For Estate & Probate Attorneys

RUFADAA by State — Digital Asset
Executor Authority Reference 2026

Complete reference for estate and probate attorneys. Adoption status, statute citations, court order requirements, and key implementation differences across all 50 states and DC. Updated June 2026.

47
States + DC adopted
3
States with modifications
1
State not adopted
June 2026
Last updated
51 jurisdictions
State / Jurisdiction Adopted Year Statute Citation Key Notes Court Order Requirement
Alabama Yes 2016 Ala. Code § 19-3B-101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Alaska Yes 2017 Alaska Stat. § 13.71.001 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Arizona Yes 2016 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-13101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Arkansas Yes 2017 Ark. Code Ann. § 28-25-201 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
California Yes 2016 Cal. Prob. Code § 870 et seq. Modified — requires explicit authorization in estate plan Often required without explicit authorization
Colorado Yes 2016 Colo. Rev. Stat. § 15-1-1501 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Connecticut Yes 2016 Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-334a et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Delaware Yes 2016 Del. Code Ann. tit. 12, § 5001 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Florida Yes 2016 Fla. Stat. § 740.001 et seq. Full adoption under Fla. Stat. 740.003 For content of communications
Georgia Yes 2018 Ga. Code Ann. § 53-13-1 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Hawaii Yes 2016 Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:13-101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Idaho Yes 2016 Idaho Code § 15-13-101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Illinois Yes 2017 755 Ill. Comp. Stat. 70/1 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Indiana Yes 2016 Ind. Code § 32-39-2-1 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Iowa Yes 2018 Iowa Code § 633A.9101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Kansas Yes 2016 Kan. Stat. Ann. § 58-4901 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Kentucky Yes 2020 Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 395.700 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Louisiana No No RUFADAA Louisiana has not adopted RUFADAA. Civil law system creates unique complications. Court order typically required
Maine Yes 2019 Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 18-C, § 13-101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Maryland Yes 2016 Md. Code Ann., Est. & Trusts § 17-101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Massachusetts Yes 2018 Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 190B, § 6-101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Michigan Yes 2016 Mich. Comp. Laws § 700.1001 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Minnesota Yes 2016 Minn. Stat. § 521A.01 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Mississippi Yes 2019 Miss. Code Ann. § 91-28-101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Missouri Yes 2018 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 462.600 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Montana Yes 2017 Mont. Code Ann. § 72-34-101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Nebraska Yes 2016 Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-4201 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Nevada Yes 2017 Nev. Rev. Stat. § 722.010 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
New Hampshire Yes 2016 N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 559-C:1 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
New Jersey Yes 2017 N.J. Stat. Ann. § 3B:14-64 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
New Mexico Yes 2017 N.M. Stat. Ann. § 45-13A-1 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
New York Yes 2016 N.Y. Est. Powers & Trusts Law § 13-A-1 et seq. Modified — requires explicit authorization; generic grant insufficient Required without explicit estate plan language
North Carolina Yes 2016 N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28C-1 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
North Dakota Yes 2017 N.D. Cent. Code § 30.1-36-01 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Ohio Yes 2017 Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2137.01 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Oklahoma Yes 2016 Okla. Stat. tit. 58, § 1001 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Oregon Yes 2016 Or. Rev. Stat. § 116.870 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Pennsylvania Yes 2020 20 Pa. C.S. § 3901 et seq. Full adoption — generic executor grant insufficient; explicit language required Required without explicit estate plan language
Rhode Island Yes 2017 R.I. Gen. Laws § 18-16-1 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
South Carolina Yes 2017 S.C. Code Ann. § 62-2-1001 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
South Dakota Yes 2017 S.D. Codified Laws § 55-19-1 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Tennessee Yes 2016 Tenn. Code Ann. § 35-17-101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Texas Yes 2017 Tex. Est. Code Ann. § 2001.001 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Utah Yes 2017 Utah Code Ann. § 75-3a-101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Vermont Yes 2018 Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 14A, § 1001 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Virginia Yes 2017 Va. Code Ann. § 64.2-2900 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Washington Yes 2016 Wash. Rev. Code § 11.120.010 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
West Virginia Yes 2018 W. Va. Code § 44-13-1 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Wisconsin Yes 2016 Wis. Stat. § 711.01 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
Wyoming Yes 2016 Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 2-21-101 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
District of Columbia Yes 2018 D.C. Code § 20-1401 et seq. Full adoption For content of communications
No states match your search.

Understanding RUFADAA — What Attorneys Need to Know

The Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA) gives appointed fiduciaries — executors, trustees, agents under power of attorney — the legal authority to access and manage digital assets. But RUFADAA's three-tier priority system means executor authority is not automatic in most cases.

01

Online Tool Designation

Highest priority. If the platform provides a legacy contact or inactive account manager tool and the account holder configured it, that designation controls — overriding will instructions. Facebook Legacy Contact, Google Inactive Account Manager.

02

Estate Planning Documents

If no online tool designation exists, the will, trust, or power of attorney governs — but only if it explicitly addresses digital assets. A generic executor grant is not sufficient in California, New York, Pennsylvania, and several other states.

03

Platform Terms of Service

Default if neither tier 1 nor tier 2 applies. Most platforms' terms of service prohibit access by anyone other than the account holder — effectively blocking the executor. This is the situation most families find themselves in.

Critical drafting note: In California, New York, and Pennsylvania specifically — a generic grant of executor authority is not sufficient under RUFADAA. Estate planning documents must explicitly grant authority over digital assets. Without this language, the executor defaults to Tier 3 (platform terms of service) which typically blocks access entirely.
The platform compliance gap: Even with proper RUFADAA authority, many platforms do not honor executor requests without additional documentation or court orders. Their terms of service often require more than a Letters Testamentary. This is where families and executors most commonly hit walls — and where Vera Legacy's platform-specific documentation preparation helps bridge the gap.

What RUFADAA Covers — and What It Doesn't

RUFADAA gives fiduciaries authority over digital assets — but the scope varies by state and by the type of digital asset:

Covered under RUFADAA: Email accounts and electronic communications (with restrictions), digital files and cloud storage, online financial accounts, social media accounts, domain names and websites, digital currency and cryptocurrency held on exchanges.

Restricted under RUFADAA: Content of electronic communications (emails, messages) requires explicit authorization or court order in most states. Without Tier 1 or Tier 2 authorization, executors typically receive only a catalog of communications, not their content.

Not covered: Self-custody cryptocurrency wallets — RUFADAA addresses digital assets but cannot override cryptographic wallet security. Without seed phrases or private keys, no legal authority can recover self-custody crypto holdings.

Vera Legacy prepares RUFADAA-compliant documentation for your clients.

When your executor clients need to contact platforms, they need properly formatted requests that invoke RUFADAA authority correctly. Vera Legacy prepares these letters — personalized for each platform, compliant with applicable state law, and formatted to maximize platform acceptance. 48-hour delivery.

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