--- title: "Oregon Will Signing Requirements: Witnesses & Notary | MCC" description: "Oregon 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-oregon" --- Will signing · Oregon # Oregon 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 allowed. Handwritten wills: no. ## At a glance Witnesses Two witnesses, who each see the testator sign or acknowledge the signature and then sign. "At least two witnesses shall each:" Beneficiary as witness A will signed by an interested witness isn't invalid for that reason. "A will attested by an interested witness is not thereby invalidated." Self-proving affidavit A witness's signature on an affidavit signed at the same time as the will counts as a witness signature. The statute we read doesn't mention a notary. "executed contemporaneously with execution of a will" Handwritten wills Not recognized as a separate kind of will: every will must be in writing and signed by the testator and two witnesses (ORS 112.235). A document that misses those steps, handwritten or not, can be treated as a will only if a court finds clear and convincing evidence the person meant it as one (ORS 112.238). "a will shall be in writing and shall be executed in accordance with the following formalities" Electronic wills Not allowed. For a will, a writing doesn't include an electronic record. (ORS 112.235(4)) "'writing' does not include an electronic record, document or image." Remote witnesses Not provided for: no Oregon law we found lets witnesses appear by video, and e-wills aren't authorized: the execution statute says a writing doesn't include an electronic record (ORS 112.235(4)), and Nolo's Oregon page (updated August 2025) agrees. Minimum age 18 or older, or lawfully married, and of sound mind. "Any person who is 18 years of age or older or who has been lawfully married" ## Worth knowing A court can treat a will that doesn't meet the signing rules as valid if there's clear and convincing evidence the person meant it as a will (ORS 112.238). ## Signing day here - **Witnesses to bring:** Bring 2 witnesses. - **Notary and the self-proving affidavit:** The statute we read doesn't say who takes the affidavit. Ask the lawyer whether to have a notary there. The full list, with ID and who shouldn't witness: [signing-day checklist for Oregon](/notary/will-signing-day-checklist?state=or). 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 - [ORS Chapter 112, Intestate Succession and Wills (Oregon Legislature)](https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors112.html) (checked November 2026) - [Justia (statute text) (secondary source): ORS 112.235, Execution of a will (2021 Oregon Revised Statutes, Justia)](https://law.justia.com/codes/oregon/current/volume-03/chapter-112/section-112-235/) (checked November 2026) - [FindLaw Codes (secondary source): ORS 112.238, Exception to will execution formalities (FindLaw Codes, current as of January 1, 2023)](https://codes.findlaw.com/or/title-12-probate-law/or-rev-st-sect-112-238/) (checked November 2026) - [Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Oregon (Nolo, updated August 2025)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/oregon-make-will-31653.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 Oregon?** 2. Two witnesses, who each see the testator sign or acknowledge the signature and then sign. **Does a will need a notary in Oregon?** Not to be valid on the pages we read; the notary is for the self-proving affidavit. A witness's signature on an affidavit signed at the same time as the will counts as a witness signature. The statute we read doesn't mention a notary. **Can a beneficiary witness a will in Oregon?** A will signed by an interested witness isn't invalid for that reason. The statute: "A will attested by an interested witness is not thereby invalidated." **Is a handwritten will valid in Oregon?** Not recognized as a separate kind of will: every will must be in writing and signed by the testator and two witnesses (ORS 112.235). A document that misses those steps, handwritten or not, can be treated as a will only if a court finds clear and convincing evidence the person meant it as one (ORS 112.238). **Are electronic wills allowed in Oregon?** Not allowed. For a will, a writing doesn't include an electronic record. (ORS 112.235(4)) **How old do you have to be to make a will in Oregon?** 18 or older, or lawfully married, and of sound mind. All states: [will witness requirements by state](/notary/will-witness-requirements-by-state) · [Oklahoma](/notary/will-signing-requirements-oklahoma) · [Rhode Island](/notary/will-signing-requirements-rhode-island) Do it yourself ### Oregon Will Signing Day Kit Plan your Oregon will signing from the state's own rules. Two witnesses, who each see the testator sign or acknowledge the signature and then sign. Self-proving affidavit: A witness's signature on an affidavit signed at the same time as the will counts as a witness signature. The statute we read doesn't mention a notary. [See what's inside ($19)](/toolkits/oregon-will-signing-day-kit) [Free sample](/toolkits/oregon-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)