State signing rules
Maryland signing requirements
How your will and revocable living trust must be executed in Maryland.
Will and revocable living trust
- Minimum age to make a will
- 18 years
- Witnesses required for a will
- 2
- Witnesses should be disinterested
- Yes — use non-beneficiaries
- Notary required for the will
- No, but recommended for the affidavit
- Self-proving affidavit
- Not recognized
- Witnesses for the trust instrument
- 0
- Notarization of the trust
- Strongly recommended
- Community property state
- No
- Handwritten (holographic) wills
- Not recognized
- Electronic signature for a will
- Recognized
- Trust must be in writing
- Yes
- Electronic signature for the trust
- Recognized
- Will statute
- MD Est & Trusts code 4-102(a)-(b)
- Trust statute
- MD Est & Trusts Code 14.5-402
Healthcare power of attorney and advance directive
- Age required to sign
- 18 years
- Witnesses required
- 2
- Notarization
- Not required, but commonly used in place of or alongside witnesses
- Who may not witness
- Statutory exclusions apply — avoid your agent, relatives, heirs and treating providers
- Mental-health treatment decisions
- Covered by the healthcare directive
- Advance directive statute
- Md. Code Health-Gen 5-603
- Healthcare POA statute
- Md. Code Health-Gen 5-601 et seq
- Rules last verified
- 2026
Living will and advance directive details
- Statutory form published
- Yes — your document tracks it
- Pregnancy restriction
- No statutory pregnancy restriction
- Physicians who must certify the condition
- 2
- Notary instead of witnesses
- Not permitted — use witnesses
- Living will and healthcare POA combined
- Permitted
- Agent may work for your facility
- Not unless related to you
- Authority may begin immediately
- Yes, if you choose
- Mental-health treatment declaration
- Not used in this state
HIPAA authorization
- Categories needing express authorization
- mental health and psychiatric records, substance use disorder treatment records (42 C.F.R. Part 2), HIV/AIDS testing and treatment records, genetic testing results
Final disposition instructions
- Written disposition directive
- Recognized by statute
- Witnesses required
- 2
- Notarization
- Required
- Disposition agent
- May be your healthcare agent
Signed with two adult witnesses and a notary acknowledgment. This is the belt-and-suspenders execution that satisfies every state's requirement, and it is what this document uses until the rule is confirmed for your state.
Pending verification. These health and disposition rules are drawn from general practice and have not yet been confirmed against Maryland statutes, so your documents are prepared with two witnesses and a notary acknowledgment — the strictest combination any state imposes. Confirm with a licensed attorney in Maryland before signing.
Maryland requires two witnesses and does not recognize the self-proving affidavit; witnesses may need to testify at probate.
Signing day in Maryland, step by step
Bring: final documents printed single-sided and unstapled; blue or black ink pens; government photo identification for you and every witness. You will also need the number of adult, disinterested witnesses your state requires and a commissioned notary public (bank, shipping store, title company or mobile notary).
Before signing day
- 1Confirm you may sign. You must be at least 18 to make a will and 18 to sign healthcare documents in Maryland, and you must be of sound mind and signing voluntarily.
- 2Arrange witnesses. Arrange 2 witnesses for your will. Maryland expects disinterested witnesses, so use adults who receive nothing under your plan.
- 3Book a notary. Notarization of the trust is strongly recommended in Maryland. Bring photo ID for everyone.
- 4Print the final set. Print every document single-sided on paper. Maryland recognizes electronic will signatures, but a paper original is still the safest choice.
Will and revocable living trust
- 1Sign the revocable living trust. Sign the trust as grantor and as trustee in front of the notary. Governing statute: MD Est & Trusts Code 14.5-402.
- 2Declare and sign the will. State aloud that the document is your will and that you are asking the witnesses to witness it, then sign at the end in their presence.
- 3Witnesses sign. Your 2 witnesses sign in your presence and in each other's presence and print their names and addresses. Governing statute: MD Est & Trusts code 4-102(a)-(b).
- 4Record witness details. Maryland does not recognize a self-proving affidavit, so keep current contact details for each witness with the original will.
Healthcare, HIPAA and disposition documents
- 1Sign the healthcare power of attorney and living will. Sign in front of 2 witnesses. Your agent, relatives by blood or marriage, heirs and employees of your treating provider may not serve as witnesses. Statute: Md. Code Health-Gen 5-601 et seq.
- 2Sign the HIPAA authorization. Sign and date the HIPAA authorization; no witnesses are required under federal law. Maryland requires express authorization for mental health and psychiatric records, substance use disorder treatment records (42 C.F.R. Part 2), HIV/AIDS testing and treatment records, genetic testing results records, which your form includes.
- 3Sign the final disposition instructions. Sign in front of 2 witnesses and have it notarized.
- 4Sign the durable financial power of attorney. Have the financial power of attorney notarized even if the statute is silent; banks and county recorders will insist on it.
After signing
- 1Store originals and distribute copies. Keep the signed originals somewhere safe and accessible, tell your successor trustee where they are, and give copies to your healthcare agent, physician and hospital.
- 2Fund the trust. Retitle real estate, accounts and business interests into the trust and update beneficiary designations.
ETrustPlan is a self-help document assembly service, not a law firm, and this information is not legal advice. Signing requirements change; confirm them with a licensed attorney in your state before you sign.
Maryland signing questions
Quick answers drawn from the Maryland rules above.
Guidance used for Maryland
Rules last reviewed August 26, 2026
- Pour-over will execution:MD Est & Trusts code 4-102(a)-(b)(reviewed August 24, 2026; statutes read 2026)
- Revocable trust:MD Est & Trusts Code 14.5-402(reviewed August 24, 2026; statutes read 2026)
- Living will / advance directive:Md. Code Health-Gen 5-603(reviewed August 26, 2026)pending verification
- Healthcare power of attorney:Md. Code Health-Gen 5-601 et seq(reviewed August 26, 2026)pending verification
- Maryland requires two witnesses and does not recognize the self-proving affidavit; witnesses may need to testify at probate.
- Signed with two adult witnesses and a notary acknowledgment. This is the belt-and-suspenders execution that satisfies every state's requirement, and it is what this document uses until the rule is confirmed for your state.
Where a citation is still pending verification the wizard applies the strictest signing requirements any state imposes — two witnesses plus a notary acknowledgment — so the document holds up under either reading.