✓ Verified June 2026
This guide covers Nevada 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 Nevada law, verified as of June 2026.
In This Nevada Guide:
Nevada Will Requirements at a Glance
Here are the exact rules for making a valid will in Nevada:
| Minimum age to make a will | 18 |
| Witnesses required | 2 |
| Notarization required | NO — notarization is not required to make a valid will in Nevada. However, witnesses may sign a notarized affidavit under NRS 133.050 to make the will self-proving, which speeds up probate. Notarization is optional and recommended but not a validity requirement. |
| Handwritten (holographic) will allowed | YES — Nevada recognizes holographic (handwritten) wills under NRS 133.090. The signature, date, and all material provisions must be in the testator’s own handwriting. No witnesses or notarization are required. A fill-in-the-blank printed form with handwritten entries does not qualify. To admit a holographic will to probate, the court may require either two affidavits from disinterested persons (non-beneficiaries) confirming the testator’s handwriting, or expert handwriting testimony. |
| Self-proving affidavit available | YES — under NRS 133.050, attesting witnesses may sign either (1) a declaration under penalty of perjury, or (2) a sworn affidavit before a person authorized to administer oaths (such as a notary public). The declaration or affidavit must be written on the will or attached to it. A self-proving will may be admitted to probate without requiring the witnesses to appear in court. If the testator or a witness appears by audio-video communication, the form must note that fact. |
| Statutory will form | NO — Nevada does not provide an official statutory fill-in-the-blank will form in its statutes. Third-party templates are available online, but Nevada law does not include a legislatively approved statutory will form like some other states. |
What a Nevada Will Does (and Doesn’t Do)
A Nevada will allows you to name a personal representative (executor) to manage your estate, name a guardian for minor children, direct how your probate assets are distributed, create testamentary trusts, dispose of real and personal property, and reference a separate written list for tangible personal property under NRS 133.045
What a Nevada will does NOT control: A Nevada will does not control assets that pass outside probate, including life insurance proceeds with a named beneficiary, retirement accounts (401k, IRA) with a named beneficiary, payable-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD) accounts, property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, community property with right of survivorship, and assets already held in a living trust
Oral wills in Nevada: NO — Nevada does not recognize oral (nuncupative) wills. NRS 133.100 states that no nuncupative will shall be valid in Nevada.
How to Update or Revoke a Nevada Will
A Nevada will may be amended by executing a codicil, which is a written addition or modification signed with the same formalities as the original will (witnessed by 2 witnesses for a formal will, or entirely handwritten for a holographic codicil).
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A will may be revoked by (1) executing a later will or codicil that expressly revokes it or contains inconsistent provisions, or (2) the testator, or someone acting at the testator’s direction and in the testator’s presence, burning, tearing, canceling, or obliterating the will with the intent to revoke it (NRS 133.120). Divorce automatically revokes any provision in favor of the former spouse under NRS 133.115.
Other Nevada will-making rules: Nevada is a community property state — a surviving spouse has rights to their share of community property regardless of what the will says. Nevada also recognizes electronic wills under NRS 133.085, which must be created, maintained, and stored in an electronic record, signed with an electronic signature, and contain the date and electronic signatures of at least two attesting witnesses.
Under NRS 133.045, a testator may dispose of tangible personal property by referencing a separate written list or statement, which may be written or changed after the will is executed without requiring a codicil. Nevada also permits witnesses and testators to participate in will execution by audio-video communication under certain conditions. A will contest must be filed within 120 days after the will is admitted to probate under NRS 137.010.
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Understanding Nevada Estate Planning
Getting started with Nevada estate planning is the single best gift you can give your family. A valid Nevada 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 Nevada 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 Nevada estate planning is unclear, your state court’s self-help center can point you to the official forms and resources.
Official Nevada Sources & Resources
- Nevada Court Self-Help: https://selfhelp.nvcourts.gov/pro/overview
- Nevada Wills Statute: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-133.html
- Internal Revenue Service — Estate Tax: irs.gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex
This Nevada will guide was last verified against official sources in June 2026. Laws change — verify with your state court or a licensed attorney.
More Nevada Wills & Probate Guides
- Nevada Probate Process
- Dying Without a Will in Nevada
- Nevada Estate & Inheritance Tax
- Nevada Small Estate Affidavit
- Nevada 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.