their own page on the site. | string (free text) | 20 of 51 filled | | `unconfirmed` | Fields the official sources read did not confirm for this row. Those values are null. | array of strings | 14 of 51 rows list at least one | | `source_urls` | Links to the sources (all of them for jurisdictions with their own page; the main linked source for the others). | array of strings | 51 of 51 filled | | `source_kinds` | What each link in source_urls is, in the same order: "official" (a government page: state agency, legislature, court, county or city) or "secondary" (a vetted secondary source, used only where no official page could be read: Cornell LII, Justia (statute text only), FindLaw Codes, Casetext, NCSL, the Uniform Law Commission, the American Bar Association and state bar associations, legal aid networks (LawHelp.org and the state legal help sites), Nolo, the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the National Center for State Courts, the Eviction Lab, the Tax Foundation, the Sales Tax Institute, the American Payroll Association, SHRM, ADP, Paychex, Bloomberg Tax, Thomson Reuters, Avalara and Sovos). A fact backed only by a secondary source is shown on the site as " (secondary source)". | array of strings | 51 of 51 filled | | `checked` | When the row's sources were opened (YYYY-MM or YYYY-MM-DD). A row with no official source carries the date of the check that found none. | date (YYYY-MM-DD) | 51 of 51 filled | | `page_url` | The page on mcc-solutionsnj.com that explains this row. | string (URL) | 51 of 51 filled | ## Preview: the first 10 rows | `jurisdiction` | `witnesses.n` | `self_proving.allowed` | `holographic.status` | `electronic.status` | `remote.status` | `checked` | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Alabama | 2 | true | no | no | null | 2026-11 | | Alaska | 2 | true | yes | no | no | 2026-11 | | Arizona | 2 | true | yes | yes | limited | 2026-11 | | Arkansas | 2 | true | yes | no | no | 2026-11 | | California | 2 | null | yes | null | null | 2026-11 | | Colorado | 2 | true | yes | yes | limited | 2026-11 | | Connecticut | 2 | true | no | no | no | 2026-11 | | Delaware | 2 | true | no | no | no | 2026-11 | | District of Columbia | 2 | false | no | yes | limited | 2026-11 | | Florida | 2 | true | no | yes | yes | 2026-11 | 7 of 25 columns shown; the downloads have every column in full. ## Download formats The CSV has one row per jurisdiction and one column per field above, UTF-8, comma-separated. Nested fields use dotted names (`witnesses.n`); lists are joined with ` | `, and lists of objects become `key: value; key: value` items. The JSON keeps types (numbers, true/false, null, arrays) and includes this dictionary, the license and the checked date. ## License **License:** free to copy, share and adapt, including commercially, under the [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) license. Attribution required: credit "MCC Solutions" and link to this dataset page (https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/data/will-signing). The cite box below has text ready to paste. Need bulk access with update notices? See the [business data license](/data/business-license). ## Accuracy **Accuracy:** facts come from official government pages as they read when checked (November 2026 for this release); where no official page could be read, a few come from vetted secondary sources (Cornell LII, Justia (statute text only), FindLaw Codes, Casetext, NCSL, the Uniform Law Commission, the American Bar Association and state bar associations, legal aid networks (LawHelp.org and the state legal help sites), Nolo, the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the National Center for State Courts, the Eviction Lab, the Tax Foundation, the Sales Tax Institute, the American Payroll Association, SHRM, ADP, Paychex, Bloomberg Tax, Thomson Reuters, Avalara and Sovos), marked `secondary` in `source_kinds` and shown on the site as "(secondary source)". Anything those pages did not confirm is null and named in the row's `unconfirmed` list; a null that is not on the list means the point does not apply or the source states none. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. ## Cite this data APA style HTML link Free to reuse under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/): credit MCC Solutions and link to [https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/data/will-signing](/data/will-signing). ## Changelog - **November 2026**: sources checked for all 51 jurisdictions; this release has 25 fields, 708 confirmed values and 22 unconfirmed items. - Downloads are generated from the data files on each request, so a corrected file shows up in the CSV and JSON straight away; a new entry is added here when the sources are checked again. ## Need a notary? Send it to the desk. [Book Now](/notary/#order)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)