Withdraw a Will from HMCTS Storage: Form PA7A Guide

At a glance

• Form to use: PA7A — Apply to withdraw a will or codicil from storage, published by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
• Cost: Free. There is no fee to withdraw a will or codicil from HMCTS safe custody.
• While the testator is alive: only the testator (the person who made the will) can apply for withdrawal.
• After the testator has died: the named executor applies, using form PA7A; if there is more than one executor, the others' consent is recorded on form PA7B.
• Processing time: around 4 weeks from application to the documents being sent out, per HMCTS's published guidance.
• Where to send it: by email to safecustodywillsenquiries@justice.gov.uk, or by post to Newcastle District Probate Registry.
• Important distinction: withdrawing a will from storage does not revoke it. Revocation is a separate legal act, governed by section 20 of the Wills Act 1837.

Who can withdraw a will from HMCTS storage

HMCTS's safe custody service exists so that a will can be kept somewhere secure, separate from the testator's home. Who is entitled to have it released depends entirely on whether the testator is still alive.

If you're the person who wrote the will

You can apply for withdrawal at any time, for any reason — you do not need to explain why. You will need the original certificate of deposit issued when the will was lodged, and your safe custody reference number.

If you're the executor

Once the testator has died, an executor named in the will can apply using form PA7A. If the will names more than one executor, HMCTS's guidance requires the executor who is applying to also get the other executors' consent, recorded on form PA7B. You will also need to send an official copy of the death certificate.

If you're someone else applying for probate

If you are applying for probate but you are neither the testator nor a named executor — for instance, you are an administrator dealing with an estate where there is no surviving executor — HMCTS's guidance asks you to send a letter of authority confirming your entitlement to apply, together with an official copy of the death certificate. HMCTS recommends contacting safecustodywillsenquiries@justice.gov.uk for advice before you apply in this situation, since what counts as sufficient authority depends on how the estate is being administered. If you have been appointed to act on an executor's behalf under a power of attorney, our guide to form PA11 explains that separate process.

The legal basis for HMCTS will storage

The safe custody service itself rests on statute. Under section 126 of the Senior Courts Act 1981, there must be "safe and convenient depositories for the custody of the wills of living persons," and any person may deposit their will in one of these depositories, subject to conditions set by regulations. This is the legal footing for the service HMCTS runs today. Our guide on depositing your will with the Probate Service covers that side of the process.

The withdrawal procedure itself — the PA7A and PA7B forms, the documents HMCTS asks for, and the four-week processing estimate — is set out in HMCTS's published administrative guidance rather than in the Act itself. That guidance is official and current, but it is HMCTS operational practice, not a standalone statutory requirement, so it can be updated by HMCTS without a change in the law. Always check the current version on GOV.UK before applying.

Withdrawing a will does not revoke it

It is easy to assume that taking a will back from HMCTS somehow cancels it. It does not. Withdrawal is purely physical: the document changes hands, but its legal status is untouched.

Revocation — the act of making a will no longer legally effective — is governed separately, by section 20 of the Wills Act 1837. Under that section, a will can only be revoked by:

1. A later will or codicil that revokes it, executed in the way the law requires for a valid will.
2. A written declaration of revocation, executed in the same way as a will.
3. The testator burning, tearing or otherwise destroying the will (or someone else doing so in the testator's presence and on their direction), with the intention of revoking it.

None of these things happens automatically when a will is withdrawn from HMCTS storage. A withdrawn will is still the testator's valid, operative will unless one of the three routes above has also taken place. This matters most for testators who withdraw a will meaning to update it: until a new will is validly made (or the old one is destroyed with the intention to revoke it), the withdrawn will remains legally effective.

How to apply: form PA7A step by step

1. Download form PA7A (and form PA7B, if you need it) from GOV.UK.
2. Fill in the sections that apply to you. Make sure the testator's name, date of birth and address match HMCTS's records exactly — question 1 on the current form asks for date of birth specifically, and a mismatch is a common cause of delay.
3. Print, scan or save the completed form.
4. Sign and date it. HMCTS accepts a wet-ink signature, a scanned signature, or a typed signature.
5. Gather your supporting documents (see the table below).
6. Send everything by email to safecustodywillsenquiries@justice.gov.uk, or by post to Newcastle District Probate Registry, 2nd Floor, Kings Court, Earl Grey Way, North Shields, NE29 6AR.

What you need to send

| If you are… | What to send with form PA7A | |---|---| | The testator, while still alive | The original certificate of deposit and your safe custody reference number — or a written explanation if you cannot find the certificate | | An executor, after the testator has died | An official copy of the death certificate, a copy or scan of the certificate of deposit, and — if there are other executors named in the will — a completed PA7B recording their consent | | Someone else applying for probate | An official copy of the death certificate (if the testator has died), a copy or scan of the certificate of deposit, and a letter of authority confirming you are entitled to apply |

What happens after you apply

HMCTS's guidance states that it takes around four weeks to process a PA7A application and send the will or codicil out once it has been received. The document is sent to the address given on the form, so double-check that address before you submit. If you are working to a deadline — for example, because you need the will to apply for probate — send your application as early as possible and keep your safe custody reference number to hand if you need to chase progress with the Probate Helpline.

A worked example

Aisha's father, Michael, deposited his will with HMCTS several years before he died. Aisha and her brother Tom are both named as executors. To apply for the grant of probate, Aisha needs the original will released from storage.

Aisha completes form PA7A, naming Tom as the other executor. Because Tom is not the one applying, she also asks him to complete form PA7B to record his consent. Michael's certificate of deposit was kept with his papers, so Aisha includes a scan of it, along with an official copy of the death certificate, and emails the package to HMCTS's safe custody mailbox. Around four weeks later, the original will arrives at the address Aisha gave on the form.

This is a fictional example, used to illustrate how the testator/executor/co-executor rules described above work together in practice.

Common mistakes that slow an application down

• Personal details that don't match HMCTS's records — particularly the testator's date of birth, which was added as a specific question on the form in August 2024.
• Applying as one of several executors without the others' PA7B consent.
• A testator sending a copy of the certificate of deposit rather than the original, where HMCTS's guidance specifically asks the testator for the original document.
• Forgetting to include an official copy of the death certificate where the testator has died.
• An unsigned or undated form.
• Applying as someone other than the testator or a named executor without a letter of authority, or without first emailing HMCTS to check what they need for your specific situation.

Next steps

1. Work out which of the three categories above applies to you — testator, executor, or someone else applying for probate.
2. Download form PA7A (and PA7B, if relevant) from GOV.UK and gather the documents in the table above.
3. Send your application by email or post and keep a copy of everything you send, including your safe custody reference number.
4. Allow around four weeks, and contact the Probate Helpline or the safe custody mailbox if you haven't heard back after that.
5. If the executors disagree, the authority to apply is unclear, or you're dealing with a complicated estate, it is worth talking it through with a legal adviser before you submit anything. You can also browse our wider probate forms and guidance hub for related steps in the process.

This guide explains the general process for withdrawing a will or codicil from HM Courts and Tribunals Service safe custody, based on HMCTS's published guidance and the relevant law of England and Wales. It is legal information, not legal advice, and does not take account of your specific circumstances or create a solicitor-client relationship. LegalDocuments.co.uk is not a law firm and is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. If your situation is disputed, time-critical, or the executors disagree, speak to a regulated adviser about your specific circumstances. The law and guidance described were accurate as at August 2026 and are subject to change — always check GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk for the current position.

Last reviewed: August 2026 · Next review due: August 2027 or on GOV.UK guidance change.