Witnessed by 2 or 3 Witnesses
The third requirement to create a valid written will is to have the will witnessed by 2 or 3 witnesses. In particular, most states require at least 2 competent witnesses to witness and sign the will.
Competent means that the witnesses must understand that the testator is signing a will (not some other document like a letter, contract, etc). To witness simply means that the witnesses watch the testator sign the will. The witnesses do not have to know the contents of the will, but just that the document is a will. This is legally known as attesting to the will. Witnesses can also usually be of any age, so minors may be witnesses.
Some states require the witnesses be disinterested witnesses. This means that the witnesses cannot take anything under the will. If the witnesses do take under the will, the will is still valid, but the witnesses would likely only receive whatever they would have received if the testator died intestate (i.e. without a will).
Next, let’s go over a fourth requirement mandated by some states – the attestation clause.