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Alaska Concealed Carry Permit

Alaska allows permitless carry for non-prohibited adults 21+. A ACHP is still available and is what other states recognize.

Permitless carry is legal in Alaska

A non-prohibited adult aged 21 or older may carry a concealed handgun without a permit (since 2003). NO PERMIT IS NEEDED TO CARRY IN ALASKA. DPS states verbatim: 'Alaska's laws do not prohibit anyone 21 or older who may legally possess a firearm from carrying it concealed or open. A firearms permit is not required.' The ACHP is optional; DPS adds that it 'is only available to Alaska residents who choose to obtain a concealed carry permit.' Its practical value is recognition in other states and the ATF 'NICS Exempt' designation, not permission to carry here. HOW 2003 CHANGED IT: enrolled HB 102 § 1 rewrote AS 11.61.220(a)(1) so that a person 21+ carrying concealed commits an offense only on a duty-to-inform / residence-permission failure, and § 2 deleted the former affirmative defenses at (b)(3)-(b)(4) that had made holding an ACHP (or being a permittee under AS 18.65.748) the way to carry lawfully; § 7 repealed AS 18.65.750 and 18.65.755(a)(1). UNDER 21: AS 11.61.220(a)(6) makes it a class B misdemeanor for a person UNDER 21 to knowingly carry a concealed deadly weapon; affirmative defenses under (b) are being in the person's own dwelling or on appurtenant land owned or leased by the person, or being actually engaged in lawful hunting, fishing, trapping, or other lawful outdoor activity that necessarily involves carrying a weapon for personal protection. DUTY TO INFORM: under AS 11.61.220(a)(1)(A) a person 21+ carrying concealed commits a class B misdemeanor if, when contacted by a peace officer, they fail to immediately inform the officer of the possession or fail to allow/secure the weapon at the officer's direction; AS 11.61.220(i) defines 'contacted by a peace officer' as being stopped, detained, questioned, or addressed in person for an official purpose. Under (a)(1)(B) it is also an offense to carry concealed within another person's residence without the express permission of an adult residing there. PLACE LIMITS (AS 11.61.220(a)(2)-(a)(4)): loaded firearm on the person anywhere intoxicating liquor is sold for on-premises consumption — but AS 11.61.220(d)(1) gives an affirmative defense where the firearm was a concealed handgun as defined in AS 18.65.790, the place was covered by a restaurant/eating place license under AS 04.09.210, a seasonal restaurant or eating place tourism license under AS 04.09.360, or a restaurant endorsement under AS 04.09.450, and the defendant did not consume intoxicating liquor there; licensed or federally recognized child care facilities and their immediately adjacent parking lots, except that a person 21+ may keep an unloaded firearm in the trunk or in a closed container of a motor vehicle; Alaska Court System courtrooms, offices and justice-only courthouses; state-funded domestic violence or sexual assault shelters. Carry also remains barred anywhere state or federal law prohibits handgun possession (schools, federal buildings). MUNICIPALITIES: AS 29.35.145(a) reserves regulation of firearms to the state and bars municipal ordinances on carrying or transportation, home rule and general law alike; the only municipal carve-outs in (b) are ordinances identical to state law, discharge restrictions, zoning of firearm sales, and prohibitions in the restricted access area of municipal government buildings. EFFECTIVE DATE: the enrolled HB 102 text carries no effective-date section, so the Alaska Constitution art. II, § 18 default of 90 days after enactment applies; BASIS shows CHAPTER 62 SLA 03 with a status date of 06/11/2003, which puts the effective date at about 9 September 2003, but that is a derivation, not a date the state publishes.

Getting the permit anyway is still worth it for most people: other states recognize the permit, not your residency, so without one you generally cannot carry across state lines.

AS 11.61.220 (misconduct involving weapons in the fifth degree); permit requirement for concealed carry removed by ch. 62, SLA 2003 (enrolled HB 102, 'Relating to concealed deadly weapons')

There are 10 details on this page we could not confirm from a primary source. Read what they are before relying on this.

Requirements at a glance

Permit name Alaska Concealed Handgun Permit
Issuing authority Alaska Department of Public Safety, Division of Statewide Services — Permits and Licensing Unit
System shall-issue
Minimum age 21 — 21 for both permitless carry and for an ACHP (AS 18.65.705(1)). DPS states there is "no exception to the minimum age requirement, regardless of job profession or permit status of another state" — an out-of-state permit issued to an 18-20 year old does NOT authorize concealed carry in Alaska, and DPS adds that "a person under 21 is NOT allowed to carry a concealed handgun in Alaska."
Training required Yes — 12 hours, live fire required
State fee $87 initial / $25 renewal — the state's own charge, not the total
Valid for 5 years
Processing time 30 days. AS 18.65.700(b) requires DPS to approve or reject within 30 days of receipt; if fingerprint eligibility information has not come back from another agency by day 30 and the applicant is otherwise eligible, DPS must issue a conditional permit subject to immediate revocation under AS 18.65.740(a)-(c) if the fingerprint information later shows ineligibility. Form 12-299A: "Complete applications will be processed within 30 days of receipt."
Fingerprints Required
Non-resident permit Not available

What it actually costs

The state fee is rarely the whole bill. Fingerprinting is usually charged by a private vendor, training is bought from an instructor, and several states add photographs, notarisation or other requirements on top.

