You can store a will at home, with the solicitor or will writer who prepared it, or with HM Courts and Tribunals Service for a one-off fee, and record its location with the National Will Register so executors can find it. The safest choice is the one your executors can actually reach when the time comes.
A will only helps if the right people can find the correct, signed original after you die. This guide sets out the main storage options in England and Wales, what each costs, and the common mistakes that can delay an estate. It sits within our wider estate planning guide and pairs with our guide to How to Write a Will. Figures are current as at July 2026 and are subject to change.
Why where you store a will matters
Storing a will well is about more than keeping paper safe. Executors normally need the original signed document to apply for probate, and a photocopy is rarely enough on its own. If the original cannot be found, the estate can face delay, extra cost, and in some cases a court process to prove a lost will. Choosing a secure place and telling the right people where it is removes much of that risk.
Your main storage options compared
There are four common places to keep a will in England and Wales: at home, with a solicitor or will writer, with the government's deposit service, or a combination recorded on a central register. Each has trade-offs on cost, security and how easily an executor can retrieve it. The table below sets them side by side so you can weigh what suits your circumstances.
| Where | Typical cost | Points to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| At home | Free | Immediate access, but at risk from fire, damp, loss or a document that cannot be found. |
| Solicitor or will writer | Often free if they wrote it; a fee may apply otherwise | Secure and professional, but executors must know which firm holds it, and firms can merge or close. |
| HMCTS deposit service | £23 one-off (gov.uk, Jul 2026) | Official, long-term storage; posted in, and withdrawable at any time. |
| National Will Register | A one-off fee set by the register | Records where the will is kept rather than holding it; helps executors locate the latest version. |
Storage fee source: gov.uk, how to store a will with the probate service, as at July 2026, subject to change. Solicitor and register fees vary by provider.
Storing a will at home
Keeping a will at home is free and gives you and your executors immediate access. Many people choose a fireproof and waterproof document box or a secure drawer with other important papers. The main drawbacks are practical: paper can be damaged by fire or damp, misplaced during a house move, or simply not found among other documents. If you store it at home, it helps to keep it flat, unmarked by staples or paperclips, and clearly labelled.
Storing a will with a solicitor or will writer
Solicitors and professional will writers can usually hold the original for you, often at no charge if they drafted it, though some charge a storage fee otherwise. This keeps the document secure and away from home risks. The trade-off is that your executors must know which firm holds it, and firms can merge, be taken over or close, so it is worth noting the firm's details somewhere your executors will look. Recording the location on a central register, covered below, addresses much of this.
Storing a will with HMCTS
You can deposit your will, and any codicil, with HM Courts and Tribunals Service for safekeeping. There is a one-off charge of £23 to deposit a will or its codicil, paid by cheque or postal order made payable to HM Courts and Tribunals Service (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). You post the original document in, and you, or your dependants after your death, can withdraw it at any time. Storing a will and its codicil together in one envelope avoids being charged separately for each.
Recording it on the National Will Register
The National Will Register does not hold your will. Instead, it records that a will exists and where it is stored, so executors and family can trace the latest version after a death. This can be useful whichever storage method you use, because the most common problem is not a stolen will but one nobody can locate. There is a one-off fee set by the register. Some people also arrange a will search through the register when someone dies and no will can be found.
What to avoid: the safety deposit box trap
A bank safety deposit box may sound secure, but it can create a circular problem. In many cases the bank will not open the box until the executor produces a grant of probate, yet the executor usually needs the original will inside the box to apply for that grant in the first place. Storing the sole original will in a safety deposit box is therefore a common trap. Keeping the original somewhere an executor can reach without a grant, and recording where it is, avoids the deadlock.
Telling your executors where it is
Wherever you store a will, the step people most often miss is telling the executors. An executor cannot use a document they do not know exists or cannot reach. Many people note the storage location in writing, share it with the executors named in the will, and update that note if the will is ever moved. It is worth keeping copies to a minimum and clearly marking which document is the signed original, so there is no confusion over versions.
Store the original
Choose one secure home for the signed original, such as HMCTS or a solicitor.
Record the location
Note where it is, and consider the National Will Register so it can be traced.
Tell your executors
Make sure the people who will act know where the will is and how to get it.
Update after changes
If you replace or amend the will, refresh the stored original and the record.
If you later amend or replace the will, both the stored original and any record of its location need updating, otherwise an executor may act on an out-of-date document. Our guide on changing a will explains how amendments and replacement wills work.
Storing a will in Scotland and Northern Ireland
This guide describes the position in England and Wales. Scotland has its own succession law and uses confirmation rather than a grant of probate, and its arrangements for registering and lodging wills differ, including the option to register a will in the Books of Council and Session. Northern Ireland has a separate but broadly similar system with its own probate office. If your affairs touch more than one UK nation, it can be worth taking advice in each.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my will at home?
Yes. You can keep a will at home, and many people store it in a fireproof, waterproof box with other important papers. The main risks are fire, damp, loss during a house move, or executors not finding it. If you store it at home, it helps to keep it flat, unmarked and clearly labelled, and to tell your executors exactly where it is.
Where is the safest place to store a will?
There is no single safest place; it depends on your circumstances. What matters most is that the signed original is secure from fire and loss, and that your executors can reach it without needing a grant of probate first. Many people use a solicitor or the HMCTS deposit service and record the location on the National Will Register so it can be traced.
Can I store my will with the government?
Yes. You can deposit a will and any codicil with HM Courts and Tribunals Service for a one-off charge of £23, paid by cheque or postal order to HM Courts and Tribunals Service (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). You post the original in, and you, or your dependants after your death, can withdraw it at any time.
Should I store my will in a bank safety deposit box?
Many people avoid it. In a lot of cases a bank will not open a safety deposit box until the executor produces a grant of probate, but the executor usually needs the original will inside the box to apply for that grant. Keeping the sole original there can create a deadlock, so an accessible location is generally preferred.
Does a will need to be registered in the UK?
No, there is no legal requirement to register a will in England and Wales. A will is valid once it is properly signed and witnessed, whether or not it is registered. Some people choose to record the location on the National Will Register, for a one-off fee, so executors can find the latest version. Registration records where a will is, rather than making it valid.
How will my executor find my will?
Usually because you told them where it is, or because the location is recorded. Many people note the storage place in writing and share it with the executors named in the will. If the will is deposited with HMCTS or a solicitor, or logged on the National Will Register, an executor can trace it from that record. Keeping the note up to date after any change helps.