Short answer. 2 witnesses. A self-proving affidavit is sworn before a notary. Remote witnesses: limited.
At a glance
- Witnesses
- Two or more witnesses, who sign in the presence of the testator and each other.
"signed in the presence of two or more credible witnesses"
- Beneficiary as witness
- A gift to a witness, or to a witness's spouse, can be undone unless two other competent witnesses signed.
"shall be voidable unless there are two other competent, subscribing witnesses"
- Self-proving affidavit
- Allowed. The testator and witnesses make a sworn acknowledgment before a notary public or other official authorized to administer oaths where the will is signed.
"before a notary public or other official authorized to administer oaths"
- Remote witnesses
- Only for a will signed under the state's emergency rules for remote notarial acts, while those rules are in effect. Then witnesses count as present without being in the room.
"shall be considered to be in the presence of the testator and each other"
- Minimum age
- 18 or older, or emancipated by court order, and of sound mind.
"Every individual 18 years of age or over"
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 Vermont.
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.
Not confirmed on the pages we read: handwritten wills, electronic wills.
Official sources
- Vermont Statutes Title 14, Chapter 1, Wills (Vermont Legislature) (checked November 2026)
- 14 V.S.A. 108, Self-proved wills (Vermont Legislature) (checked November 2026)
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 Vermont?
2. Two or more witnesses, who sign in the presence of the testator and each other.
Does a will need a notary in Vermont?
Not to be valid on the pages we read; the notary is for the self-proving affidavit. Allowed. The testator and witnesses make a sworn acknowledgment before a notary public or other official authorized to administer oaths where the will is signed.
Can a beneficiary witness a will in Vermont?
A gift to a witness, or to a witness's spouse, can be undone unless two other competent witnesses signed. The statute: "shall be voidable unless there are two other competent, subscribing witnesses."
Can will witnesses be remote in Vermont?
Only for a will signed under the state's emergency rules for remote notarial acts, while those rules are in effect. Then witnesses count as present without being in the room.
How old do you have to be to make a will in Vermont?
18 or older, or emancipated by court order, and of sound mind.
All states: will witness requirements by state · Utah · Washington