State fee $87
Fingerprinting $15–$45 — our estimate; no vendor publishes a rate
Training course $75–$250 (private instructor)
Realistic total $177–$382 — includes an estimated component

The $87 is already an all-in state figure: 13 AAC 30.040(a)(1) sets the state permit share at $40 and adds fingerprint processing under 13 AAC 68.900 ($35 for a fingerprint-accompanied record check plus the FBI's own pass-through fee), and AS 18.65.720 caps the whole thing at $99. What sits outside it is the fee charged by whoever rolls the prints, which DPS does not set and does not publish; the estimate above covers that, and 13 AAC 68.900(a)(4)(A)'s $30 for DPS itself to take the first set is a mid-range anchor. Course prices are a market estimate, not a published figure. An honorably retired Alaska peace officer applying within a year of retirement pays $40 with no fingerprint cost at all (13 AAC 30.040(a)(5); AS 18.65.700(e)), and may be able to skip the course entirely. For everyone else, remember that Alaska requires no permit to carry: the $87 and the 12-hour course with live fire buy recognition in other states and the NICS-exempt designation, not permission to carry here.

New permit $87.00, non-refundable even if the permit is not approved, payable by personal check, cashier's check, or money order to State of Alaska (DPS ACHP page and Form 12-299A Rev. 1/2025). BREAKDOWN: 13 AAC 30.040(a)(1) sets the state permit fee at '$40 plus the fees required for fingerprint processing under 13 AAC 68.900'; 13 AAC 68.900(a)(2)(B) charges $35 to provide criminal justice information when fingerprints accompany the request, and 13 AAC 68.900(a)(5) passes through 'a fee set by' the FBI for forwarding the request — DPS does not itemise the $87 and the FBI pass-through amount is not published in the regulation. AS 18.65.720 caps the initial fee at $99 and renewal or replacement at $30. Renewal filed within the 90 days before expiration: $25 (13 AAC 30.040(a)(2)). Late renewal, accepted only up to 60 days after expiration: $50, being the $25 renewal plus the $25 statutory late fee in AS 18.65.725(c). Replacement: $25 (13 AAC 30.040(a)(3)). Name change or other change requiring a new permit to be printed: $25. Address change: no fee. Honorably retired Alaska peace officer applying under AS 18.65.700(e): $40 flat, with no fingerprint component, because 13 AAC 30.040(a)(5) sets that fee separately and AS 18.65.700(e) bars DPS from requiring fingerprints. Whoever rolls the fingerprints charges their own separate fee, which DPS does not set; where DPS itself takes them, 13 AAC 68.900(a)(4)(A) charges $30 for the first set and $10 for each additional set taken at the same time.

