Where to Store a Will UK (2026): Safe Storage, the National Will Register, and What to Do If a Will Is Lost

There are several secure options for storing an original will in England and Wales: (1) HMCTS WILL DEPOSIT SERVICE: the HMCTS (His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service) offers a secure will deposit service. The testator sends the original signed will to the Probate Registry for safekeeping. Key details: (a) cost: currently £26.50 to deposit a will with HMCTS; (b) retrieval: the will is released to the testator on request during their lifetime, or to the executor on production of a death certificate after death; (c) searching: after a death is registered, the National Probate Service holds deposited wills. A standing search or postal search can locate a deposited will; (d) deposit address: Principal Registry of the Family Division, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NP; (2) SOLICITOR STORAGE: most solicitors who draft a will offer to hold the original for safekeeping — often at no charge (the commercial value is that they expect to act on the estate). The solicitor stores the will in a fireproof safe or a specialist document storage facility. The disadvantage: if the solicitor's firm closes or merges, the will may be difficult to locate; (3) BANK VAULT: some banks offer strongbox or safe deposit box services for document storage. Cost varies by bank. The will is held in the bank's vault — very secure, but the executor must gain access to the box after death, which requires ID and possibly a death certificate; (4) HOME STORAGE: the testator keeps the original will at home — in a fireproof safe or lockable document folder. The simplest option — but risks include: fire; flood; theft; accidental destruction; the testator forgetting where it is; the executor not knowing where to look; (5) WILL SAFE SERVICES: various commercial companies offer specialist will storage services, sometimes alongside registration on the Certainty National Will Register. Costs and reliability vary — verify that the company is reputable and has appropriate insurance.

The Certainty National Will Register is a private searchable database of wills held in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland: (1) WHAT IT IS: the Certainty National Will Register (operated by Certainty) is a subscription service that records: (a) the existence of a will; (b) who holds the original (solicitor, bank, personal storage, etc.); (c) the testator's personal details (name, date of birth, address). The Register does NOT hold the text or content of the will — only its location; (2) HOW IT WORKS: (a) the testator (or their solicitor) registers the will's existence and storage location on the database; (b) after the testator's death, anyone (executor, beneficiary, solicitor) can search the Register to locate the will by entering the deceased's name and date of birth; (c) the search fee is currently £119 per search (2026 prices); (3) WHY REGISTER: the main benefit is discoverability — ensuring the will can be found after death, even if the executor does not know where it is stored. An unregistered will that is stored in an unknown location may never be found — meaning the estate is administered under intestacy rules instead of the testator's wishes; (4) NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR SAFE STORAGE: the Register records WHERE the will is stored — it does not hold the will itself. The original will must still be kept safely with a solicitor, HMCTS, or other secure location; (5) SOCIETY OF WILL WRITERS AND WILL SAFE: other organisations — including the Society of Will Writers — offer registration and storage services. Verify credentials before using any commercial storage or registration service; (6) TELL YOUR EXECUTORS: regardless of where the will is stored, ALWAYS tell your executors or a trusted family member where it is. The best storage system in the world is useless if no-one knows where to look.

Executors applying for a grant of probate (or letters of administration with the will annexed) must produce the ORIGINAL signed will to the Probate Registry: (1) WHY THE ORIGINAL IS REQUIRED: probate is a court process that formally recognises the will as valid. The court needs to see the original, signed document to verify that: (a) the testator's signature is present; (b) the witnesses signed in the correct places; (c) the will has not been altered or revoked; (d) the will meets the formal requirements of the Wills Act 1837 s.9; (2) PHOTOCOPIES AND DIGITAL COPIES: a photocopy or digital/scanned copy of the will CANNOT be submitted to the Probate Registry in place of the original — except in unusual circumstances (see Q4 on lost wills). Banks and other institutions may accept certified copies of the GRANT OF PROBATE — but they require the original will to be presented before probate is granted; (3) WHAT THE EXECUTOR MUST DO: (a) locate the original will — check with the solicitor, HMCTS will deposit, and any known storage locations; (b) search the Certainty National Will Register if the location is unknown; (c) take the original will to the Probate Registry or send it (by secure post with tracking) after completing the online probate application; (d) the Probate Registry retains the original will after probate is granted — it becomes a public document. The executor should keep a certified copy; (4) WHAT IF THERE IS NO ORIGINAL — ONLY A COPY: if the original will cannot be found but a copy exists, the executor can apply to prove the will in solemn form — but this is a more complex and expensive process (see Q4); (5) STORING THE GRANT OF PROBATE: after probate is granted, the executor receives the grant. Multiple certified copies (sealines) should be ordered at application time (£1.50 each) — these are needed by banks, the Land Registry, HMRC, and other institutions. The original grant should be kept safely.

