How it works. Pick the state where the will is being signed. You get how many witnesses to bring, whether to have a notary for the self-proving affidavit, what ID to bring and who shouldn't witness, with the statute's own words and link.
Signing-day checklist
Iowa
Witnesses: 2 · Notary: for the self-proving affidavit
"witnessed, at the testator's request, by two competent persons"
Witnesses to bring
- Bring 2 witnesses, each at least 16.
- The rule: Two witnesses, who sign at the testator's request in the presence of the testator and each other.
- Pick witnesses who get nothing under the will and aren't married to someone who does.
- If a beneficiary would have to witness, stop and call the lawyer first: The will stays valid, but unless two disinterested witnesses also signed, an interested witness loses whatever the will gives beyond what that witness would get with no will.
Notary and the self-proving affidavit
- Have a notary or another officer who can administer oaths there for the self-proving affidavit. The statute names that officer rather than notaries by name.
- Allowed at signing or any later date, before a person authorized to administer oaths and take acknowledgments. A self-proved will can be admitted without witness testimony.
- If no notary is available on the day, the affidavit can be added later, while the witnesses can still be reached.
- A notary notarizes signatures. A notary doesn't draft the will or say what it should contain.
ID to bring
- Testator: a current government-issued photo ID. A notary has to identify each person whose signature is notarized.
- Each witness: a photo ID, plus a home address and phone number, which some forms ask for.
Who should not be a witness
- Anyone who gets something under the will, or that person's spouse.
- Anyone who can't watch the testator sign or hear the testator acknowledge the signature.
- The notary taking the self-proving affidavit, since a notary can't notarize their own signature.
- Anyone under 16.
- The rule here: The will stays valid, but unless two disinterested witnesses also signed, an interested witness loses whatever the will gives beyond what that witness would get with no will.
On signing day
- Read the will through before anyone signs. Changes go back to the lawyer, not onto the page by hand.
- The testator signs (or acknowledges the signature) while the witnesses watch, then each witness signs.
- Remote witnessing: Presence can be physical or electronic, as long as the witness and testator can see and hear each other. Counterparts signed in different places are allowed.
After signing
- Keep one original. Write down where it is stored and who knows where it is.
- Don't staple, unstaple or mark the original after signing.
- Give the executor a copy and the location of the original.
Not confirmed on an official page we opened: handwritten wills, electronic wills, the minimum age. Ask the lawyer.
Official source: Iowa Code 633.279, Signed and witnessed (Iowa Legislature, 2024) · Iowa Code 633.281, Interest of witnesses (Iowa Legislature, 2024)
MCC Solutions provides notaries and witnesses for signings in New Jersey (estate planning signings, the estate planning signing package, witness services). Elsewhere, a local notary can help with the self-proving affidavit.
Before signing day
Have the lawyer send the final will in advance and confirm who will be in the room. Book the witnesses and the notary for the same time, and pick a place with a table and enough quiet to read. If the testator is in a hospital or care facility, ask the facility about visitors and whether staff are allowed to witness; many aren't. For every state at once, see will witness requirements by state.
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Have a lawyer prepare or review your will. Checked November 2026 against the official statute pages linked in each checklist. Rules change, and how a rule applies to one will is a question for a lawyer licensed in the state. A notary can't give legal advice or draft a will.
Questions about the checklist
Which state's rules apply?
Usually the state where the will is signed, and often the state where the testator lives. When they differ, or the testator owns property in another state, the lawyer preparing the will decides which rules to follow.
Who should be a witness?
Adults who know the testator, can watch the signing, and get nothing under the will. Neighbors, friends and office staff often serve. Family members who inherit, and their spouses, shouldn't.
Do the witnesses need to know what the will says?
No. Witnesses confirm that the testator signed, or acknowledged the signature, willingly and in their presence. They don't need to read the will.
What if no notary is available on signing day?
The will can still be signed with witnesses. In several states the self-proving affidavit can be added later while the witnesses can be found; the checklist says so where the statute does.
Does this page save what I pick?
No. The state travels in the page address only, so a link such as ?state=ny opens the same checklist, and it works without JavaScript.
Related guides: Self-proving affidavit for a will · Living will signing and witnesses · Notary versus witness requirements · Become a witness