How many witnesses does a will need in Connecticut?

A will in Connecticut must be signed in front of two witnesses. The witnesses do not need to be present together when they sign, but each must witness the testator's signature or acknowledgment. See Conn. Gen. Stat. §45a-250 et seq..

Does a will have to be notarized in Connecticut?

No. Notarization is not required for a Connecticut will to be valid, but adding a self-proving affidavit (which is notarized) lets the will be admitted to probate without calling the witnesses to testify.

Is a handwritten will valid in Connecticut?

No. Connecticut does not recognize holographic wills. Every will must be signed in front of witnesses to be valid.

What is the minimum age to make a will in Connecticut?

You must be at least 18 years old to make a will in Connecticut.

Can I sign my will online in Connecticut?

No. Connecticut does not currently recognize electronic wills. A will must be signed and witnessed in person on paper to be valid.

What documents make up a complete estate plan in Connecticut?

A complete estate plan in Connecticut usually includes four documents: a Last Will and Testament, a Revocable Living Trust, a Durable Power of Attorney, and a Healthcare Directive. Will.com generates all four together based on your answers.

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Connecticut content last reviewed May 18, 2026.

Will

Trust

—

POA

HC Directive

E-will

Not adopted

RON

Not for estate docs

Authorized 2023, not for wills

ROW

Not allowed

Remote online witnessing

Community property

Minimum age

NW + N = N witnesses + notarizationNW = N witnesses, no notarizationN = notarization, no witnesses— = no formal requirements

News

Recent changes in Connecticut

October 1, 2023RON

Connecticut permanent RON takes effect, estate documents excluded

Public Act 23-28 authorizes remote online notarization but explicitly excludes wills, codicils, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare instructions.

PA 23-28Source →

Will

Conn. Gen. Stat. §45a-250 et seq.

Witnesses: 2 required

Two witnesses must sign in the presence of the testator

Notarization: Recommended

Not legally required, but recommended for self-proving affidavit

Holographic will: Not valid

Connecticut does not recognize handwritten wills without witnesses

Self-proving affidavit: Available

Allows the will to be admitted to probate without witness testimony

Living Trust

Witnesses: None required

No formal execution requirements beyond settlor signature; notarization strongly recommended when funding real property

Notarization: Recommended

Not legally required for the trust document, but needed to transfer real property

Durable Power of Attorney

Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-350 et seq.

Last verified: 2026-05-18

Witnesses: 2 required

Connecticut requires 2 witnesses for power of attorney execution

Notarization: Recommended

Notarization is not legally required but is recommended. It creates a presumption of genuine signature and simplifies third-party acceptance.

Key features of Connecticut POA

•Power categories A through N (general authority categories from the Uniform Power of Attorney Act)

•9 optional estate-planning powers (O through W) requiring separate initials: inter vivos trust creation/amendment, gifts, rights of survivorship, beneficiary designations, joint-and-survivor annuity waiver, fiduciary delegation, disclaimer, digital assets, intellectual property

•Required statutory short-form notice to principal under §1-352(a)(2)

•Agent acceptance is by conduct under §1-350l; no notarized agent acknowledgment required

•Notarization recommended but not required for validity; acknowledgment creates a presumption that the principal's signature is genuine (§1-350d)

State-specific notes

•Requires two witnesses. Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-350d

•Notarization not required for validity but recommended; acknowledgment creates a presumption of genuineness under §1-350d

•Best practice: do not use the agent as a witness. Connecticut has no statutory bar (§1-350d is silent), but agent-as-witness creates self-attestation that can complicate later challenges

•Agent's acceptance is by exercising authority or other conduct indicating acceptance; no notarized agent acknowledgment is required (§1-350l)

•Where the principal cannot sign, another person may sign in the principal's conscious physical presence at the principal's direction (§1-350d, as amended by P.A. 21-39)

ViewStatutory warning notice

Notice: The powers granted by this document are broad and sweeping. They are defined in the Connecticut Uniform Power of Attorney Act, which expressly permits the use of any other or different form of power of attorney desired by the parties concerned. The grantor of any power of attorney or the agent may make application to a Probate Court for an accounting as provided in subsection (d) of section 45a-175 of the general statutes. This power of attorney does not authorize the agent to make health care decisions for you.

