Okla. Stat. tit. 84, § 55

Formal requisites in execution - Self-proved wills

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Every will, other than a nuncupative will, must be in writing; and every will, other than a holographic will and a nuncupative will, must be executed and attested as follows: 1. It must be subscribed at the end thereof by the testator himself, or some person, in his presence and by his direction, must subscribe his name thereto. 2. The subscription must be made in the presence of the attesting witnesses, or be acknowledged by the testator to them, to have been made by him or by his authority. 3. The testator must, at the time of subscribing or acknowledging the same, declare to the attesting witnesses that the instrument is his will. 4. There must be two attesting witnesses, each of whom must sign his name as a witness at the end of the will at the testator's request and in his presence. 5. Every will, other than a holographic and a nuncupative will, and every codicil to such will or to a holographic will may, at the time of execution or at any subsequent date during the lifetimes of the testator and the witnesses, be made self-proved, and the testimony of the witnesses in the probate thereof may be made unnecessary by: a. the acknowledgment thereof by the testator and the affidavits of the attesting witnesses, each made before an officer authorized to take acknowledgments to deeds of conveyance and to administer oaths under the laws of this state, such acknowledgments and affidavits being evidenced by the certificate, with

official seal affixed, of such officer attached or annexed to such testamentary instrument in form and contents substantially as follows: THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA COUNTY OF ___________ Before me, the undersigned authority, on this day personally appeared __________, __________, and __________, known to me to be the testator and the witnesses, respectively, whose names are subscribed to the annexed or foregoing instrument in their respective capacities, and, all of said persons being by me first duly sworn, said _________, testator, declared to me and to the said witnesses in my presence that said instrument is his last will and testament or a codicil to his last will and testament, and that he had willingly made and executed it as his free and voluntary act and deed for the purposes therein expressed; and the said witnesses, each on his oath stated to me, in the presence and hearing of the said testator, that the said testator had declared to them that said instrument is his last will and testament or codicil to his last will and testament, and that he executed same as such and wanted each of them to sign it as a witness; and upon their oaths each witness stated further that they did sign the same as witnesses in the presence of the said testator and at his request and that said testator was at that time eighteen (18) years of age or over and was of sound mind. ___________________ Testator

Witness (signature) ____________________________ Name and Residence (printed) ___________________ Witness (signature) ____________________________ Name and Residence (printed) Subscribed and acknowledged before me by the said __________, testator, and subscribed and sworn before me by the said __________, and __________ witnesses, this _____ day of ________, A.D., _______. (SEAL) (SIGNED)____________________ ____________________ (OFFICIAL CAPACITY OF OFFICER); or b. the written declaration of the testator and the written declarations of the attesting witnesses made in substantially the following form: We the undersigned are the testator and the witnesses, respectively, whose names are subscribed to the annexed or foregoing instrument in their respective capacities, and we do hereby declare

