Not all wills are registered with us and not everyone makes a will.
If a will is registered with RoS, it is registered in the Register of Deeds.
Registering a will in the Register of Deeds is voluntary.
Date ranges we can search for a will
We can search the Register of Deeds from 15 March 1993 onwards. To search deeds before 15 March 1993, contact the National Records of Scotland.
We can supply deeds registered in the Register of Deeds from 1 September 2006 onwards. To order deeds before this date, contact the National Records of Scotland.
Searching and ordering a will
How you search for a will depends on what information you have.
You cannot look for a will of a person who is alive.
If you do not know the deed number
If you do not have the deed number, we can conduct a search to find out if the will was recorded and get the deed number.
To search the Register of Deeds, you’ll need to provide the following information:
- deed type
- named parties (these are the names of the people in the will)
- date range or date of registration (this is usually not the same date as the person’s date of death)
Cost
We charge £25 + VAT per name search to provide you with the results, and you must agree to payment before we send you the results.
Note that the fee applies even if your search returns no results. This fee does not include a copy deed.
After you have requested a search
We will conduct the search based on the information you provided.
We will then generate a payment link and email it to you.
Once you have paid to conduct a search, we will send you the search results to view within 2 to 5 days.
If you already have the deed number, you can order a copy using the deed request form.
After you get your search results
If the will you are looking for is on the list of search results, you can use the deed number to order a copy of the will via the deed request form.
You will need to select:
- copy type (plain or extract – extracts are usually used for court purposes)
- deed type
- deed number
- deed registration date (optional)
You will then agree to the payment.
If you are unsuccessful in your search for a will with RoS, there are other organisations to search.
After you have made your order
- You will receive an email confirming that we’ve received your order.
- We will then review your request.
- You will then receive an email with a link to pay an invoice. You must pay the invoice before we can provide you with the copy deeds.
- Once we have received your payment, we will issue your document in PDF format via email.
If you are not sure what you need to do, contact your solicitor or our customer service team on 0800 169 9391