California
For California, witnesses required is witnessed by being signed, during the testator’s lifetime, by at least two persons each of whom (A) being present at the same time, witnessed either the signing of the will or the testator’s acknowledgment of the signature or of the will and (B) understand that the instrument they sign is the testator’s will; statute citation is Cal. Prob. Code § 6110, recorded from its source on 2026-08-18.
- State
- California
- Witnesses required
- witnessed by being signed, during the testator’s lifetime, by at least two persons each of whom (A) being present at the same time, witnessed either the signing of the will or the testator’s acknowledgment of the signature or of the will and (B) understand that the instrument they sign is the testator’s will verified
- Statute citation
- Cal. Prob. Code § 6110 our reading
- Cal. Prob. Code § 6111 per leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
- Holographic wills
- valid as a holographic will, whether or not witnessed, if the signature and the material provisions are in the handwriting of the testator per leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
Verified
Review by
Values marked our reading are our classification of what the source says — the source does not print them in those words. The quote below is the evidence for each one; judge it yourself.
What the source says
(c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the will shall be witnessed by being signed, during the testator’s lifetime, by at least two persons each of whom (A) being present at the same time, witnessed either the signing of the will or the testator’s acknowledgment of the signature or of the will and (B) understand that the instrument they sign is the testator’s will. (2) If a will was not executed in compliance with paragraph (1), the will shall be treated as if it was executed in compliance with that paragraph if the proponent of the will establishes by clear and convincing evidence that, at the time the testator signed the will, the testator intended the will to constitute the testator’s will.
— leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, retrieved 2026-08-18
What leginfo.legislature.ca.gov says
(a) A will that does not comply with Section 6110 is valid as a holographic will, whether or not witnessed, if the signature and the material provisions are in the handwriting of the testator.
— leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, retrieved 2026-08-18
Sources
- leginfo.legislature.ca.govhttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PROB§ionNum=6110
- leginfo.legislature.ca.govhttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PROB§ionNum=6111