--- title: "Maine Will Signing Requirements: Witnesses & Notary | MCC" description: "Maine will signing rules: 2 witnesses, beneficiary witnesses, the self-proving affidavit, handwritten wills, from the statute." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/notary/will-signing-requirements-maine" --- Will signing · Maine # Maine will signing requirements How many witnesses, who shouldn't witness, and what the statute says about the self-proving affidavit, handwritten wills, electronic wills 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 an oath officer such as a notary. Handwritten wills: yes. ## At a glance Witnesses At least two witnesses. Each one watches the testator sign, or hears the testator acknowledge the signature or the will, and then signs within a reasonable time (18-C M.R.S. 2-502). "Signed by at least 2 individuals" Beneficiary as witness No effect on validity: a witness who takes under the will doesn't make the will, or any portion of it, invalid (18-C M.R.S. 2-504). "The signing of a will by an interested witness does not invalidate the will or any portion of it." Self-proving affidavit Allowed at signing or any time later. The testator and witnesses sign before an officer authorized to administer oaths where the will is signed. "each made before an officer authorized to administer oaths under the laws of the state where execution occurs" Handwritten wills Recognized if the signature and material parts are in the testator's handwriting. "if the signature and material portions of the document are in the testator's handwriting" Electronic wills Not authorized, per Nolo's Maine page (updated October 2022); the will has to be on paper. "Maine currently doesn't allow e-wills" Minimum age 18 or older and of sound mind, or a legally emancipated minor. "An individual of sound mind who is 18 or more years of age or a legally emancipated minor may make a will." ## Worth knowing Maine replaced its probate code with Title 18-C, in effect since July 1, 2019. Nolo notes that, beginning July 2, 2019, witnesses no longer have to sign at the same moment as the testator, as long as each signs within a reasonable time after seeing the signing or acknowledgment. The probate courts no longer take wills for safekeeping: none has been accepted since September 19, 1997. A will deposited before then can be released only to the testator or to someone the testator authorized in writing, and after the death the court notifies the person designated to receive it (18-C M.R.S. 2-514). ## Signing day here - **Witnesses to bring:** Bring 2 witnesses. - **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. The full list, with ID and who shouldn't witness: [signing-day checklist for Maine](/notary/will-signing-day-checklist?state=me). 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. **Not confirmed on the pages we read:** remote witnessing. ## Sources - [18-C M.R.S. 2-502, Execution; witnessed wills; holographic wills (Maine Legislature)](https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/18-C/title18-Csec2-502.html) (checked November 2026) - [18-C M.R.S. 2-503, Self-proved will (Maine Legislature)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/18-C/title18-Csec2-503.html) (checked November 2026) - [18-C M.R.S. 2-504, Who may witness a will (Maine Legislature)](https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/18-C/title18-Csec2-504.html) (checked November 2026) - [18-C M.R.S. 2-501, Who may make a will (Maine Legislature)](https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/18-C/title18-Csec2-501.html) (checked November 2026) - [Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Maine (Nolo, updated October 2022)](https://nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/maine-make-will-32175.html) (checked November 2026) - [18-C M.R.S. 2-514, Disposition of will deposited with court (Maine Legislature)](https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/18-C/title18-Csec2-514.html) (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 Maine?** 2. At least two witnesses. Each one watches the testator sign, or hears the testator acknowledge the signature or the will, and then signs within a reasonable time (18-C M.R.S. 2-502). **Does a will need a notary in Maine?** Not to be valid on the pages we read; the notary is for the self-proving affidavit. Allowed at signing or any time later. The testator and witnesses sign before an officer authorized to administer oaths where the will is signed. **Can a beneficiary witness a will in Maine?** No effect on validity: a witness who takes under the will doesn't make the will, or any portion of it, invalid (18-C M.R.S. 2-504). The statute: "The signing of a will by an interested witness does not invalidate the will or any portion of it." **Is a handwritten will valid in Maine?** Recognized if the signature and material parts are in the testator's handwriting. **Are electronic wills allowed in Maine?** Not authorized, per Nolo's Maine page (updated October 2022); the will has to be on paper. **How old do you have to be to make a will in Maine?** 18 or older and of sound mind, or a legally emancipated minor. All states: [will witness requirements by state](/notary/will-witness-requirements-by-state) · [Kansas](/notary/will-signing-requirements-kansas) · [Maryland](/notary/will-signing-requirements-maryland) Coming soon ### Maine Will Signing Day Kit This kit is being finished: every state rule in it is checked against official sources before it goes on sale. [See what it will include](/toolkits/maine-will-signing-day-kit) ## Need a notary or witnesses in New Jersey? [See witness services](/notary/witness-services)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)