ViewStatutory categories (18)

General categories: A. Real property B. Tangible personal property C. Stocks, bonds, and other securities D. Banking and other financial institution transactions E. Operation of entity or business F. Insurance and annuity transactions G. Estates, trusts, and other beneficial interests H. Claims and litigation I. Personal and family maintenance J. Benefits from governmental programs or civil or military service K. Retirement plans L. Taxes M. Digital assets Hot powers (require separate authorization): 1. Create, amend, revoke, or terminate an inter vivos trust (Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-351b) 2. Make a gift, subject to limitations of the power of attorney act 3. Create or change rights of survivorship or beneficiary designations 4. Delegate authority granted under the power of attorney 5. Waive the principal's right to be a beneficiary of a joint-and-survivor annuity, including a survivor benefit under a retirement plan (Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-351b)

Health Care Instructions

Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-575a et seq.

Witnesses: 2 required

Two witnesses required. Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-576

Notarization: Not required

Notarization is not required but may be accepted

State-specific notes

•Witnesses cannot be the agent

•Residents of Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) facilities: at least one witness must not be affiliated with the facility, and at least one must be a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training in treating mental illness (§19a-576(b))

•Residents of Department of Developmental Services (DDS) facilities: at least one witness must not be affiliated with the facility, and at least one must be a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training in developmental disabilities (§19a-576(c))

•Operators/administrators/employees of hospitals, residential care homes, rest homes, and chronic and convalescent nursing homes cannot be appointed as the health care representative by a current or applicant patient/resident, unless related to the principal by blood, marriage, or adoption (§19a-576(d))

•A physician or APRN cannot serve simultaneously as health care representative and attending physician/APRN for the same principal (§19a-576(e))

Subscription

6 more documents with a subscription

$29/year unlocks the documents below alongside the four free ones above. Your answers and documents are saved privately to your account, encrypted in your browser, so you can revise them any time life changes.

Disposition of Remains Authorization

Names the agent who controls funeral, burial, or cremation decisions, with optional preferences.

HIPAA Authorization

Stand-alone PHI release that survives death for the period you specify, separate from the in-life authorization in your healthcare directive.

Nomination of Conservator

Pre-nominates the person you want a court to appoint if a conservator (or guardian of the estate) is ever needed.

Business Succession Declaration

Identifies your interests in any closely-held businesses and how they should be transferred or wound down.

Real-Estate Retitling Checklist

Step-by-step instructions for transferring real-property deeds into your trust so the trust actually controls those assets.

Letter of Instruction

Non-binding personal note to your executor and family: where to find documents, account access, funeral wishes, and other practical guidance.

Free vs. paid

Free

Paid

All 4 state-specific documents

State-specific signing guide

Download as PDF, print forever

Secure online storage

Covers real estate, business, digital, and funeral wishes

Disposition of remains authorization

Standalone HIPAA authorization

Nomination of conservator

Business succession declaration

Real-estate retitling checklist

Special needs trust provisions

Letter of instruction, pre-filled and editable

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Annual review reminder

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Electronic will status

Connecticut has not adopted electronic will legislation. A traditional paper will with physical signatures is required.

Digital assets access

Connecticut has adopted RUFADAA (2016). This is the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, which lets your executor, trustee, or agent access your email, social media, cryptocurrency wallets, cloud storage, and other digital accounts after death or incapacity.

To take advantage of RUFADAA, your will, trust, or power of attorney must explicitly grant authority to access digital assets. Without explicit authorization, service providers can deny access even to a court-appointed executor.

Remote online notarization (RON)

Connecticut authorized RON in 2023. Connecticut PA 23-28 (effective October 1, 2023), codified at Conn. Gen. Stat. §3-95b(i), prohibits remote acknowledgment for (1) wills, codicils, trusts and trust instruments; (2) health care instructions under §19a-575a; (3) designations of a standby guardian under §45a-624; (4) designations of a person for decision-making under §1-56r; (5) living wills as defined in §19a-570; (6) powers of attorney as defined in §1-350a; (7) self-proving affidavits for an appointment of health care representative or for a living will (§§1-56r, 19a-578); (8) mutual distribution agreements under §45a-433; (9) agreements as to the division of an estate under §45a-434 (added by P.A. 24-97); (10) disclaimers under §45a-479 or §45a-583; and (11) real estate closings under §51-88a. Remote acknowledgment in violation of §3-95b(i) is ineffective and a violation of §51-88

Will

Not allowed

Trust

Not allowed

POA

Not allowed

Remote online witnessing (ROW)

Connecticut does not allow remote online witnessing for estate planning documents. Witnesses must be physically present when you sign.

Will

Not allowed

Trust

Not allowed

POA

Not allowed

HC Directive

Not allowed

This information is general in nature and not legal advice. Laws change. Consult a licensed estate planning attorney in Connecticut for guidance specific to your situation.

Also for Connecticut

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Connecticut power of attorney

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