✓ Verified June 2026
This guide covers Utah estate planning in plain English — the exact age, witness, and notarization rules, whether a handwritten will is valid, and how to make your will self-proving. All figures are from Utah law, verified as of June 2026.
In This Utah Guide:
Utah Will Requirements at a Glance
Here are the exact rules for making a valid will in Utah:
| Minimum age to make a will | 18 |
| Witnesses required | 2 |
| Notarization required | NO — notarization is not required to make a valid will in Utah. However, notarization is needed if you want to add a self-proving affidavit, which may speed up probate by allowing the court to accept the will without calling witnesses to testify. |
| Handwritten (holographic) will allowed | YES — Utah recognizes holographic (handwritten) wills under Utah Code 75-2-502. A holographic will is valid even without witnesses, as long as the signature and the material portions of the document are in the testator’s own handwriting. Intent that the document is a will may be established by extrinsic evidence, including portions not in the testator’s handwriting. |
| Self-proving affidavit available | YES — under Utah Code 75-2-504, a will may be made self-proving by attaching a sworn affidavit signed by the testator and both witnesses before an officer authorized to administer oaths (typically a notary public). A self-proving affidavit allows the court to accept the will in probate without requiring the witnesses to appear and testify about the signing. |
| Statutory will form | NO — Utah does not provide an official statutory fill-in-the-blank will form enacted by the legislature. However, the Utah State Courts self-help center at utcourts.gov provides general probate forms and guidance. For a simple will, you may wish to consult a licensed Utah attorney or use a reputable legal forms provider. |
What a Utah Will Does (and Doesn’t Do)
In Utah, a will may name a personal representative (executor) to manage the estate through probate, name a guardian for minor children, direct how probate assets are distributed among beneficiaries, make specific gifts of property, create a testamentary trust, and express wishes regarding funeral or burial arrangements. Utah follows the Uniform Probate Code, so wills are admitted through either informal or formal probate proceedings at the district court.
What a Utah will does NOT control: A Utah will does not control assets that pass outside of probate, including life insurance proceeds with a named beneficiary, retirement accounts (401(k), IRA) with a named beneficiary, payable-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD) accounts, property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, and assets already placed in a living trust.
Those assets pass directly to the named beneficiary or surviving co-owner regardless of what the will says.
Oral wills in Utah: NO — Utah does not recognize oral (nuncupative) wills. A valid will in Utah must be in writing and signed by the testator.
How to Update or Revoke a Utah Will
Under Utah Code 75-2-507, a Utah will may be revoked in whole or in part by executing a later will that revokes the previous will or has inconsistent terms, or by performing a revocatory act on the will (such as burning, tearing, canceling, obliterating, or destroying the will) with the intent to revoke.
A codicil — a written amendment executed with the same formalities as a will (signed by the testator and 2 witnesses) — may be used to make minor changes without rewriting the entire will. For significant changes, executing a new will that expressly revokes all prior wills is generally recommended.
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Other Utah will-making rules: Utah adopted the Uniform Electronic Wills Act (Utah Code 75-2-1401 through 75-2-1410), allowing electronic wills that are readable as text, stored electronically, and signed with an electronic signature — making Utah one of a small number of states that explicitly permit e-wills.
Utah also follows the Uniform Probate Code rule that an interested witness (a witness who is also a beneficiary under the will) does not invalidate the will or any provision of it (Utah Code 75-2-505), though using disinterested witnesses is still recommended.
Utah has a harmless error rule allowing a court to treat a document as a valid will even if it does not fully comply with execution formalities, if the proponent establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the decedent intended the document to be the will.
Utah also recognizes that a will validly executed under the law of the state where it was executed, or where the testator was domiciled at the time of execution or death, may be admitted to probate in Utah.
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Understanding Utah Estate Planning
Getting started with Utah estate planning is the single best gift you can give your family. A valid Utah will lets you decide who inherits, name an executor, and name a guardian for your children — instead of leaving it to a default state formula.
When people look into Utah estate planning, the real answer comes down to the state’s execution rules: your age, the number of witnesses, and whether you make it self-proving. If any part of Utah estate planning is unclear, your state court’s self-help center can point you to the official forms and resources.
Official Utah Sources & Resources
- Utah Court Self-Help: https://www.utcourts.gov/en/self-help/categories/probate.html
- Utah Wills Statute: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title75/Chapter2/75-2-P5.html
- Internal Revenue Service — Estate Tax: irs.gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex
This Utah will guide was last verified against official sources in June 2026. Laws change — verify with your state court or a licensed attorney.
More Utah Wills & Probate Guides
- Utah Probate Process
- Dying Without a Will in Utah
- Utah Estate & Inheritance Tax
- Utah Small Estate Affidavit
- Utah Living Trust
- Probate Cost Calculator
- All 51 States
Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. Estate, probate, and tax laws change and vary by state and county. Verify current rules and dollar figures with your state’s court, statute, or a licensed attorney or tax professional before acting. For urgent matters like an active probate or a tax deadline, consult a licensed professional in your state right away.