How to apply

  1. FIRST, CHECK WHETHER YOU NEED A PERMIT AT ALL. You do not. Any person 21 or older who may lawfully possess a firearm may carry it concealed or openly in Alaska with no permit, no course, and no fee (DPS ACHP page; AS 11.61.220). Get the Alaska Concealed Handgun Permit only if you want the document other states recognize or the ATF 'NICS Exempt' designation. If you carry without a permit, you still owe the AS 11.61.220(a)(1) duty to inform any peace officer who contacts you, and every place restriction still applies.
  2. Confirm you qualify under AS 18.65.705 and read AS 18.65.700–18.65.790 and 13 AAC 30.010–13 AAC 30.900 — your signature on the application affirms you have read and understood them. You must have been an Alaska resident for the 90 days immediately preceding the application; no non-resident permits are issued.
  3. Complete a DPS-approved handgun competency course within the 12 months before you apply and keep the certificate (AS 18.65.715; 13 AAC 30.090(a)). The curriculum minimum is 12 hours including a live-fire competence test (13 AAC 30.070(a)(1)(A)). The list of approved courses is available only from the DPS Permits and Licensing Unit on request — no online or out-of-state correspondence course is accepted.
  4. Get one complete set of fingerprints of acceptable technical quality on a standard 8" x 8" FBI Applicant Fingerprint Card, rolled by a person or agency approved by DPS, or by a law enforcement agency or state correctional facility at that agency's discretion (AS 18.65.700(a)(4); approved vendor list: https://dps.alaska.gov/statewide/approved-fingerprinters/). Use black ink and do not sign the card before the prints are taken.
  5. Obtain one uncut frontal-view color photograph, head and shoulders only, at least 2" x 2", taken within the preceding 30 days, with your name, the date taken, and your Alaska driver's license or ID number printed on the back (AS 18.65.700(a)(6); 13 AAC 30.100(a)).
  6. Complete Form 12-299A (Application for a New Concealed Handgun Permit) in black ink. Optionally also complete Form 12-299-89 if you want the permit marked 'NICS Exempt'.
  7. Apply IN PERSON, showing a valid Alaska driver's license or identification card, at an office of the Alaska State Troopers, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, or a municipal police department authorized to accept ACHP applications (Form 12-299A, General Information § 3; AS 18.65.700(a)(1), (a)(7)).
  8. Submit the $87.00 non-refundable fee with the application, training certificate, fingerprint card, and photograph. The fee is not refunded if the permit is not approved.
  9. ALTERNATIVE ROUTE — HONORABLY RETIRED ALASKA PEACE OFFICERS: if you apply within one year of retiring, AS 18.65.700(e) requires DPS to issue without fingerprints and without any FBI eligibility check, and 13 AAC 30.040(a)(5) charges $40 instead of $87. You must still apply in person, submit the photograph, show your Alaska license or ID, be free of a disqualifying physical infirmity, and pay the fee. Prove eligibility under 13 AAC 30.085 with evidence of at least two years' employment as a peace officer with an Alaska law enforcement agency ending within the year before application and not in lieu of firing, suspension, or other involuntary separation or discipline. Satisfy the handgun requirement either with the approved course (13 AAC 30.090(a)) or, if you qualified with a handgun within five years of retirement, with a notarised copy of your qualification record plus your agency's handgun qualification policy (13 AAC 30.090(d)).
  10. DPS approves or rejects within 30 days; if fingerprint results are still pending at day 30 and you are otherwise eligible, DPS must issue a conditional permit (AS 18.65.700(b)). If your application has a correctable defect DPS may instead discontinue review under 13 AAC 30.050(e) and give you 90 days to cure. A rejection may be appealed to the commissioner, then judicially reviewed under AS 44.62.560–44.62.570.
  11. Renew within the 90 days before expiration using Form 12-299-84, with a new photograph, an original signature, and $25, by mail, delivery service, or in person (AS 18.65.725(a)). The permit expires on your birthday in the fifth year after issuance. Late renewal up to 60 days after expiration costs $50; after 60 days you must start over as a new applicant, including a new competency course. You keep the permit if you leave Alaska and need not surrender it, but you cannot renew it unless you are an Alaska resident at the time of renewal (AS 18.65.725(e)). Report any address change to DPS in writing within 30 days (free, Form 12-299-88); a name change requiring a reprinted permit costs $25.

Apply on the official Alaska site

What disqualifies you

Where to get the required training

Alaska does not publish a central list of certified instructors. Confirm directly with Alaska Department of Public Safety, Division of Statewide Services — Permits and Licensing Unit that a course will be accepted before you pay for it.

Training providers in Alaska

Businesses in our directory that offer firearms training. These are not state-verified as certified permit instructors — check against the official list above, or ask the provider directly.

All firearms training in Alaska →

Reciprocity

Carrying into Alaska

Alaska recognizes permits from 48 other jurisdictions.

Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming

34 jurisdictions honor a Alaska permit

Derived from what each of those states officially publishes.

Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming

Official Alaska reciprocity page Full reciprocity matrix →

Building your own in Alaska

Build for personal use
Allowed
Serial number required
No

Alaska has no statute prohibiting a person from privately manufacturing a firearm for personal use, and no state law requires a serial number, state registration, or a permit to build one. AS 44.99.500(a) declares that a personal firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition 'possessed in this state or manufactured commercially or privately in this state and that remains in the state is not subject to federal law or federal regulation, including registration.' AS 44.99.500(e) makes unenforceable in Alaska any federal statute, regulation, rule, or order effective on or after June 21, 2013 that bans or restricts ownership of a semiautomatic firearm or magazine, or requires a firearm, magazine, or other accessory to be registered, where doing so violates the Second Amendment or art. I, sec. 19 of the Alaska Constitution. ONE MARKING REQUIREMENT: AS 44.99.500(c) provides that 'a firearm manufactured or sold in this state and not subject to federal regulation under this section must have the words "Made in Alaska" clearly stamped on a central metallic part, such as the receiver or frame' — a Made-in-Alaska stamp, not a serial number. CAUTION: AS 44.99.500 is a Firearms Freedom Act-type statute purporting to place intrastate-made firearms outside federal jurisdiction; federal courts have rejected that theory for materially identical state laws (e.g. U.S. v. Stone, 9th Cir. 2013, on Montana's act), so federal law — the Gun Control Act, the National Firearms Act, and ATF's frame-and-receiver rule — continues to apply regardless of state law. Nothing in Alaska law authorizes a prohibited person to build or possess a firearm.

