Free Will Template for Pennsylvania: Copy by Hand (2026)

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If you live in Pennsylvania and want a will you can create at your kitchen table, the law gives you a simple option: a wholly handwritten will, also called a holographic will. You do not need a lawyer, a notary, or witnesses standing over you for it to be legally valid. What you do need is to write the whole thing out in your own hand and sign it in exactly the right place.

This guide gives you a free Pennsylvania will template you can copy by hand, plus the one rule that trips people up most often: in Pennsylvania your signature must go at the very end of the document.

Why you must copy the template by hand

Under Pennsylvania law, a will must be in writing and signed by the person making it (the testator) at the end.1 A will written entirely in your own handwriting is fully recognized in Pennsylvania, and no witnesses are required for it to be valid.2

The word "handwritten" is not decorative. If you type or print the template, fill in a few blanks, and sign it, you have created a typed will, which is a different and more formal instrument that normally does need witnesses. To rely on the holographic route, reproduce the entire text below in your own handwriting. Do not paste in a printed page, do not use a form with fill-in lines, and do not have someone else write it for you.

The single most important rule: your signature must appear at the END of the will. In Pennsylvania, anything written or added below your signature is generally disregarded and treated as if it were not part of the will at all.3 Write every gift and instruction first, then sign. Leave nothing important below your name.

Sample will: single person, no children

Copy the following text word for word in your own handwriting. Replace the example names, the city, and the gifts with your own details, but keep the structure and the closing signature line exactly where it is.

Template: single person, no children

Last Will and Testament

I, Robert A. Kline, a resident of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, being of sound mind, declare this to be my Last Will and Testament, and I revoke all wills and codicils I have made before.

1. I direct that my debts and funeral expenses be paid first.

2. I give my entire estate, of every kind and wherever located, to my sister, Karen L. Kline, if she survives me.

3. If she does not survive me, I give my entire estate to the American Cancer Society.

4. I name my brother, Thomas Kline, as Executor of this Will, to serve without bond.

Signed this 3rd day of July, 2026, at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

_______________________________

Robert A. Kline

Sample will: married with children

Use this version if you are married and want to provide for a spouse and children. Again, write it out entirely by hand and sign only at the end.

Template: married with children

Last Will and Testament

I, Susan M. Byrne, a resident of Allentown, Pennsylvania, being of sound mind, declare this to be my Last Will and Testament, and I revoke all prior wills and codicils.

1. I direct that my debts and funeral expenses be paid first.

2. I give all of my property, real and personal, to my husband, David J. Byrne, if he survives me.

3. If my husband does not survive me, I give my entire estate in equal shares to my children, Emily Byrne and Michael Byrne, and if either does not survive me, that child's share shall pass to his or her surviving children in equal shares.

4. I name my husband, David J. Byrne, as Executor. If he is unable or unwilling to serve, I name my sister, Laura Grant, as Executor, each to serve without bond.

Signed this 3rd day of July, 2026, at Allentown, Pennsylvania.

_______________________________

Susan M. Byrne

Signing, dating, and storing your will

Once you have written the will by hand, sign it at the end in ink. A date and the city where you sign are not strictly required by statute, but they help prove the will is genuine and identify it as your most recent one, so include both as the samples show.

Because a holographic will has no witnesses, it will need to be proved after your death. In Pennsylvania this is typically done by two people who can confirm your handwriting or signature to the county Register of Wills, unless the will was made self-proved with a notarized affidavit at signing.4 There is no statewide lifetime registry for wills in Pennsylvania. Your will is filed with the Register of Wills in your county only after death, so keep the original somewhere safe and tell your executor exactly where it is.

If you are married, know the elective share

Pennsylvania does not force you to leave property to your children, but it does protect a surviving spouse. Even if your will leaves a spouse little or nothing, that spouse can claim an elective share of one third of certain property under state law.5 If you intend to provide for your spouse, the married sample above already does that. If your situation is more complicated, factor this one third right into your plan.

What happens if you never make a will

If you die without any valid will, Pennsylvania's intestacy rules decide who inherits, and the result may not match your wishes. When there is a surviving spouse and children of that marriage, the spouse generally takes the first $30,000 plus one half of the rest, with the children sharing the balance.6 The exact split changes depending on whether there are children from another relationship, surviving parents, or no spouse at all.7 Writing even a short handwritten will lets you decide instead of the state.

