# Certified copies of wills

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/certified-copies-of-wills/758784>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 30, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/certified-copies-of-wills/758784 "2016-06-30T15:37:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bmasters1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@bmasters1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmasters1)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/certified-copies-of-wills/758784/1 "2016-06-30T15:37:26Z")

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Is a certified, notarized copy of a will legal?

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/certified-copies-of-wills/758784/2 "2016-06-30T17:05:41Z")

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Legal for what purpose? I can get a photo of my left nut notarized if I want. What does “certified” mean? Who or what is certifying this document? What jurisdiction are you in?

Generally, anything meeting the definition of a will that is written down is legal for the purpose of adjudication in probate court. Proving the provenance of a will can be made easier in certain ways, though.

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/certified-copies-of-wills/758784/3 "2016-06-30T18:04:31Z")

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State laws vary. A handwritten will might be legit even without witnesses.

Many states require certain standards of number and who can be witnesses. Notarization is a lesser issue.

Here, it takes two witnesses. No notarization _required_. But it is a _really_ good idea to speed up probate.

YMMV

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/certified-copies-of-wills/758784/4 "2016-06-30T19:45:19Z")

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We have about six copies of our wills, each notarized. I would imagine the attorney wouldn’t have made us sign all of them if they weren’t legit.

I live in Florida. YMMV.

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**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/certified-copies-of-wills/758784/5 "2016-07-01T14:45:37Z")

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From my recent experience in Georgia and past experience in Florida, I would think it is original signatures that makes it valid for probate. So, a certified copy (in FL at least, it is a copy that a Notary verifies is a true copy of the original) wouldn’t ordinarily be accepted for probate, but any copy that had the original signatures of the maker and required witnesses would be, notarized or not (notarization helps if the witnesses cannot be located).