Colorado Wills: Requirements & How They Work
Colorado follows the Uniform Probate Code. A valid will must be in writing and signed by the testator, and then either signed by at least two witnesses or acknowledged before a notary (C.R.S. § 15-11-502(1)). Colorado also recognizes holographic wills — a will is valid without witnesses if the signature and material portions are in the testator's own handwriting (§ 15-11-502(2)).
By Find Local Law Editorial Team · Last reviewed: May 26, 2026
Researched and drafted with AI assistance and verified against primary sources (statutes, Judicial Council forms, and official court websites). This is general information, not legal advice.
This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to a Colorado attorney about how these rules apply to your situation.
A will is the document that says who gets your property and who will wind up your estate. Colorado follows the Uniform Probate Code, which gives you more than one valid way to sign a will.
What makes a Colorado will valid
Under C.R.S. § 15-11-502(1), a valid will must be:
- In writing.
- Signed by the testator (or signed by someone else in the testator’s conscious presence and at their direction).
- Either signed by at least two witnesses or acknowledged before a notary public.
That last point matters: Colorado treats a notarized will as a full alternative to two witnesses, so you don’t have to round up two witnesses if you sign before a notary.
Holographic (handwritten) wills
Colorado also recognizes holographic wills (C.R.S. § 15-11-502(2)). A will is valid even without witnesses or a notary if its signature and material portions are in the testator’s own handwriting. These can hold up, but they’re easy to get wrong — courts may have to sort out what counts as “material.”
A will doesn’t avoid probate
A will directs distribution, but the estate may still go through the probate process. To keep assets out of probate, see how to avoid probate and living trusts. To get matched with a local Colorado estate-planning attorney, connect with a lawyer.
Connect with a local attorney
Tell us about your situation and we'll match you with a local California attorney who handles matters like yours. Free, no obligation.
Start your free intakeFrequently asked questions
- Does a Colorado will need to be witnessed?
- Not necessarily. A will must be in writing and signed by the testator, and then either signed by at least two witnesses or acknowledged before a notary public. Colorado treats notarization as a full alternative to two witnesses (C.R.S. § 15-11-502(1)).
- Is a handwritten will valid in Colorado?
- Yes. Colorado recognizes holographic wills. A will is valid even without witnesses if the signature and the material portions of the document are in the testator's own handwriting (C.R.S. § 15-11-502(2)).
- Can I notarize my will instead of using witnesses?
- Yes. Colorado is one of the states that allows a will to be acknowledged before a notary as a complete alternative to two attesting witnesses (C.R.S. § 15-11-502(1)).
Sources
Related guides
- Avoiding Probate in Colorado Many Colorado assets pass outside probate: beneficiary designations, payable-on-death/transfer-on-death accounts, joint tenancy with right of survivorship, and a funded revocable trust. Colorado also allows a beneficiary deed (a transfer-on-death deed) that conveys real property to a named beneficiary at the owner's death and is revocable during life (C.R.S. § 15-15-401).
- Colorado Advance Directives: Medical POA & Living Wills A medical durable power of attorney lets an agent make health-care decisions if you can't (C.R.S. § 15-14-506). A living will — formally a Declaration as to Medical Treatment — lets an adult direct that life-sustaining procedures be withheld or withdrawn in a terminal condition or persistent vegetative state (C.R.S. § 15-18-104). Colorado also recognizes CPR directives and MOST forms.
- Colorado Intestate Succession: Dying Without a Will If you die without a will, Colorado's Uniform Probate Code rules decide who inherits (C.R.S. § 15-11-102). A surviving spouse takes the entire estate in some situations; in others the spouse takes a base amount plus a share, with the rest passing to descendants, then parents, then more remote kin (§ 15-11-103).
- Colorado Living Trusts: How Revocable Trusts Work Trusts in Colorado are governed by the Colorado Uniform Trust Code (Title 15, Article 5; C.R.S. § 15-5-101). A funded revocable living trust lets your assets pass outside probate while you keep control during life — but only assets actually retitled into the trust avoid probate.
- Colorado Power of Attorney: Durable by Default Under the Colorado Uniform Power of Attorney Act, a financial power of attorney created on or after January 1, 2010 is durable by default — it survives the principal's incapacity unless the document expressly says it terminates on incapacity (C.R.S. § 15-14-704).
- Related area: Probate in Colorado