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Home > Guides > Mailing a will safely
Use registered mail, the most secure service the post office offers, and never mail your only copy. Probate courts generally require the original will with wet-ink signatures, so a lost original can cause real legal trouble. Make a complete copy first, then send the original by the most secure service available.
This is general information, not legal advice.
A photocopy of a will is often not accepted for probate. Courts want to see the original signatures and, in some jurisdictions, the original witness attestations, partly to rule out tampering. If you only ever created a digital copy or a scan, the document may not hold up. This is also why estate attorneys tell clients to store the original somewhere safe, like a fireproof box or the attorney's vault, and only move it when necessary.
| Document | How to mail it |
|---|---|
| Original signed will | USPS Registered Mail or Canada Post registered mail; keep a full copy |
| Trust documents, powers of attorney | Certified mail (US) or registered mail (Canada) with tracking |
| Copies for beneficiaries or family | Regular first-class mail is usually fine |
| Death certificate copies | Certified mail; these are hard to reissue |
USPS Registered Mail is the most secure service available: every piece is logged at each step, kept in locked containers, and delivered with a chain of custody that no other service matches. It is slower than certified mail, sometimes noticeably so, because security adds handling. For an original will, that tradeoff is worth it. Certified mail gives you proof of mailing and delivery; registered mail gives you maximum security in transit. When the document is irreplaceable, choose registered.
Photocopy or scan every page and keep the copy somewhere separate from the original. Write the tracking number down in a second place, like your phone or a note to a family member. Use a sturdy envelope, not the thin free ones, and consider a padded mailer for multi-page documents. Do not mark the outside with anything that announces the contents: "LAST WILL" on the envelope invites attention you do not want.
Sometimes, but check first. Probate rules differ by country, and some jurisdictions require originals to be filed in person. Registered mail in the U.S. is domestic-only for the full chain-of-custody treatment; international registered service exists but works differently. LetterAgent mails letters to U.S. and Canadian addresses only, so if your documents need to cross the border between the two countries, the registered or certified option is the right call.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
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