What is a holographic will, and when is one legally valid?

A short note before you start

This guide is general information for the United States, not legal, tax, financial or medical advice. Whether a handwritten will is valid, and what exactly it must contain, depends entirely on the state where the person lived. Confirm current rules with your state's probate court self-help site or a local estate planning attorney before relying on one.

What is a holographic will?

A holographic will is a will a person writes and signs entirely, or almost entirely, in their own handwriting, without the typed formatting or witness signatures a standard will normally requires. The Uniform Probate Code, the model law many states base their probate rules on, says such a will "is valid as a holographic will, whether or not witnessed, if the signature and material portions of the document are in the testator's handwriting" (Uniform Probate Code Section 2-502(b), as enacted in South Dakota Codified Law 29A-2-502, checked 2026-09-19). For a rundown of related terms like "testator" and "codicil," see the estate planning glossary.

The word comes from the Greek for "written entirely by hand." States split into two groups: some, following the Uniform Probate Code approach, only require the signature and the "material provisions" (who gets what) to be handwritten, so a partly preprinted form can still qualify. Others, including Texas and Oklahoma, require the will to be wholly handwritten, meaning any typed or printed wording beyond the letterhead can void it³,⁸.

What is a holographic will used for?

People turn to a holographic will when a formal, witnessed will is not practical: a sudden medical emergency, a will drafted while deployed or at sea, or someone making quick changes without a lawyer or witnesses on hand. It is a stopgap, not a first choice, since it carries a higher risk of being challenged than a properly witnessed will.

Which states allow a holographic will?

Whether a holographic will is valid, and what form it must take, is set entirely by state law; there is no national rule. About half of states recognize one made by any competent adult, a smaller group only for the armed forces, and the rest do not recognize them at all¹¹.

Rules change, and this table is not exhaustive. Search "[your state] holographic will" together with your state's official statutes site before assuming your state's rule.

What are the requirements for a valid holographic will?

Every state that recognizes a holographic will requires at least a handwritten signature and handwritten terms showing who gets what. Beyond that, states differ on three points.

1. How much must be handwritten. States following the Uniform Probate Code only require the signature and "material provisions" handwritten, so a filled-in printed form can qualify. Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana require the whole document handwritten³,⁸,⁷.
2. Whether a date is required. Nevada, Michigan and Louisiana require one. California does not strictly, but an undated will can be ruled invalid if it conflicts with another will and the order cannot be established².
3. Whether witnesses are needed later, even if not at signing. Virginia requires two disinterested witnesses to prove the handwriting at probate, though none are needed at signing⁶.

None require notarization to be valid, though a self-proving affidavit, where allowed, can speed up probate by avoiding the need to track down witnesses later.

What does a holographic will sample or example look like?

There is no official form, since the point is that the testator writes it without a printed template. A holographic will typically includes, in the testator's own handwriting:

• A statement that this is intended as the person's last will, naming themselves and stating the document expresses their wishes for their property after death
• The date it was written
• Specific instructions for who receives which property
• The name of a person the testator wants as executor, if any
• The testator's signature at the end

Because wording rules vary by state and a paraphrase inside quotation marks would misrepresent an actual document, this guide does not reproduce a fill-in-the-blank script. Some state court self-help probate pages publish a plain-language will template, and an attorney can review handwritten language before signing to confirm it meets your state's requirements.

A worked example: the Kowalski family

Daniel Kowalski, 68, is hospitalized unexpectedly in Michigan. Before emergency surgery, he handwrites a single page: his name, the date, a statement that this is his will, and instructions leaving his house to his daughter Anna and his savings split evenly between Anna and his son Peter. He signs it and has a nurse keep it with his belongings, unwitnessed.

Daniel survives, and later has an attorney draft a formal, witnessed will saying the same thing. When Daniel dies eight years later, both documents turn up. Because the typed will is signed, dated, witnessed, and states it revokes earlier wills, the probate court treats it as controlling, and the hospital page never has to be proved as a holographic will. See the executor checklist for what happens next once a will is accepted for probate.

What should you record in a family guide about your will?

A family guide is not a substitute for the will itself, but it should tell your family that a will exists, where the original is kept, and who to call. Keeping this current is exactly the kind of task a family guide, such as /your-guide/, is built for; see also where to keep important documents.

• The type of will and the state it was made in
• Where the signed original is kept, such as a fireproof box, a safe deposit box, or an attorney's office
• The attorney's contact information, if any
• The name of the person nominated as executor
• The date it was last updated, and whether a later document might replace it
• Whether a self-proving affidavit was signed, and where it is kept

What mistakes commonly happen with holographic wills?

Most problems with a holographic will trace back to informality: nothing forces the writer to follow a checklist, so mistakes go unnoticed until the will reaches probate.

• Leaving out the date, which can make it impossible to tell which of two wills controls if more than one turns up².
• Mixing handwriting with typed text where the state requires the whole document handwritten, which can void the will³.
• Vague descriptions of property or beneficiaries, for example "my house" when the person owns two.
• No plan for proving the handwriting later. In states like Virginia, someone must find two disinterested people to testify it is genuine, harder years after the fact⁶.
• Assuming it travels across state lines. A will valid where written may not be honored if the person later dies a resident of a state such as Florida that rejects holographic wills outright⁹.
• Writing it under stress with no witnesses to intent, leaving it open to a challenge that the person lacked capacity or was pressured.

Can a holographic will be contested?

Yes, more often than typed, witnessed wills, because no attesting witness watched the signing to confirm the testator's identity, capacity and free will at that moment. Common grounds include disputed handwriting, questioned mental capacity, and claims someone pressured or manipulated the testator into writing it¹². Courts resolve authenticity questions by comparing the handwriting to other known samples, sometimes with an expert.

Holographic will checklist

• Confirm whether your state recognizes holographic wills, and how much must be handwritten

• Write, do not type, the signature and every required provision

• Include a clear statement that the document is your will

• Date the document, even if not strictly required

• Name specific people and describe specific property, avoiding vague terms like "my savings"

• Name an executor if you want to choose one

• Sign at the end

• Store the original where your family can find it, and tell them where

• Follow up with a formal, witnessed will when possible, stating it revokes earlier wills

• Record the will's existence and location in your family guide

When to get professional help

A holographic will can work as a stopgap in an emergency, but treat it as temporary. Get a probate or estate planning attorney involved as soon as you reasonably can, especially if the estate includes real estate, a business, retirement accounts, blended-family beneficiaries, or property in more than one state. An attorney can convert it into a formal, witnessed will that is far less likely to be challenged, and confirm your state's wording rules were met.