How to Write a Will in Colorado: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

· Published on

Writing a will is one of the most useful things you can do for the people you love, and in Colorado you do not need a lawyer or a notary to make one that holds up. Colorado law recognizes the handwritten will, known formally as a holographic will, which means you can create a legally valid document at your kitchen table with nothing more than paper and a pen.

This step-by-step guide walks you through the holographic route first, since it is the simplest for most people, then notes the witnessed alternative so you can choose the path that fits your situation.

What makes a handwritten will valid in Colorado

Under Colorado Revised Statutes section 15-11-502(2), a will is valid as a holographic will, whether or not it is witnessed, if the signature and the material portions of the document are in the testator's own handwriting.1 That is the entire legal test. There is no requirement for witnesses and no requirement for a notary.

The phrase "material portions" matters. Because Colorado only requires the substantive parts (who gets what, who serves as your personal representative) to be handwritten, a holograph can still be valid even if some immaterial wording such as a printed heading is not in your hand.2 To keep things clean and beyond dispute, the safest approach is to write the whole document by hand yourself.

The three things a Colorado holographic will needs:
  • The material gift-giving portions are in your own handwriting.
  • You signed it yourself.
  • You had the intent for the document to serve as your will.

Step-by-step: writing your Colorado will by hand

  1. Get a clean sheet of paper and a reliable pen. Use blue or black ink that will not smear or fade. Avoid pencil, and do not type any part of the gift-giving language.
  2. Title the document clearly. Write something like "Last Will and Testament of [your full legal name]" at the top so there is no doubt about the document's purpose.
  3. Identify yourself and your residence. State your full legal name and that you live in Colorado, naming your city and county (for example, Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, or Aurora). This helps establish that Colorado law governs your estate.
  4. Revoke any prior wills. Add a sentence such as "I revoke all wills and codicils I have previously made." This prevents an older document from creating confusion.
  5. Name a personal representative (executor). This is the person who will carry out your wishes. Consider naming an alternate in case your first choice cannot serve.
  6. Spell out who gets what. Be specific. Name each beneficiary by full name and describe each gift clearly. Consider a residuary clause ("everything else I own I leave to...") so nothing is accidentally left out.
  7. Name a guardian if you have minor children. This is often the single most important reason parents write a will in the first place.
  8. Date the will. Write out the full date in your own handwriting. The date is not strictly required for validity, but it is strongly recommended: if you ever make a newer will, the date proves which document is the most recent and controlling one.
  9. Sign it in your own hand. Your signature is a legal requirement. Sign at the end of the document.

Template: simple holographic will

Last Will and Testament of Jane A. Doe

I, Jane A. Doe, of Boulder, Colorado, being of sound mind, declare this to be my will.

I revoke all prior wills and codicils.

I appoint my brother, John Doe, as my personal representative, and my friend Mary Smith as alternate.

I give my home at 000 Example Street to my daughter, Sarah Doe.

I give all the rest of my property to my children in equal shares.

Signed this 3rd day of July, 2026.

Jane A. Doe

One important limit: you cannot fully disinherit a spouse

Colorado is not a forced-heirship state, so you are generally free to leave your property to whomever you choose. There is one major exception. A surviving spouse has a right to claim an elective share under Colorado Revised Statutes section 15-11-201 and following.3 The elective share is calculated against what the statute calls the augmented estate, and the portion a spouse can claim grows with the length of the marriage, reaching its full level for longer marriages.4 In practical terms, a will that tries to leave a long-married spouse with nothing can be overridden. If your situation is sensitive, plan accordingly.

If you write no will at all, Colorado's intestacy rules decide everything for you. Under section 15-11-102, if all of your surviving descendants are also descendants of your spouse and your spouse has no other descendants, your spouse inherits everything. In blended-family situations, the estate is split according to a statutory formula.5 Writing your own will is how you keep that decision in your hands rather than the state's.6

The witnessed alternative

If you prefer to type your will, Colorado also recognizes a formal witnessed will. Under section 15-11-502(1), a typed or printed will is valid when it is signed by you and then signed by at least two people who witnessed either your signing or your acknowledgment of the will, or when it is acknowledged before a notary.1 The handwritten holographic route exists precisely so you can skip the witness logistics, so most people creating a straightforward will choose it. Either path produces a valid Colorado will.

