✓ Verified June 2026
This guide covers Washington 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 Washington law, verified as of June 2026.
In This Washington Guide:
Washington Will Requirements at a Glance
Here are the exact rules for making a valid will in Washington:
| Minimum age to make a will | 18 |
| Witnesses required | 2 |
| Notarization required | NO — Washington does not require notarization for a will to be valid. A self-proving affidavit may be sworn before a notary or other person authorized to administer oaths, but witnesses may instead use a declaration under penalty of perjury under Washington law, eliminating even that notary step (RCW 11.20.020). |
| Handwritten (holographic) will allowed | NO — Washington does not recognize holographic (handwritten, unwitnessed) wills made by Washington residents. A handwritten will is valid only if it meets the same two-witness requirement as any other will (RCW 11.12.020). Exception: a holographic will validly executed under the laws of another state where the testator resided may be recognized in Washington under the foreign-will provision of RCW 11.12.020. |
| Self-proving affidavit available | YES — Washington allows a will to be made self-proving so the probate court can accept it without requiring witnesses to appear and testify. The attesting witnesses sign an affidavit (or a declaration under penalty of perjury under Washington law) stating the testator declared the document as their will, appeared of sound mind, was free from undue influence, and they observed the signing. The affidavit may be written on, attached to, or logically associated with the will (RCW 11.20.020). Washington also recognizes electronic wills that may be simultaneously executed, attested, and made self-proving (RCW 11.12.450). |
| Statutory will form | NO — Washington does not provide an official statutory fill-in-the-blank will form. Unlike states such as California, there is no state-prescribed template. A testator must draft a will meeting the requirements of RCW 11.12.020, using an attorney, a commercial form, or their own drafting. |
What a Washington Will Does (and Doesn’t Do)
A Washington will allows a person to 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 bequests of personal or real property, create testamentary trusts, and direct disposition of tangible personal property through a separate writing referenced in the will (RCW 11.12.260).
Washington is a community property state, so a will may dispose of the testator’s separate property and their half of community property.
What a Washington will does NOT control: A Washington 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) bank and brokerage accounts, property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, community property with right of survivorship, assets held in a living trust,
and jointly owned real estate with survivorship rights.
These assets pass by beneficiary designation or operation of law regardless of what the will says.
Oral wills in Washington: YES with narrow conditions — Washington permits oral (nuncupative) wills only in limited circumstances under RCW 11.12.025. Members of the U.S. armed forces or persons employed on a U.S. merchant marine vessel may dispose of wages or personal property orally. Any other competent person may make an oral will only during their last sickness and only for personal property valued at not more than 1000 dollars.
The oral will must be proved by 2 witnesses who were present, the testator must have directed someone present to bear witness, it must be offered for probate within 6 months, and the words must be committed to writing. Oral wills cannot transfer real estate.
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How to Update or Revoke a Washington Will
A Washington will may be amended by executing a codicil, which is a supplement or addition to the will that must meet the same execution requirements as the original will (in writing, signed by the testator, attested by 2 competent witnesses).
A will may be revoked by a subsequent will or codicil that expressly revokes it, or by a physical act such as burning, tearing, canceling, obliterating, or destroying the will with the intent and purpose of revoking it, done by the testator or by another person at the testator’s direction and in their presence (RCW 11.12.040).
A new will that does not expressly revoke prior wills revokes them only to the extent of any inconsistency.
Other Washington will-making rules: Washington is a community property state, which significantly affects will planning — a testator may only dispose of their separate property and their one-half share of community property by will. Washington recognizes electronic wills under RCW 11.12.400 through 11.12.491, enacted in 2021, which allow wills to be created, signed, and witnessed electronically with the same legal effect as traditional paper wills.
Under RCW 11.12.160, an interested witness (a beneficiary who also serves as a witness) does not invalidate the will, but gifts to that witness are presumed to have been procured through undue influence unless two additional disinterested witnesses also attested the will. Washington also allows a separate writing outside the will to direct the disposition of tangible personal property (RCW 11.12.260).
Witnesses may sign in the testator’s electronic presence, not just physical presence (RCW 11.12.020).
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Understanding Washington Estate Planning
Getting started with Washington estate planning is the single best gift you can give your family. A valid Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington estate planning is unclear, your state court’s self-help center can point you to the official forms and resources.
Official Washington Sources & Resources
- Washington Court Self-Help: https://www.courts.wa.gov/forms/
- Washington Wills Statute: https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=11.12
- Internal Revenue Service — Estate Tax: irs.gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex
This Washington will guide was last verified against official sources in June 2026. Laws change — verify with your state court or a licensed attorney.
More Washington Wills & Probate Guides
- Washington Probate Process
- Dying Without a Will in Washington
- Washington Estate & Inheritance Tax
- Washington Small Estate Affidavit
- Washington 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.