that said __________, testator, declared to said witnesses that said instrument is his last will and testament or a codicil to his last will and testament, and that he willingly made and executed it as his free and voluntary act and deed for the purposes therein expressed; and said witnesses further declare that the said testator declared to them that said instrument is his last will and testament or codicil to his last will and testament, and that he executed same as such and wanted each of us to sign it as a witness; and that we did sign the same as witnesses in the presence of the said testator and at his request and that said testator was at that time eighteen (18) years of age or over and was of sound mind, all of which we declare and sign under penalty of perjury this ________ day of ________. ___________________ Testator ___________________ Witness (signature) ____________________________ Name and Residence (printed) ___________________ Witness (signature) ____________________________ Name and Residence (printed) 6. Any person falsely executing a written declaration as a witness or misrepresenting his or her identity with the intent to defraud another person pursuant to subparagraph b of paragraph 5 of this subsection shall, upon conviction, be deemed guilty of the felony of perjury, a Class D1 felony offense, and shall be punished by imprisonment as provided for in subsections B through F of Section 20N of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes. 7. A self-proved testamentary instrument shall be admitted to probate without the testimony of any subscribing witness, unless contested, but otherwise it shall be treated no differently than a will or codicil not self-proved. Furthermore, a self-proved testamentary instrument may be revoked or amended by a codicil in exactly the same fashion as a will or codicil not self-proved and such a testamentary instrument may be contested as a will not self- proved. R.L. 1910, § 8348. Amended by Laws 1961, p. 636, § 1; Laws 1965, c. 11, § 1, emerg. eff. Feb. 10, 1965; Laws 1976, c. 46, § 1; Laws 1977, c. 58, § 1; Laws 1996, c. 107, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1996; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 597, eff. July 1, 1998; Laws 2025, c. 486, § 589, eff. Jan. 1, 2026.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 32 cases, 1955–2004 · leading case: State Ex Rel. Oklahoma Bar Ass'n v. McLain
State Ex Rel. Oklahoma Bar Ass'n v. McLain (2003) okla · cites it 4× “[17] The record supports an inference that the respondent procrastinated to a point that Childs may not have been competent to have executed the codicil and that the dictates of 84 O.S.2001 § 55 were not followed. Title 84 O.”
Miller v. First National Bank & Trust Co. (1981) okla · cites it 2× “Since the trust agreement was not executed in accordance with the statutory formalities required for testamentary dispositions, 84 O.S.Supp. 1979 § 55, if it is deemed a testamentary disposition then it fails.”
In Re Estate of Petty (1980) kan · cites it 2× “1968), had before it the precise question presented here and found that the so-called "self-proving clause" signed by the testator and by the subscribing witnesses was legally sufficient to satisfy the requirements of a similar Oklahoma statute ( Okla. Stat. tit. 84, § 55 [1965…”
Matter of Estate of Ausley (1991) okla · cites it 2× “The third page is the signature and publication page in compliance with the formalities of 84 O.S.1981, § 55(1-4). Ausley’s signature is found after a short publication paragraph, which consists of the first four lines of the page.”
Thompson v. Gammon (1989) okla “See 84 O.S.1981 § 55(4). . The court also found, as it had in the prior supplanted Order, that Poley’s lack of possession of the first will prevented him from physically destroying it, but that the second will, even though statutorily defective, operated to revoke the first.”
Richardson v. First National Bank & Trust Co. of Nowata (2002) oklacivapp “No effect can be given to the subsequent modification of the trust instrument if it is not executed in accordance with the act which regulates the execution of a will.”
Dillow v. Campbell (1969) okla · cites it 2× “It was there held that signatures of attesting witnesses following a sworn statement appearing as an integral part of a will, and following the dispositive or essential provisions, are sufficiently situated at the end of the will to comply with the statutory attestation…”
In Re the Estate of Cutsinger (1968) okla “84 O.S.1961, § 55, as amended by S.L.1961, p.”
In Re Estate of Bracken (1970) okla “The trial court found testator was of sound, disposing mind and competent to dispose of his estate, and not acting under duress, fraud or undue influence when this *381 will was executed; that the will was legally executed as required under 84 O.S.1961 § 55. These findings are…”
Waitman v. Waitman (1972) okla “Consequently, since the entire interest in the balance remaining on deposit at the time of Daisy Waitman’s death would not vest in him under her will, his claim to such entire interest in the balance must be based upon Daisy Waitman’s contract with the depositary bank.”
Estate of Samochee (1975) okla “Appellants Harjo filed petition objecting to will on nine grounds which, for purposes of this appeal, may be summarized as follows: (1) The will was not subscribed, executed, and attested as provided by 84 O.S.1971 § 55; (2) testator executed the will under undue influence of…”
Hobbs v. Mahoney (1970) okla “that a literal compliance with the requisites of 84 O.S.1961, § 55 (now 84 O.S. 1969 Supp.”
— Okla. Stat. tit. 84, § 55(2) — 2 cases
— Okla. Stat. tit. 84, § 55(4) — 2 cases
Thompson v. Gammon (1989) okla “See 84 O.S.1981 § 55(4). . The court also found, as it had in the prior supplanted Order, that Poley’s lack of possession of the first will prevented him from physically destroying it, but that the second will, even though statutorily defective, operated to revoke the first.”
Dillow v. Campbell (1969) okla “It was there held that signatures of attesting witnesses following a sworn statement appearing as an integral part of a will, and following the dispositive or essential provisions, are sufficiently situated at the end of the will to comply with the statutory attestation…”
— Okla. Stat. tit. 84, § 55(5) — 5 cases
Matter of Estate of Ausley (1991) okla “The third page is the signature and publication page in compliance with the formalities of 84 O.S.1981, § 55(1-4). Ausley’s signature is found after a short publication paragraph, which consists of the first four lines of the page.”
Dillow v. Campbell (1969) okla “It was there held that signatures of attesting witnesses following a sworn statement appearing as an integral part of a will, and following the dispositive or essential provisions, are sufficiently situated at the end of the will to comply with the statutory attestation…”
In Re Estate of Romeiser (1973) oklacivapp
— Okla. Stat. tit. 84, § 55(7) — 1 case
Allen v. Mulbery (1998) oklacivapp
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