AS 44.99.500 (Alaska Firearms Freedom Act); AS 44.99.500(c) ('Made in Alaska' stamp); AS 44.99.500(e) (no registration mandates)

Federal law, gunsmithing schools, and tools →

Statutes

What we could not confirm

  • DPS publishes NO list of jurisdictions whose permits Alaska recognizes. The 48-state honors list is derived from the blanket language of AS 18.65.748 ('another state or a political subdivision of another state'), not from an official enumeration. Treat it as a reading of the statute, not an agency list. The only list DPS does publish runs the other way — states that recognize the Alaska permit.
  • Whether a District of Columbia concealed carry license or a US territory (PR, GU, VI, MP, AS) license counts as a permit from 'another state or a political subdivision of another state' under AS 18.65.748 is not addressed by DPS or the statute; I could not confirm it either way, so those jurisdictions are omitted from the honors array. Low practical stakes, since permitless carry covers any non-prohibited person 21+.
  • Alaska publishes no online registry of approved handgun courses or certified instructors. AS 18.65.715(d) and 13 AAC 30.070 require DPS to maintain the list, and both the DPS page and Form 12-299A say it is 'available from the Permits and Licensing Unit upon request.' instructorRegistryUrl is therefore null, not merely unfound. Form 12-299A also claims the approved-fingerprinter list is on the ACHP website and points at the retired dps.state.ak.us address; the live list is at https://dps.alaska.gov/approved-fingerprinters/.
  • The $87 new-permit fee is not itemised by DPS. 13 AAC 30.040(a)(1) sets the state share at $40 plus fingerprint processing under 13 AAC 68.900, and 13 AAC 68.900(a)(2)(B) charges $35 for a fingerprint-accompanied criminal-justice-information request, but 13 AAC 68.900(a)(5) merely passes through 'a fee set by' the FBI without stating the amount, so the last roughly $12 of the $87 is inferred rather than read off a published schedule. Whoever rolls the prints also charges a separate fee that DPS does not set.
  • Exact effective date of permitless carry: the enrolled HB 102 text contains no effective-date section, so the Alaska Constitution art. II, § 18 default of 90 days after enactment governs, and BASIS gives CHAPTER 62 SLA 03 a status date of 06/11/2003, which yields about 9 September 2003. That date is a derivation from the status date and the constitutional default; the state publishes no effective date for the act, so only the year 2003 is directly confirmed.
  • 13 AAC 30.070(a)(1)(A)(iv) requires the approved curriculum to include 'a test of competence with a handgun,' and AS 18.65.790(2) defines competence as a live-fire marksmanship standard, so live fire is required. What is still unpublished is any minimum round count, any minimum number of live-fire hours within the 12, and the number of attempts permitted at the marksmanship test.
  • AS 44.99.500(c)'s 'Made in Alaska' stamping requirement has not, so far as I could find, been construed by DPS, the Alaska Attorney General, or any court as applied to a firearm privately built solely for personal use (as opposed to one manufactured or sold commercially). There is also no official Alaska guidance reconciling AS 44.99.500 with current federal ATF frame-and-receiver rules, and federal courts have rejected the Firearms Freedom Act theory in other states.
  • The DPS ACHP page still references a 'Concealed Handguns Information' tab containing a statutes-and-regulations booklet, but the page exposes no link to it and both the wp-content and the older getmedia forms of ACHP-Statutes-and-Regs.pdf return 404 (retested 2026-09-15). I read the statutes and regulations directly from akleg.gov instead. Separately, the DPS reciprocity tab links its statute references to web.archive.org captures of akleg.gov rather than to akleg.gov itself.
  • akleg.gov's statute pages carry repealer brackets but no per-section amendment credits, so to account for amendments I used the legislature's Statute Information Retrieval System, which indexes bills by code section. For the 34th Legislature (2025-2026) it returns 'No Bills For That Statute' for every ACHP section, for AS 11.61.220 and for AS 44.99.500. That establishes no bill was introduced touching those sections in this legislature, and therefore none was enacted; it does not independently confirm akleg's statute text is refreshed to a stated date, because the BASIS print view displays no 'current through' line.
  • The renewal, replacement, address-change and NICS-exempt forms are served from 2026/04 upload paths but carry internal revision dates of 08/25/2010 (12-299-84) and 2023 (the others), and they still print the retired dps.state.ak.us contact URL. The fee and deadline figures in them match the current DPS page, so I treated them as current, but DPS has not restamped them.

Sources