✓ Verified June 2026
This guide covers Alabama 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 Alabama law, verified as of June 2026.
In This Alabama Guide:
Alabama Will Requirements at a Glance
Here are the exact rules for making a valid will in Alabama:
| Minimum age to make a will | 18 |
| Witnesses required | 2 |
| Notarization required | NO — notarization is not required to make a valid will in Alabama. However, the testator and two witnesses may sign a self-proving affidavit before a notary public, which streamlines probate by eliminating the need for witnesses to testify in court later (Ala. Code § 43-8-132) |
| Handwritten (holographic) will allowed | NO — Alabama does not recognize holographic (handwritten, unwitnessed) wills executed in Alabama. Under Ala. Code § 43-8-131, every will must be signed by at least two witnesses. Alabama may recognize a holographic will validly executed in another state under its foreign-wills provision (§ 43-8-133) |
| Self-proving affidavit available | YES — under Ala. Code § 43-8-132, the testator and at least two witnesses may sign a sworn affidavit before a notary public confirming the will was signed voluntarily, that the testator was at least 18, of sound mind, and under no undue influence. A self-proving affidavit allows the will to be admitted to probate without requiring witness testimony in court |
| Statutory will form | NO — Alabama does not provide an official statutory fill-in-the-blank will form. Third-party templates are widely available online, but the state itself does not publish or require a particular form. Any written document that meets the requirements of Ala. Code § 43-8-131 (signed by the testator, signed by two witnesses) may serve as a valid will |
What a Alabama Will Does (and Doesn’t Do)
In Alabama, a valid will may name a personal representative (executor) to manage the estate, name a guardian for minor children, direct how probate assets are distributed among beneficiaries, make specific bequests of personal property or real estate, and establish testamentary trusts
What a Alabama will does NOT control: A will does not control assets that pass by beneficiary designation (life insurance, retirement accounts, payable-on-death bank accounts), property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, assets already placed in a living trust, or transfer-on-death securities. These assets pass outside of probate regardless of what the will says
Oral wills in Alabama: NO — Alabama’s current Probate Code (Title 43, Chapter 8, effective 1982) does not include provisions recognizing nuncupative (oral) wills. The earlier Alabama code had limited nuncupative will provisions, but those were superseded by the current probate code
How to Update or Revoke a Alabama Will
A will in Alabama may be amended by executing a codicil, which is a written supplement that must meet the same execution requirements as the original will (written, signed by the testator, signed by two witnesses).
A will may be revoked entirely by executing a subsequent will that expressly revokes the prior will or is inconsistent with it, or by physical destruction (burning, tearing, canceling, obliterating, or destroying) with the intent to revoke, by the testator or by another person in the testator’s presence and at the testator’s direction (Ala. Code § 43-8-136)
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Other Alabama will-making rules: Alabama follows a version of the Uniform Probate Code (Title 43, Chapter 8). Witnesses do not need to be disinterested — a beneficiary may serve as a witness without automatically invalidating the will or the bequest (Ala. Code § 43-8-134).
Alabama recognizes wills validly executed under the law of the state where the testator was domiciled at execution, or under the law of the place where the will was executed, even if those requirements differ from Alabama’s own (§ 43-8-133).
If a testator marries after executing a will, the surviving spouse may still receive an intestate share of the estate unless the will was made in contemplation of the marriage or the spouse was provided for outside the will (§ 43-8-137)
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Understanding Alabama Estate Planning
Getting started with Alabama estate planning is the single best gift you can give your family. A valid Alabama 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 Alabama 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 Alabama estate planning is unclear, your state court’s self-help center can point you to the official forms and resources.
Official Alabama Sources & Resources
- Alabama Court Self-Help: https://judicial.alabama.gov/library/selfhelp
- Alabama Wills Statute: https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama
- Internal Revenue Service — Estate Tax: irs.gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex
This Alabama will guide was last verified against official sources in June 2026. Laws change — verify with your state court or a licensed attorney.
More Alabama Wills & Probate Guides
- Alabama Probate Process
- Dying Without a Will in Alabama
- Alabama Estate & Inheritance Tax
- Alabama Small Estate Affidavit
- Alabama 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.