When someone passes away without a will, they are considered to have died intestate. In this case, state laws decide how their assets are distributed. This often means property goes to the closest living relatives, which may not reflect the person’s true wishes.
Without a will, important decisions—like guardianship for children or distribution of sentimental items—are left to the courts, and family disputes are more likely. Creating a will ensures your intentions are followed and can help protect your loved ones from confusion and conflict.
To use our missing will search, you provide the required information about the deceased person, such as their legal name, date of birth, and State they resided in. Our database will then be queried to identify any registered wills associated with that person. Once a match is found, you will receive information on where the will is located or instructions on how to proceed. If the will you are seeking is not found, your contact details will enter into our missing will database. This allows attorneys who check on the database regularly, to locate possible family members seeking a will they are in possession of.
To perform a search, you’ll need the deceased person’s full legal name, date of birth, and the state where they resided. You’ll also be asked to provide your contact information. This is required so that if a match is found, The U.S. Will Registry can notify you and provide next steps in accordance with privacy protocols.
Yes, we take your privacy seriously. Your personal information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. Additionally, it will not be shared with any third parties.
Although the database contains a vast number of will registrations, our computerized system is able to complete a search in under one minute. If a match is found, the searcher must provide valid photo identification and a death certificate before any information can be released. This ensures the privacy and security of all registered records.
Yes, there is a nominal fee of $14.95 to use The U.S. Will Registry's Missing Will Search service. This fee covers access to our national will database and allows for up to three searches—helpful if you're unsure how the name may have been entered. If no registration is found, your search is automatically added to our Missing Will Database, which is monitored by estate attorneys. Additionally, an alert is sent to all attorneys in our directory within the same state, prompting them to check their records for the missing will.
If the search does not find any registered wills for the individual in question, we will inform you of this outcome at the completion of your search. Searches that yield no match are then moved to our national missing will database. This database has exclusive access to attorneys. Attorneys are able to log into the database to see if any of their clients family members are seeking a will they are in possession of.
Yes, you can register your will with The U.S. Will Registry to ensure your loved ones can find it when needed. Registration provides peace of mind and helps simplify the process for your family in the future. The best part? It's completely free—for both attorneys and the public—so everyone has access to this vital service.
The U.S. Will Registry provides the capability to search for wills registered in the U.S. inside and outside the country. There are a few limited countries that currently do not have access.
To search for a registered will, go to The U.S. Will Registry's "Find a Will" search feature. You will need the deceased person’s full legal first and last name and their date of birth. These details are used to search our national database for any registered wills. If a match is found, you’ll receive further instructions. If no match is found, your request will be added to our Missing Will Database, which is monitored regularly by estate attorneys.
In the event that our missing will search does not yield a registered will matching the individual you are looking for, your provided information will be added to a dedicated missing will database. This database is exclusively accessible to authorized attorneys.
Attorneys managing wills in their custody can use The U.S. Will Registry’s Missing Will database to see if any family members have initiated a search. If a match is found, The U.S. Will Registry will share the attorney’s contact details with the searcher to facilitate a secure and efficient connection.
Registrations entered into our database are retained until the deceased individual would have reached the age of 125 years, ensuring that the information remains accessible to surviving family members for an extended period.