--- title: "Do You Need a Notary for a Will in Tennessee? | MCC" description: "Tennessee will: no, not for the will itself, per the official page. What else the signing needs, and the next step." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/notary/does-it-need-a-notary/will-tennessee" --- Does it need a notary? · Tennessee # Do you need a notary for a will in Tennessee? The answer from the state's own pages, what else a will needs to be signed properly here, and how to get it done. ✓ New Jersey commissioned notary, no. 50244803, insured for errors and omissions. [See the credentials](/about/credentials) No, not for the will itself. The signing rule on the pages we read asks for at least two attesting witnesses, who sign in the testator's presence and in each other's presence (Tenn. Code 32-1-104, 2025 code text on Justia). A notary isn't part of that rule; one comes in for the self-proving affidavit, where it's used. ## In the source's wording "the signature of the testator and of at least two (2) witnesses as follows" From the sources listed below, checked November 2026. ## What else the signing needs Self-proving affidavit Allowed. Nolo's summary of Tenn. Code 32-2-110: the testator and the witnesses sign an affidavit before a notary. A notary isn't needed for the will itself. Interested witnesses A will isn't invalid because an interested witness signed it (statute as quoted by the Tennessee Court of Appeals in 2018). "No will is invalidated because attested by an interested witness" Remote or video signing Not provided for: no Tennessee law we found lets witnesses appear by video, and e-wills aren't authorized (Nolo's Tennessee page, updated August 2025). The 2020 emergency order that allowed remote will signings was temporary. Electronic wills Not authorized, per Nolo's Tennessee page (updated August 2025). "Tennessee currently doesn't allow e-wills" Handwritten wills Recognized without witnesses if the signature and material provisions are in the testator's handwriting; two witnesses must prove the handwriting at probate (Nolo, citing 32-1-105). Who can make a will 18 or older and of sound mind (Nolo, citing Tenn. Code 32-1-102). "18 years of age or older, and of sound mind" ## Next step Plan an in-person signing, with the witnesses in the room. Online notarization of a will is generally not available through us: New Jersey's remote notarization law leaves wills and codicils out for signers outside the U.S. ([N.J.S.A. 52:7-10.10](https://pub.njleg.gov/bills/2020/PL21/179_.HTM)), and states set their own rules on video witnessing. Here: Not provided for: no Tennessee law we found lets witnesses appear by video, and e-wills aren't authorized (Nolo's Tennessee page, updated August 2025). The 2020 emergency order that allowed remote will signings was temporary. Need a notary for the self-proving affidavit in Tennessee? We can look for a mobile notary commissioned there; bring your own witnesses (two). [Request a mobile notary in Tennessee](/notary/mobile-notary-outside-new-jersey) If a local notary in Tennessee does it: A reasonable fee; no dollar maximum in the statute (T.C.A. 8-21-1201), under the state's fee rules ([Tennessee notary fees](/notary/fees-by-state/tennessee)). ## Sources - [In re Estate of Joe Marce Abbott (Tenn. Ct. App. 2018), quoting Tenn. Code 32-1-103 (Tennessee Courts)](https://test-www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/estateofjoemarceabbott2opn.pdf) (checked November 2026) - [Justia (statute text) (secondary source): Tenn. Code 32-1-104, Will other than holographic or nuncupative; signatures (2025 Tennessee Code, Justia)](https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-32/chapter-1/part-1/section-32-1-104) (checked November 2026) - [Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Tennessee (Nolo, updated August 2025)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/tennessee-make-will-32173.html) (checked November 2026) Sourced from official pages; a few facts from vetted secondary sources, marked "(secondary source)". We are not lawyers, and this is general information, not legal advice. Checked November 2026. Rules change, and whoever receives the document decides what it accepts; we can't guarantee acceptance. ## Common questions **Does a will have to be notarized in Tennessee?** No, not for the will itself. The signing rule on the pages we read asks for at least two attesting witnesses, who sign in the testator's presence and in each other's presence (Tenn. Code 32-1-104, 2025 code text on Justia). A notary isn't part of that rule; one comes in for the self-proving affidavit, where it's used. **Where does a notary come in for a Tennessee will?** The self-proving affidavit. Allowed. Nolo's summary of Tenn. Code 32-2-110: the testator and the witnesses sign an affidavit before a notary. A notary isn't needed for the will itself. **Can a will be signed over video in Tennessee?** Not provided for: no Tennessee law we found lets witnesses appear by video, and e-wills aren't authorized (Nolo's Tennessee page, updated August 2025). The 2020 emergency order that allowed remote will signings was temporary. **Can a beneficiary witness a Tennessee will?** A will isn't invalid because an interested witness signed it (statute as quoted by the Tennessee Court of Appeals in 2018). ## Keep going - [Tennessee will signing requirements](/notary/will-signing-requirements-tennessee) - [Will signing-day checklist](/notary/will-signing-day-checklist?state=tn) - [Will witness rules in every state](/notary/will-witness-requirements-by-state) - [A small estate affidavit in Tennessee](/notary/does-it-need-a-notary/small-estate-affidavit-tennessee) A will in another state: [South Dakota](/notary/does-it-need-a-notary/will-south-dakota) · [Texas](/notary/does-it-need-a-notary/will-texas) · [every state](/notary/does-it-need-a-notary?doc=will) ## Signing a will in person? [Request a mobile notary](/notary/mobile-notary-outside-new-jersey)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)