Signing, storing, and next steps

Once your will is signed, keep the original somewhere safe and tell your personal representative where to find it. A copy is not the same as the original, so protect the signed document. Colorado even lets you deposit your will with the district court for safekeeping during your lifetime under section 15-11-515; the court keeps it sealed and confidential and releases it only to you or someone you authorize in writing.7

Quick checklist before you put down the pen:
  • The material portions are in my own handwriting.
  • I named a personal representative (and an alternate).
  • I named a guardian for any minor children.
  • I described each gift and included a residuary clause.
  • I dated the document in my own hand.
  • I signed it myself.
  • I stored the original safely and told someone where it is.

Ready to put it together? Our Colorado will template gives you clause-by-clause wording to copy, and our guide to the holographic will in Colorado explains the handwriting rules in more depth. When you are ready to build a complete, Colorado-specific document in minutes, start with our online will builder.

Sources

  1. 1C.R.S. 15-11-502, Execution: witnessed, notarized, and holographic wills (colorado.public.law)
  2. 2Colorado Revised Statutes Section 15-11-502 (material portions in handwriting) (law.justia.com)
  3. 3C.R.S. Article 11, Part 2, Elective-Share of Surviving Spouse (law.justia.com)
  4. 4C.R.S. 15-11-202, Elective-share (augmented estate, length of marriage) (law.justia.com)
  5. 5C.R.S. 15-11-102, Share of spouse (intestate succession) (law.justia.com)
  6. 6Intestate Succession in Colorado: Who Inherits When There's No Will? (nolo.com)
  7. 7C.R.S. 15-11-515, Deposit of will with court in testator's lifetime (law.justia.com)
Max Kuch

About the author

Max Kuch

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

Your personal draft will in 15 minutes

Answer a few simple questions and get a draft tailored to your situation, instantly as PDF, Word and OpenOffice.

Create your will now

Personalized · Legally sound · Download instantly

Frequently asked questions

Yes, when you finish it correctly. Colorado recognizes the holographic will under C.R.S. Sec. 15-11-502(2). Such a will is valid if the signature and the material portions are in the testator's own handwriting, and no witnesses are required. Our service builds your draft to reflect Colorado succession law, but the document only becomes a valid holographic will once you copy the material portions in your own hand and sign it yourself. A printout that you merely sign does not qualify.

Because that is exactly what Colorado law demands for this route. Under C.R.S. Sec. 15-11-502(2), a holographic will skips the usual witness requirement only if the signature and the material portions are in your own handwriting. A typed or printed page, even with your signature, would not meet that test and could be rejected in probate. We give you a clean, finished draft so the handwriting step is simple: you copy the wording onto paper in your own hand and sign it.

Your children, generally yes. Colorado has no forced heirship, so you are free to decide who inherits and you may leave an adult child out (be clear and specific to reduce disputes). Your spouse is different. Under the elective share rules in C.R.S. Sec. 15-11-201 and following, a surviving spouse who is disinherited can claim a statutory share of the augmented estate, and the percentage grows with the length of the marriage. You cannot fully cut out a spouse against their will, so plan realistically around that right.

Somewhere safe, dry, and findable by the person who will handle your estate. Many people use a home fireproof box or a bank safe deposit box and tell their personal representative where it is. Colorado also lets you deposit your will with the clerk of the district court for safekeeping during your lifetime under C.R.S. Sec. 15-11-515. There is no separate central will registry in the state, so what matters most is that the original can actually be located after your death.

We do not recommend it. A single joint document shared by two people creates problems for a holographic will, because each testator's material portions and signature must be in that person's own handwriting, and a joint will can tie the survivor's hands later. The cleaner approach is two separate mirror wills: each spouse handwrites and signs their own document, with matching terms. Our service walks each of you through your own will so both are individually valid.

Yes, and it is easy to do. In Colorado you can revoke or replace a will at any time while you have capacity. The simplest, safest method is to write a brand new holographic will that is fully in your own handwriting and signed by you, stating that it revokes all prior wills. Avoid crossing out lines or writing notes in the margins of an existing will, since messy edits invite challenges. When life changes (marriage, divorce, a new child, a move), make a fresh will.

No, and we are upfront about that. Our service helps you produce a solid, Colorado-specific draft to copy out by hand, which suits many straightforward estates. It is not legal advice and it does not replace an attorney. If your situation is complex (blended families, business interests, sizable or out-of-state assets, trusts, or possible disputes over the spousal elective share), talk to a Colorado estate planning lawyer before you rely on a handwritten will.

Built for Colorado

Drafts reflect Colorado holographic will rules

Private and secure

SSL encrypted, your data stays private

Real support

Help by email whenever you get stuck

Up to date

Current Colorado law