Where to Keep Your Will (and How to Make Sure Your Family Can Find It)

Last reviewed October 2026

You did the hard part: you made a will. Now comes a question that sounds small but matters a great deal: where should the original go?

The short answer: keep the original, signed will somewhere that's protected from fire, water, and loss, and where your executor can actually get to it after you die. Then tell them exactly where it is. A will nobody can find helps no one.

Below are the most common options, what to watch for with each, and a short checklist. This is general information, not legal advice. Your attorney can tell you what works best in your state.

Why the original matters

In most cases, the probate court wants the original signed will, not a photocopy or a scan. If the original can't be found, the family may face delays and extra legal costs, and in some cases the court may treat the estate as if there were no will at all. Then state law, not your wishes, decides who inherits.

So the goal is a balance: safe enough that it won't be lost, damaged, or tampered with, but reachable enough that the right person can retrieve it quickly.

Your options, compared

1. A fireproof, waterproof safe at home

Good for: most people. It's private, you can reach it any time to make updates, and family can get to it quickly.

Watch for:

A drawer or filing cabinet isn't enough. Papers there get lost, thrown out, or damaged.
A small, portable lockbox can be misplaced in a move or taken in a break-in. A heavier safe, or one fixed in place, is better.
Someone you trust needs the combination or key. If no one can open the safe, it may as well be locked forever.

2. With the attorney who drafted it

Good for: people who worked with an estate-planning attorney who offers safekeeping. Law offices that store wills usually keep them in a vault, and the attorney knows the probate process.

Watch for:

Fewer firms offer this than in the past, and some charge a fee.
If the attorney retires, moves, or closes the practice, your family needs to know where the file went.
Your family has to know which attorney holds it. Write down the firm name and phone number.

3. Filed with the court for safekeeping

Good for: people in states that allow a will to be deposited with the probate court before death. It's very secure.

Watch for:

Not every state offers this, and the rules differ. In some places a deposited will can become a public record.
If you make a new will, you'll need to file the new one too, or an old version could cause confusion.
There may be a fee, and your executor still needs to know it's there.

4. A bank safe deposit box

Good for: security. It's one of the hardest places for anyone to get into.

Watch for:

It may be too secure. In many states, if you're the only person on the box, your family may need a court order to open it after your death, and that can delay everything.
If you use a box, ask your bank exactly who can open it after you die, and consider adding your executor or another trusted person according to the bank's rules.
Your family still needs to know the box exists and where the key is.

5. With your executor

Good for: a very organized, trusted executor who lives nearby.

Watch for:

If your executor moves, gets sick, or dies first, retrieving the will can be complicated.
Changing your executor later can be awkward if they're holding the document.
Your executor may read it before you'd like them to.

What about a digital copy?

A scan or photo is a helpful backup and makes it easy to share what the will says. In most situations, though, it doesn't replace the signed original for probate. A few states, Nevada among them, recognize electronic wills under specific rules. If that interests you, ask your attorney, because how an electronic will is made and stored matters.

The step most people forget: telling someone

Whichever option you choose, the most important part is making sure at least two trusted people know:

Where the original will is kept (for example, "in the gray safe in the hall closet")
How to get to it (who has the key or combination, and which bank and box number)
Who drafted it (attorney name and phone)
Who you named as executor, and whether that person knows
The date of your most recent will, so no one probates an older version
Where your other key documents are: power of attorney, advance directive, trust, and life insurance

You don't have to share what the will says if you'd rather keep that private. Sharing where it is is what matters.

A note for Nevada families: under Nevada law (NRS 136.050), anyone who has someone's will must deliver it to the clerk of the district court, or to the personal representative named in it, within 30 days after learning of the death. Separately, the Nevada Secretary of State runs a registry called the Nevada Lockbox that can hold electronic copies of advance directives and certain other documents. Check nvsos.gov for what it currently accepts and how access works.

What not to do

Don't write on, staple, unstaple, or mark up the original. Changes or missing pages can raise questions about whether the will is valid. If you want to make changes, talk to your attorney about a new will or a formal amendment (a codicil).
Don't hide it somewhere clever. If it's too well hidden, it may never be found.
Don't keep several "originals" or old versions lying around. When you make a new will, ask your attorney what to do with the old one.
Don't put passwords or access codes inside the will. A will filed for probate can become a public record. Keep those details somewhere separate and secure, and simply note where they are.

A quick checklist

My original signed will is in a safe, protected place (safe, attorney, court, or a box my executor can open)
At least two trusted people know where it is and how to get to it
I've written down the attorney's name and phone number
My executor knows they've been named
I know the date of my current will, and old versions are handled
I've noted where my power of attorney, advance directive, and insurance policies are kept
I'll review my will after big life changes (marriage, divorce, a birth or death in the family, a move to another state)

If you're looking for a parent's will

If a parent has died and you can't find the will, check their home safe, desk, and filing cabinets; look for a safe deposit box key or bank statements that mention a box; call any attorney whose name appears in their papers; and ask the probate court in their county whether a will was deposited there. Our guide What to Do When a Parent Dies walks through the other first steps.

How Passage Plans can help

Passage Plans is a guided end-of-life checklist. Two of its 21 tasks are about exactly this: "Create or Update Will" (before) and "Locate the Will" (after). Each comes with "Where to Begin" guidance and a typical cost range.

In your plan, you write down where your will is kept, who drafted it, who your executor is, and where your other important documents live. Then you share it with the people who'll need it, as View Only or Can Edit. Reading a shared plan is always free.

Passage Plans doesn't store your will or any documents and doesn't give legal advice. Your original stays wherever you keep it. Passage Plans just makes sure your family knows where to look.

See all 21 tasks → · Read what to write for each task in the planning guide · Check where you stand with the 2-minute readiness quiz.

Try it free for 30 days, no credit card needed. After that it's $5 a month.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws about wills, storage, and probate vary by state and change over time. For advice about your own will, talk with a licensed estate-planning attorney in your state. Last reviewed October 2026.