✓ Verified June 2026
This guide covers Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania law, verified as of June 2026.
In This Pennsylvania Guide:
Pennsylvania Will Requirements at a Glance
Here are the exact rules for making a valid will in Pennsylvania:
| Minimum age to make a will | 18 years old; any person aged 18 or older who is of sound mind may make a will (20 Pa.C.S. § 2501) |
| Witnesses required | 0 for a standard will — Pennsylvania is one of very few states that does not require witnesses when the testator signs the will personally; however, 2 witnesses are required if the testator signs by mark or if another person signs on the testator’s behalf (20 Pa.C.S. § 2502) |
| Notarization required | NO — notarization is not required for a valid will; however, notarization is needed to make the will self-proving via affidavit (20 Pa.C.S. § 2502; 20 Pa.C.S. § 3132.1) |
| Handwritten (holographic) will allowed | YES — because Pennsylvania requires only that a will be in writing and signed by the testator at the end, a will entirely in the testator’s handwriting that is signed at the end is fully valid with no witnesses or notarization needed (20 Pa.C.S. § 2502) |
| Self-proving affidavit available | YES — the testator acknowledges the will before a notary public, and 2 witnesses each sign a sworn affidavit before the same officer stating they saw the testator sign willingly, that the testator was of legal age, and appeared of sound mind; this affidavit is attached to the will and allows probate without requiring witness testimony (20 Pa.C.S. § 3132.1) |
| Statutory will form | NO — Pennsylvania does not offer an official statutory fill-in-the-blank will form; no such provision exists in Title 20 |
What a Pennsylvania Will Does (and Doesn’t Do)
a Pennsylvania will may name a personal representative (executor) to manage the estate, name a guardian for minor children, direct how probate assets are distributed, make specific bequests of property, and create testamentary trusts
What a Pennsylvania will does NOT control: a will does not control assets with named beneficiaries (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
Oral wills in Pennsylvania: NO — Pennsylvania repealed its nuncupative (oral) will statute; all wills must be in writing (20 Pa.C.S. § 2503, repealed; 20 Pa.C.S. § 2502)
How to Update or Revoke a Pennsylvania Will
a will may be amended by executing a codicil (a written supplement executed the same way as a will) or revoked by: (1) a later will or codicil, (2) another writing declaring revocation executed and proved in the manner required for wills, or (3) physical destruction (burning, tearing, canceling, obliterating, or destroying) with intent to revoke,
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by the testator or by another person in the testator’s presence and at the testator’s express direction proved by 2 competent witnesses; additionally, divorce automatically revokes provisions in favor of the former spouse unless the will expressly provides otherwise (20 Pa.C.S. § 2505; 20 Pa.C.S. § 2507)
Other Pennsylvania will-making rules: Pennsylvania does not require witnesses for a standard will signed by the testator — this is highly unusual among U.S. states and makes will execution simpler but may increase vulnerability to challenges; the testator’s signature must appear at the end of the will — text after the signature may not be given effect (20 Pa.C.S. § 2502);
Pennsylvania has not adopted the Uniform Probate Code in full but its Probate Estates and Fiduciaries Code (Title 20) borrows some UPC concepts; Pennsylvania does not currently recognize electronic wills; marriage after making a will entitles the surviving spouse to an intestate share unless the will provides more or was made in contemplation of the marriage (20 Pa.C.S. § 2507)
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Understanding Pennsylvania Estate Planning
Getting started with Pennsylvania estate planning is the single best gift you can give your family. A valid Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania estate planning is unclear, your state court’s self-help center can point you to the official forms and resources.
Official Pennsylvania Sources & Resources
- Pennsylvania Court Self-Help: https://www.pacourts.us/courts/courts-of-common-pleas/registers-of-wills
- Pennsylvania Wills Statute: https://www.palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=HTM&ttl=20&div=0&chapter=25
- Internal Revenue Service — Estate Tax: irs.gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex
This Pennsylvania will guide was last verified against official sources in June 2026. Laws change — verify with your state court or a licensed attorney.
More Pennsylvania Wills & Probate Guides
- Pennsylvania Probate Process
- Dying Without a Will in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Estate & Inheritance Tax
- Pennsylvania Small Estate Affidavit
- Pennsylvania 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.