--- title: "Maryland Will Signing Requirements: Witnesses & Notary | MCC" description: "Maryland will signing rules: 2 witnesses, the self-proving affidavit, handwritten wills, remote witnesses, from the statute." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/notary/will-signing-requirements-maryland" --- Will signing · Maryland # Maryland 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. No separate self-proving affidavit. Handwritten wills: limited. Remote witnesses: yes. ## At a glance Witnesses Two or more credible witnesses, in the testator's physical or electronic presence. "Attested and signed by two or more credible witnesses in:" Self-proving affidavit No separate affidavit is needed. Per Nolo (citing Md. Est. & Trusts 5-303), a will that is signed and witnessed correctly doesn't have to be proved to the probate court, so there's no self-proving affidavit to make. "Maryland allows your will to be self-proved without a self-proving affidavit" Handwritten wills Only for a member of the armed services outside the U.S.; entirely in the testator's handwriting, and void one year after discharge unless the testator has died or lost capacity (Nolo, citing Md. Est. & Trusts 4-103). Electronic wills Authorized through a certified will: a paper copy of the electronically signed will with a certification, made by a supervising attorney or by the testator with a notary. (Md. Code, Estates and Trusts 4-102 (2022 ch. 176)) "create a certified will" Remote witnesses The testator and all witnesses may be in each other's physical or electronic presence. "the testator and all witnesses shall be in the physical presence or electronic presence of one another" Minimum age 18 or older (Nolo, citing Md. Est. & Trusts 4-102). "18 years of age or older" ## Signing day here - **Witnesses to bring:** Bring 2 witnesses. - **Notary and the self-proving affidavit:** No self-proving affidavit to arrange for this state: No separate affidavit is needed. Per Nolo (citing Md. Est. & Trusts 5-303), a will that is signed and witnessed correctly doesn't have to be proved to the probate court, so there's no self-proving affidavit to make. The full list, with ID and who shouldn't witness: [signing-day checklist for Maryland](/notary/will-signing-day-checklist?state=md). **Not confirmed on the pages we read:** the interested-witness rule. ## Sources - [Maryland 2022 Laws Chapter 176 (HB 576), amending Estates and Trusts 4-102 (Maryland General Assembly)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2022RS/chapters_noln/Ch_176_hb0576T.pdf) (checked November 2026) - [Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Maryland (Nolo, updated August 2025)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/maryland-make-will-31695.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 Maryland?** 2. Two or more credible witnesses, in the testator's physical or electronic presence. **Does a will need a notary in Maryland?** Not to be valid on the pages we read, and there's no separate self-proving affidavit to notarize. No separate affidavit is needed. Per Nolo (citing Md. Est. & Trusts 5-303), a will that is signed and witnessed correctly doesn't have to be proved to the probate court, so there's no self-proving affidavit to make. **Is a handwritten will valid in Maryland?** Only for a member of the armed services outside the U.S.; entirely in the testator's handwriting, and void one year after discharge unless the testator has died or lost capacity (Nolo, citing Md. Est. & Trusts 4-103). **Can will witnesses be remote in Maryland?** The testator and all witnesses may be in each other's physical or electronic presence. **Are electronic wills allowed in Maryland?** Authorized through a certified will: a paper copy of the electronically signed will with a certification, made by a supervising attorney or by the testator with a notary. (Md. Code, Estates and Trusts 4-102 (2022 ch. 176)) **How old do you have to be to make a will in Maryland?** 18 or older (Nolo, citing Md. Est. & Trusts 4-102). All states: [will witness requirements by state](/notary/will-witness-requirements-by-state) · [Maine](/notary/will-signing-requirements-maine) · [Massachusetts](/notary/will-signing-requirements-massachusetts) Coming soon ### Maryland 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/maryland-will-signing-day-kit) ## Need a notary or witnesses in New Jersey? [See witness services](/notary/witness-services)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)