Modernizing Estate
Document Infrastructure
Estate planning documents are the only major category of legal instruments in the United States with no registration infrastructure. UEDRA provides the legislative framework and technical standard to close this gap.
The Registration Gap
Every Major Legal Instrument Has a Registry — Except One
The United States has developed comprehensive registration systems for virtually every important category of legal instrument. Estate planning documents remain the glaring exception.
Real Property
Since 1640
Recording acts in every state create public registries for deeds, mortgages, and liens.
UCC Filings
Since 1952
The Uniform Commercial Code provides centralized filing systems for secured transactions.
Vehicles
Since 1901
Every state operates a DMV with title and registration systems for motor vehicles.
Vital Records
Since 1900
Births, deaths, and marriages are registered through state vital statistics offices.
Estate Documents: No System
Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives have no registration infrastructure. They are created, stored in filing cabinets and safe deposit boxes, and frequently lost, forged, or inaccessible at the moment they are needed most.
Building on Success
UEEPDA Proved the Need
The Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act (UEEPDA), drafted by the Uniform Law Commission, has been adopted by 16 states. It established that estate documents can be validly created and executed in electronic form.
However, UEEPDA addressed the medium — electronic versus paper — without addressing the infrastructure. It authorized electronic wills but created no system for registering, verifying, or locating them. UEDRA fills this gap by providing the registry framework that makes electronic execution practically useful.
UEEPDA made electronic estate documents legal. UEDRA makes them findable, verifiable, and accessible across state lines.
The Proposal
Uniform Estate Document Registry Act
UEDRA has developed a comprehensive proposal for the Uniform Law Commission to appoint a Study Committee on a Uniform Estate Planning Document Registry Act. The proposal draws on the technical foundation of the EDRS standard and the legislative precedent of UEEPDA.
Voluntary Registration
Registration is entirely voluntary. No estate document is required to be registered to be legally valid. The registry provides an additional layer of protection, not a mandate.
Identity Verification
Registries must implement multi-factor identity verification for all registrants. This prevents unauthorized registration and ensures that only the principal (or their authorized representative) can register documents.
Authorized Access Controls
The act defines clear categories of authorized access: principal access, fiduciary access, emergency access for healthcare providers, institutional verification for banks and courts, and law enforcement access with proper legal process.
Interstate Recognition
Documents registered in one state's EDRS-compliant registry are recognized and verifiable in all participating states. Federated trust networks enable cross-jurisdictional verification without requiring a national database.
Provider Certification
Registry providers must meet technical, security, and consumer protection standards defined in the EDRS. Independent certification ensures consistent quality and protects consumers from substandard providers.
Download the ULC Proposal
Review the full proposal for a Uniform Law Commission Study Committee, including legislative rationale, proposed scope, and technical appendices.
View Resources & DownloadsProven Model
The POLST Precedent
Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) registries demonstrate that estate document registries work in practice. 46 states have implemented POLST registries, providing healthcare providers with real-time access to patients' end-of-life treatment preferences.
POLST registries have proven that voluntary registration systems for sensitive legal-medical documents can achieve broad adoption, institutional integration, and measurable improvements in outcomes. UEDRA extends this model to the full spectrum of estate planning documents.
What POLST Proved
- Voluntary registries achieve high adoption without mandates
- Healthcare providers integrate registry access into workflows
- Interstate recognition is achievable through standardization
- Consumer trust grows when systems are transparent and secure
- State legislation can establish registries without federal action
POLST by the Numbers
Take Action
How to Support UEDRA
There are several concrete ways legislators and their staff can advance estate document registry infrastructure in their jurisdictions.
Introduce Companion Legislation
Draft and introduce state-level legislation that establishes an estate document registry framework in your jurisdiction. UEDRA provides model language and technical specifications that can be adapted to your state's legal traditions.
Reference EDRS in Bills
When drafting estate planning or elder protection legislation, reference the EDRS standard as the technical baseline for registry requirements. This ensures interoperability and avoids proprietary lock-in.
Join the Study Committee
Support the Uniform Law Commission's consideration of a Study Committee on estate document registries. Contact your state's ULC commissioners to advocate for the appointment of a drafting committee.
Legislative Briefings Available
UEDRA offers legislative briefings for state legislators, committee staff, and ULC commissioners. Briefings cover the registration gap, the EDRS technical standard, the POLST precedent, and implementation pathways.
Request a briefingTrack Legislative Progress
Follow the progress of estate document registry legislation across all 50 states. Our tracker monitors bill introductions, committee hearings, and adoptions in real time.
View the trackerClose the Registration Gap
Estate documents deserve the same registration infrastructure that protects real property, commercial transactions, and vital records. Contact UEDRA for a legislative briefing and learn how your state can lead this modernization effort.