What Do I Need to Sign My Will in Missouri?
Witness, notary, and remote online notarization (RON) requirements for wills in Missouri.
Missouri requires 2 witnesses for a willRSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. A witness must be at least 18 years old.
Missouri does not require notarization for a will to be validRSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. The notary's usual role in Missouri is the optional self-proving affidavit: a notarized statement signed with the will that lets it enter probate without locating the witnesses.
Yes. A will can be executed entirely remotely in Missouri: the signing happens in a live video session with an online notary, with 2 witnesses in the same video sessionMo. Rev. Stat. § 486.1100 et seq.Verified Sep 9, 2026View source.
To execute a will in Missouri: Find 2 adults to serve as witnesses. Review witness restrictions to ensure eligibility. Get the document notarized (standard practice, not required). Sign remotely: signer, notary, and 2 witnesses in one live video session
Yes. Missouri has not adopted the Uniform Probate Code, but its probate code accepts a will that was valid under the law of the place it was signed. The practical wrinkle is the self-proving affidavit: a foreign will without one forces the witnesses to be located and either appear or sign declarations, and re-executing on a Missouri form, or adding a Missouri affidavit, removes that step. The Missouri document portability tool carries the recognition rule by document type.
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Free forms for planning your estate in Missouri: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
Last Will and Testament
In Missouri, a will is signed before 2RSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyRSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Missouri requires 2RSMo § 459.015 (optional living will form only)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses and notarizationRSMo § 459.015 (optional living will form only)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source for a healthcare power of attorney.
Financial Power of Attorney
Missouri requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityRSMo §§ 404.700-404.735Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryRSMo §§ 404.700-404.735Verified Sep 18, 2026View source.
Transfer on Death Deed
In Missouri, a beneficiary deed is signed before a notaryRSMo 461.003 to 461.081Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathRSMo 461.003 to 461.081Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Vehicle Transfer on Death
Name a beneficiary to inherit your vehicle at death without probate. Available in 26 states and the District of Columbia.
Living Will
In Missouri, the living will is the DeclarationMo. Rev. Stat. ch. 459, §§ 459.010-459.055 (Declarations, Life Support) and § 459.250 (Advance Health Care Directives Registry)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.
Pour-Over Will
In Missouri, a pour-over will is signed before 2RSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in Missouri
Free tools for planning your estate in Missouri: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.
Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Missouri, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees set by statute as a percentage of the gross estateRSMo § 473.153(3) (statutory minimum: 5% first $5K, 4% next $20K, 3% next $75K, 2.75% next $300K, 2.5% next $600K, 2% over $1M; where reasonable compensation exceeds the minimum the court shall allow additional compensation — extraordinary services not required). Per § 473.153(1) the base is personal property administered plus proceeds of court-ordered real property sales; unsold real property is excluded.Verified Sep 8, 2026View source; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Missouri runs $3,570Estimate: 10 hours at $357, Clio's Missouri Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,355Estimate: 15 hours at $357, Clio's Missouri Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Does a Will Cost?
An attorney-prepared will in Missouri runs $984Estimate: 3 hours at $328, Clio's Missouri Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,968Estimate: 6 hours at $328, Clio's Missouri Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $28,815RSMo § 473.153(3) (statutory minimum: 5% first $5K, 4% next $20K, 3% next $75K, 2.75% next $300K, 2.5% next $600K, 2% over $1M; where reasonable compensation exceeds the minimum the court shall allow additional compensation — extraordinary services not required). Per § 473.153(1) the base is personal property administered plus proceeds of court-ordered real property sales; unsold real property is excluded.Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?
In Missouri, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writingMo. Rev. Stat. §§ 475.045, 475.046Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18Mo. Rev. Stat. § 475.010(15)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Missouri takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees set by statute as a percentage of the gross estateRSMo § 473.153(3) (statutory minimum: 5% first $5K, 4% next $20K, 3% next $75K, 2.75% next $300K, 2.5% next $600K, 2% over $1M; where reasonable compensation exceeds the minimum the court shall allow additional compensation — extraordinary services not required). Per § 473.153(1) the base is personal property administered plus proceeds of court-ordered real property sales; unsold real property is excluded.Verified Sep 8, 2026View source; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
Do I Need a TOD Deed?
Missouri authorizes transfer on death deedsRSMo 461.003 to 461.081Verified Oct 17, 2026View source: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.
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Missouri Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering Missouri probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.