Florida Statute 732.515
“Separate writing identifying devises of tangible property”
What it means
A written statement or list referred to in the decedent's will disposes of items of tangible personal property, other than property used in trade or business, that are not otherwise specifically disposed of by the will. (§ 732.515)
To be admissible as evidence of the intended disposition, the writing must be signed by the testator and must describe the items and the devisees with reasonable certainty. (§ 732.515)
The writing may be prepared before or after the will is executed, may be altered by the testator after it is prepared, and may have no significance apart from its effect on the will's dispositions. If more than one effective writing exists, the most recent writing revokes inconsistent provisions of each prior writing, to the extent of the conflict. (§ 732.515)
- Covers tangible personal property other than property used in trade or business (§ 732.515).
- Applies to items not otherwise specifically disposed of by the will (§ 732.515).
- The writing must be referred to in the will (§ 732.515).
- It must be signed by the testator and describe the items and devisees with reasonable certainty (§ 732.515).
- It may be prepared before or after the will and altered by the testator later (§ 732.515).
- If writings conflict, the most recent revokes the inconsistent provisions of earlier ones (§ 732.515).
Text of the statute (2026)
A written statement or list referred to in the decedent’s will shall dispose of items of tangible personal property, other than property used in trade or business, not otherwise specifically disposed of by the will. To be admissible under this section as evidence of the intended disposition, the writing must be signed by the testator and must describe the items and the devisees with reasonable certainty. The writing may be prepared before or after the execution of the will. It may be altered by the testator after its preparation. It may be a writing that has no significance apart from its effect upon the dispositions made by the will. If more than one otherwise effective writing exists, then, to the extent of any conflict among the writings, the provisions of the most recent writing revoke the inconsistent provisions of each prior writing.
Excerpts are the subsections the summary relies on. Read the full official text of § 732.515.
History. s. 1, ch. 74-106; s. 29, ch. 75-220; s. 48, ch. 2001-226.
How it applies
This section allows a will to point to a separate list for personal items. The statute sets these conditions: the will refers to the writing, the testator signs it, it describes the items and devisees with reasonable certainty, and the property is tangible personal property that is not business property or already specifically disposed of by the will. The text requires the testator's signature and does not mention witnesses for the writing. Because the most recent effective writing controls conflicts, the date of each writing can determine which provision applies.
Where this shows up
Pages on this site where § 732.515 does real work:
- When to update a Florida estate plan: marriage, divorce, a birth, a death, a move, new assets and incapacity, what Florida law changes automatically and which documents to review after each event
- Florida will checklist: who may make a will, signing and witness rules under section 732.502, the self-proving affidavit, and decisions on beneficiaries, personal representative, guardian and homestead
- Missing will in Florida: where to look, safe-deposit boxes and lost-will probate
- Babe Ruth
- The Bruce Willis iTunes story
- Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz
- The digital assets inventory
Questions people ask
Sources
- Fla. Stat. § 732.515 (2026), Online Sunshine / Florida Senate (To be admissible under this section as evidence of the intended disposition, the writing must be signed by the testator)
Last checked: October 17, 2026
Published by the Probate.Help editorial team.How these pages are written and checked.