A will that cannot be found after the testator's death faces a legal presumption that it was revoked by destruction — which can be rebutted with evidence: (1) THE PRESUMPTION OF REVOCATION: under English law, if a will was last known to be in the testator's possession but cannot be found after death, there is a presumption that the testator INTENTIONALLY DESTROYED IT to revoke it (s.20 Wills Act 1837 allows revocation by destruction with intention). This presumption can be difficult to overcome; (2) REBUTTING THE PRESUMPTION: the presumption is rebuttable if there is sufficient evidence that: (a) the will was not destroyed by the testator; (b) the will was lost or accidentally destroyed (e.g. in a fire or flood); (c) the will was taken without the testator's consent (theft); the evidence typically comes from: (i) a solicitor's file confirming the will was drafted; (ii) witness statements from people who saw the will; (iii) correspondence referring to the will's existence; (3) PROVING A COPY: if the original will cannot be found but a copy exists (paper or digital), an application can be made to the Probate Registry to admit the copy as proof of the will's contents. This is a 'solemn form' probate application in the High Court — requiring: (a) evidence that the original will was duly executed; (b) evidence that the copy accurately reflects the original; (c) satisfactory explanation for why the original cannot be found; (d) evidence rebutting the presumption of revocation by destruction; (4) PRACTICAL STEPS: if the will cannot be found: (a) search all known storage locations; (b) contact the testator's solicitor; (c) search the Certainty National Will Register; (d) submit an online standing search to the Principal Registry; (e) if a copy is found, take specialist legal advice on proving the copy; (5) AVOID THE PROBLEM ENTIRELY: store the original will with HMCTS or a solicitor — and register it on the Certainty National Will Register. Tell the executor exactly where it is.

As of 2026, electronic (or digital) wills are NOT legally valid in England and Wales — the requirements of the Wills Act 1837 s.9 still require a physical, signed, and witnessed will: (1) CURRENT LEGAL POSITION (ENGLAND AND WALES): the Wills Act 1837 s.9 requires a will to be: (a) in writing; (b) signed by the testator; (c) signed in the presence of two witnesses who are simultaneously present; (d) the witnesses attesting and signing in the testator's presence. An electronic file — PDF, Word document, or digital document — does not satisfy these requirements. A will signed electronically and 'witnessed' via video call is NOT valid under the current law; (2) COVID-19 TEMPORARY RELAXATION: during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wills Act 1837 (Electronic Communications) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Order 2020 temporarily allowed witnesses to be present via video link (effective 31 January 2020 to 31 January 2022). This temporary measure expired and is no longer in force. Remote witnessing is no longer permitted; (3) LAW COMMISSION CONSULTATION — FUTURE REFORM: the Law Commission is reviewing the law of wills — including whether electronic wills should be permitted. In its 2017 consultation paper and ongoing work, the Law Commission has suggested that electronic wills could be made valid by regulations specifying the required safeguards (electronic signature; secure storage; access-controlled). No legislation has been enacted as of June 2026 — but reform is under active consideration; (4) DIGITAL COPIES AS BACKUP: although an electronic copy of a will is NOT itself a legal will, a digital copy (scan or photograph) is highly valuable as: (a) evidence of the will's existence and contents (useful if the original is lost); (b) confirmation of the will's drafting and execution details; (c) an administrative tool — showing executors the will's provisions in advance of locating the original; (5) PRACTICAL ADVICE: always keep the ORIGINAL SIGNED PAPER WILL in a secure location. Take a digital scan as a backup — but treat the original as irreplaceable.