--- title: "Colorado Will Signing Requirements: Witnesses & Notary | MCC" description: "Colorado will signing rules: 2 witnesses, beneficiary witnesses, the self-proving affidavit, handwritten wills, remote witnesses, from the statute." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/notary/will-signing-requirements-colorado" --- Will signing · Colorado # Colorado will signing requirements How many witnesses, who shouldn't witness, and what the statute says about the self-proving affidavit, handwritten wills, electronic wills, remote witnesses and the minimum age. ✓ New Jersey commissioned notary, no. 50244803, insured for errors and omissions. [See the credentials](/about/credentials) **Short answer.** 2 witnesses. A self-proving affidavit is sworn before a notary. Handwritten wills: yes. Remote witnesses: limited. ## At a glance Witnesses Two witnesses who sign within a reasonable time after seeing the signing or acknowledgment, or instead the testator acknowledges the will before a notary (Nolo, citing C.R.S. 15-11-502). "two witnesses must sign your will after witnessing you sign or acknowledge your will" Beneficiary as witness Allowed: a will, or any part of it, isn't invalid because an interested witness signed it (C.R.S. 15-11-505, Justia's 2022 code text). Disinterested witnesses are still the safer choice. "The signing of a will by an interested witness does not invalidate the will or any provision of it." Self-proving affidavit Allowed. Per Nolo (citing C.R.S. 15-11-504), the testator and witnesses sign an affidavit before a notary. Handwritten wills Recognized without witnesses if the signature and material provisions are in the testator's handwriting (Nolo, citing 15-11-502). "the signature and material provisions must be in your own handwriting" Electronic wills Authorized. The act declares an electronic will a will for all purposes. (Colorado Uniform Electronic Wills Act (HB21-1004, signed January 21, 2021)) "declares that an electronic will is a will for all purposes of Colorado law." Remote witnesses For an electronic will: witnesses (or a Colorado notary) may be electronically present; remote witnesses must be U.S. residents located in the U.S. (Nolo, citing 15-11-1305). "must be residents of the United States and located in the United States or its territories" Minimum age At least 18 and of sound mind (Nolo, citing C.R.S. 15-11-501). "at least 18 years old" ## Worth knowing For probate, the court's instructions say the original will must be filed with the court. ## Signing day here - **Witnesses to bring:** Bring 2 witnesses. - **Notary and the self-proving affidavit:** Have a notary there for the self-proving affidavit. The official page we read names a notary public. The full list, with ID and who shouldn't witness: [signing-day checklist for Colorado](/notary/will-signing-day-checklist?state=co). MCC Solutions provides notaries and witnesses for signings in New Jersey ([estate planning signings](/notary/estate-planning-notary), [the estate planning signing package](/notary/estate-planning-signing-package), [witness services](/notary/witness-services)). Elsewhere, a local notary can help with the self-proving affidavit. ## Sources - [HB21-1004, Colorado Uniform Electronic Wills Act (Colorado General Assembly)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/HB21-1004) (checked November 2026) - [Instructions for Probate with a Will, JDF 906 (Colorado Judicial Branch)](https://coloradojudicial.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/JDF906.pdf) (checked November 2026) - [Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Colorado (Nolo, updated September 2025)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/colorado-make-will-32143.html) (checked November 2026) - [Justia (statute text) (secondary source): C.R.S. 15-11-505, Who may witness (Justia statute text, 2022 Colorado Code)](https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2022/title-15/article-11/part-5/section-15-11-505/) (checked November 2026) Sourced from official pages; a few facts from vetted secondary sources, marked "(secondary source)". General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Have a lawyer prepare or review your will. Checked November 2026 against the official pages listed above. 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. ## Common questions **How many witnesses does a will need in Colorado?** 2. Two witnesses who sign within a reasonable time after seeing the signing or acknowledgment, or instead the testator acknowledges the will before a notary (Nolo, citing C.R.S. 15-11-502). **Does a will need a notary in Colorado?** Not to be valid on the pages we read; the notary is for the self-proving affidavit. Allowed. Per Nolo (citing C.R.S. 15-11-504), the testator and witnesses sign an affidavit before a notary. **Can a beneficiary witness a will in Colorado?** Allowed: a will, or any part of it, isn't invalid because an interested witness signed it (C.R.S. 15-11-505, Justia's 2022 code text). Disinterested witnesses are still the safer choice. The statute: "The signing of a will by an interested witness does not invalidate the will or any provision of it." **Is a handwritten will valid in Colorado?** Recognized without witnesses if the signature and material provisions are in the testator's handwriting (Nolo, citing 15-11-502). **Can will witnesses be remote in Colorado?** For an electronic will: witnesses (or a Colorado notary) may be electronically present; remote witnesses must be U.S. residents located in the U.S. (Nolo, citing 15-11-1305). **Are electronic wills allowed in Colorado?** Authorized. The act declares an electronic will a will for all purposes. (Colorado Uniform Electronic Wills Act (HB21-1004, signed January 21, 2021)) All states: [will witness requirements by state](/notary/will-witness-requirements-by-state) · [Arkansas](/notary/will-signing-requirements-arkansas) · [Connecticut](/notary/will-signing-requirements-connecticut) Do it yourself ### Colorado Will Signing Day Kit Plan your Colorado will signing from the state's own rules. Two witnesses who sign within a reasonable time after seeing the signing or acknowledgment, or instead the testator acknowledges the will before a notary (Nolo, citing C.R.S. 15-11-502). Self-proving affidavit: Allowed. Per Nolo (citing C.R.S. 15-11-504), the testator and witnesses sign an affidavit before a notary. [See what's inside ($19)](/toolkits/colorado-will-signing-day-kit) [Free sample](/toolkits/colorado-will-signing-day-kit#free-starter)14-day full refund ## Need a notary or witnesses in New Jersey? [See witness services](/notary/witness-services)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)