令和８年４月３日に政府は、手書き遺言書である自筆証書遺言への押印廃止に加えて、パソコンやスマートフォンで自作遺言書を作成できる「保管証書遺言制度（デジタル遺言・押印廃止など）」創設などを盛り込む令和８年民法等の一部を改正する法律案を閣議決定し今国会での成立させることが公表されました。
従前から自筆証書遺言を手書き作成すること自体が複雑難解で無効リスクも高かったとの指摘も多かったことから、スムースな手続きにより遺言書作成を広く国民に普及させて相続トラブル予防を図るための改正だと考えられます。
今回の改正法律案でのデジタル自作遺言書（保管証書遺言書）の手続きの流れは以下➀から⑥のようになります。
➀パソコンやスマートフォンで遺言事項など全文・日付・氏名など必須事項を入力して遺言書を作成する。
➁遺言書のデータメモリ－（電磁的記録）かプリントアウトした書面のいずれかを管轄の法務局へオンライン送信・郵送・持参して届け出る。
➂保管申請期日に遺言者本人が法務局に行き※注）遺言書の保管申請をする。
➃保管申請の時には遺言書を作成した遺言者の本人確認※注）が行われる。
⑤法務局の遺言書保管官と対面※注）で遺言者が遺言書全文を読み上げる（口授する）。
➅不備がなければデジタル自作遺言書（保管証書遺言書）が法務局に受理・受付されて保管される。
※注）遺言者本人が法務局に行き遺言者の本人確認を受けて対面で遺言者が遺言書全文を読み上げることが原則ですが、遺言者が法務局に行けない特別な事情があり法務局が認めた場合に例外的にオンラインのウェブ会議が実施されます。なお、オンラインのウェブ会議を例外的とするのは遺言者本人のナリスマシや遺言の強要を防止するためとされています。
なお、今後の国会での法律案の成立・施行時期などの詳細について公表され次第、改めてお知らせします。
－デジタル自作遺言書（保管証書遺言書）についての所感－
➀従来の自筆証書法務局保管制度をデジタル化した追加の制度と考えます。また、遺言書作成の手間暇が省けた制度でもあります。
➁遺言書の必要記載事項など形式面については法務局では審査してくれますが、遺言内容の有効無効までは審査してくれません。
この点は自筆証書法務局保管制度と同じです。
➂遺言者本人が内容が簡単な遺言書を作成する場合には適していますが、複雑なものが多いのが現実ですので、遺言書作成の際には行政書士・弁護士・司法書士（順不同）の相続専門家に相談することをお勧めします。
東京デュークレイ行政法務行政書士事務所では、
弁護士法人・司法書士法人と士業連携しておりますので、相続の御相談で紛争性の高いもの・登記に関する案件である場合には、ワンストップサービスで弁護士・司法書士を御紹介しますので、お気軽にお問い合わせください。
東京デュークレイ行政法務行政書士事務所では、遺言書作成の御相談を受けた際には、公証役場の公証人のリーガルチェックも入る遺言公正証書（公正証書遺言書）をお勧めし、それでも費用面から廉価な遺言書作成を希望される場合で遺言事項（遺言書に記載する事項）が多くない場合には自筆証書遺言（手書きの遺言書）を法務局へ保管する遺言書保管制度の利用をお勧めします。
御依頼者に自宅保管の自筆証書遺言（手書きの遺言書）お勧めしません。
自宅保管の自筆証書遺言（手書きの遺言書）は、➀遺言書自体の無効（形式要件の不備無効や内容的全部無効や一部無効など）となるリスクが高いこと、➁紛失や改ざんリスクも高いこと、➂相続開始後に家庭裁判所での検認手続きが必要なことが主な理由です。
Ministry of Justice: Bill to Amend Part of the Civil Code, etc., in 2026
On April 3, 2026, the government approved a bill to amend the Civil Code and other related laws in 2026. This bill includes the abolition of the requirement for seals on handwritten wills (holographic wills) and the creation of a “Certificate of Custody Will System (digital wills, abolition of seals, etc.)” that allows for the creation of wills using computers and smartphones. The government announced that it would pass this bill in the current Diet session.
Previously, there had been many criticisms that handwritten wills were complex and difficult to create and carried a high risk of invalidity. Therefore, this amendment is considered to be aimed at promoting will creation among the general public through a smoother procedure, thereby preventing inheritance disputes.
The procedure for creating a digital will (certificate of custody will) under this amended bill is as follows:
① Create a will by entering the full text of the will, date, name, and other required information using a computer or smartphone.
② Submit either the digital memory (electronic record) or a printed copy of the will to the competent Legal Affairs Bureau via online transmission, mail, or in person.
③ On the designated application date, the testator must go to the Legal Affairs Bureau in person and apply for the safekeeping of their will.
④ At the time of application, the identity of the testator who created the will will be verified.
⑤ The testator must read the entire will aloud (orally) in person with the will custodian at the Legal Affairs Bureau.
⑥ If there are no deficiencies, the digital self-created will (certificate of safekeeping will) will be accepted and stored at the Legal Affairs Bureau.
*Note: While the principle is that the testator must go to the Legal Affairs Bureau in person, have their identity verified, and read the entire will aloud in person, an online web conference may be exceptionally conducted if there are special circumstances preventing the testator from going to the Legal Affairs Bureau and the Legal Affairs Bureau approves. The reason for making online web conferences an exception is to prevent impersonation of the testator or coercion of wills.
Further details regarding the passage and implementation date of the bill in the Diet will be announced as soon as they are released.
Impressions on Digital Self-Created Wills (Certificate of Custody Wills) –
① This can be considered an additional system that digitizes the conventional system of depositing handwritten wills with the Legal Affairs Bureau. It also saves time and effort in creating a will.
② While the Legal Affairs Bureau will review the formal aspects of the will, such as the required information, they will not review the validity or invalidity of the will’s contents.
This is the same as the system of depositing handwritten wills with the Legal Affairs Bureau.
③ While this system is suitable for wills created by the testator themselves with simple contents, in reality, many wills are complex. Therefore, when creating a will, it is recommended to consult with an inheritance specialist such as a certified administrative procedures legal specialist, lawyer, or judicial scrivener (in no particular order).
Tokyo Duk-Rei Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Office
works in cooperation with law firms and judicial scrivener firms, so if the results of an inheritance consultation indicate a high level of conflict or a case related to registration, we will introduce you to a lawyer or judicial scrivener as a one-stop service, so please feel free to contact us.
When Tokyo Duk-Rei Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Office about writing a will, we recommend a notarized will (notarized will), which includes a legal check by a notary public at a notary public’s office. However, if you still want a cheaper will from a cost perspective and there are not many testamentary matters (items to be included in the will), we recommend using the will storage system, where a holographic will (handwritten will) is stored at the Legal Affairs Bureau.
We do not recommend that our clients write holographic wills (handwritten wills) kept at home.
The main reasons for using holographic wills (handwritten wills) kept at home are: 1) there is a high risk that the will itself will be invalid (invalid due to insufficient formal requirements, invalid in whole or in part due to content, etc.), 2) there is a high risk of it being lost or tampered with, and 3) probate procedures will be required at the family court after the inheritance begins.
©2023 東京デュークレイ行政法務行政書士事務所
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©2023 Tokyo Duke-Rei Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Office
All rights reserved.