Next steps

A handwritten will is a real, valid option in Pennsylvania, and copying one of the templates above by hand is enough to make your wishes count. To go deeper, read our guide to the holographic will in Pennsylvania and our step by step walkthrough on how to write a will in Pennsylvania. When you are ready to produce a clean, personalized document tailored to your family and property, you can also create your Pennsylvania will here and then copy the final text out in your own hand.

Sources

  1. 120 Pa.C.S. Sec. 2502, Form and execution of a will (Pennsylvania General Assembly) (legis.state.pa.us)
  2. 2Pennsylvania Statutes Title 20 Pa.C.S.A. Sec. 2502 (FindLaw) (codes.findlaw.com)
  3. 3Last Wills & Testaments in Pennsylvania (Ballow & Lynde) (lawyermarc.com)
  4. 4The Two Witness Rule (Marshall, Parker & Weber) (paelderlaw.com)
  5. 520 Pa.C.S. Sec. 2203, Right of election; nonresident decedent (legis.state.pa.us)
  6. 6Intestate Succession in Pennsylvania (Nolo) (nolo.com)
  7. 720 Pa.C.S. Sec. 2102, Share of surviving spouse (legis.state.pa.us)
Max Kuch

About the author

Max Kuch

Max Kuch writes about estate planning, wills and inheritance for Pennsylvania Will Template. He gathers the rules from the Pennsylvania statutes and the leading public data, then explains them in plain, accessible language so anyone can put their wishes in writing.

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Frequently asked questions

The draft itself is a template, not yet a valid will. Under 20 Pa.C.S. Sec. 2502, Pennsylvania recognizes a wholly handwritten (holographic) will. To make it valid you must copy the finished text out entirely in your own handwriting and sign it at the end. Once you do that in your own hand and sign at the end, it meets Pennsylvania's requirements. A printout that you only sign is weaker, so the safe path is to write the whole thing by hand yourself.

Pennsylvania gives full effect to a holographic will, meaning a will written and signed entirely in the testator's own hand. No witnesses are required for the will to be valid. Copying it out by hand is what turns our template into a will the law recognizes. Your own handwriting is also strong evidence that the document is genuinely yours, which helps when it is presented to the Register of Wills. Take your time, write clearly, and sign at the end.

Pennsylvania has no forced heirship, so you are free to leave children out and direct your property as you choose. A spouse is treated differently. Under 20 Pa.C.S. Sec. 2203, a surviving spouse who is disinherited can file an elective share and claim one third of certain estate property, and that right stands even if your will says otherwise. So you can write a spouse out on paper, but the law still lets that spouse elect to take one third. If your family situation is delicate, state your intentions clearly and consider legal advice.

Keep the signed original somewhere safe and dry, such as a home fireproof box or a bank safe deposit box, and make sure your executor knows exactly where it is. Pennsylvania has no statewide lifetime registry where you file a will while you are alive. After your death, the original is taken to the Register of Wills in the county where you lived so it can be probated. Because the original is what gets filed, protecting it and telling your executor is the most important step.

We recommend against a single shared document. A holographic will in Pennsylvania must be entirely in one person's handwriting and signed at the end by that person, so two people cannot both handwrite and sign the same will. The clean approach is two separate mirror wills, one written and signed by each spouse, that reflect the same plan. Each of you copies out and signs your own, and each stays valid and changeable on its own.

Yes. A will only takes effect at death, so you can revise it at any time while you are alive and of sound mind. The simplest way is to handwrite a fresh will, sign it at the end, and physically destroy the old one so there is no confusion about which is current. Avoid squeezing changes in below your signature, because anything written after the end signature in Pennsylvania is generally not given effect. Review your will after major life events like a marriage, divorce, birth, or a large purchase.

No. This service helps you produce a clear, well structured draft to copy out by hand, but it is not legal advice and does not replace an attorney. If your estate is large, you own a business, you have blended family issues, property in more than one state, or you expect disputes, have a Pennsylvania attorney review your plan. For a straightforward estate, a carefully handwritten will signed at the end can serve you well.

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