Estate Planning Documents Checklist: State-by-State

Farm Bureau Financial Services
May 5th, 2026

Your estate planning documents are an important part of planning for you and your family. When you’re putting together these documents, you’ll want to make sure you meet the requirements for your state. 

While states don’t mandate that you have estate planning documents, they have rules about how they need to be completed. If you don’t have any estate planning documents in place when you pass —or if they weren’t completed correctly— state law determines where your assets go.

Keep in mind that you may need to meet the requirements for more than one state, especially if you live in one state and work in another, or if you get health care in a state other than the one where you live.

This “Estate Planning Documents Checklist” covers what your estate plan should include, and how to find out what you need in your state.