Alaska is a shall-issue, permitless carry state. There is no firearms registration, no permit is required to purchase firearms and no background check is required to buy a handgun from a private individual.
Open carry is legal in Alaska for any person who is legally allowed to possess a firearm. The minimum age to open carry is 18. Some areas are off-limits, including K-12 schools and any place where intoxicating liquor is sold for on-site consumption.
Concealed carry is legal for anyone at least 21 years of age or older who can legally possess a firearm — a permit is not required. Residents who are seeking to be exempt from background checks when purchasing additional firearms or who want to carry a firearm in other states can obtain a concealed handgun permit to use in states with which Alaska has a reciprocity agreement. Concealed handgun permits are issued by the Alaska State Police and require a firearms training course that has been state-approved. Alaska does not issue permits to non-residents. In terms of reciprocity, since Alaska has permitless carry, any person 21 years of age and older who can legally possess a firearm may carry a concealed firearm on his or her person without a license or permit.
Where can I carry with my Alaska permit?
Yes
Yes, Constitutional Carry
Yes, Other Restrictions
No
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Important Firearm Laws
non-resident permitting?
No.
brandishing?
No definition of brandishing was found in Alaska law.However, a person commits the crime of assault in the third degree if that person recklessly places another person in fear of imminent serious physical injuries by means of a dangerous instrument.
A person commits the crime of disorderly conduct if, in a public or private place, the person challenges another to fight or engages in fighting other than self-defense.
preemption?
Yes. The state has preemption, so the authority to regulate firearms is reserved to the state, and, except as specifically provided by statute, a municipality may not enact or enforce an ordinance regulating the possession, ownership, sale, transfer, use, carrying, transportation, licensing, taxation or registration of firearms. Municipalities may enact and enforce ordinances that, in part, restrict the discharge of firearms, prohibit firearms in restricted access areas or municipal government buildings.
carry while consuming alcohol?
No consumption allowed.
[Alaska Stat. § 11.61.220(d)(1)(C)]
As a responsibly armed American, regardless of the laws in your state, it is unwise to carry while under the influence of any substance that could impair your judgement, slow your reaction times or impact your decision-making abilities. Any decision you make while carrying a firearm could have life-altering consequences.
duty to inform officer you're carrying?
Yes.You have a duty to inform a police officer that you're carrying a concealed firearm in Alaska.
public access to concealed carry registry?
No, however the information is available for law enforcement.
"no weapons allowed" signs enforced?
Yes. A permittee may not possess a concealed handgun anywhere a person is prohibited from possessing a handgun under state or federal law. In addition to any other penalty provided by law, a person who violates this section is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
driver's license linked to permit?
Yes. Your Alaska driver’s license is linked to your Alaska concealed handgun permit. Therefore, a law enforcement officer will be notified immediately that you are a concealed carry permit holder if they run your driver’s license.
red flag law?
No. Alaska does not have a red flag law.
Carry Basics
magazine limits for handguns?
No.
ammunition restrictions?
No.
gun permit licensure?
Shall issue.
weapons other than handguns allowed?
No.
minimum age for concealed carry?
21.
permitless carry?
Yes.
non-lethal weapons?
STUN GUNS and Tasers are defined as defensive weapons and are legal to purchase and possess without a permit.
PEPPER SPRAY - Legal for self-defense. Individuals must be 18 years or older to purchase and carry pepper spray. Canisters must not exceed 5 ounces, and their chemical compositions must meet safety standards. Pepper spray is prohibited on school property.
BEAR SPRAY - Legal and widely used in Alaska for self-defense against wildlife. There are no specific state restrictions on its possession or use, but misuse against humans could lead to legal consequences.
BLUDGEONS AND BATONS - Legal for self-defense purposes. Alaska law allows the possession and use of batons, clubs, and similar tools as long as they are used proportionally to an immediate threat.
Items such as billy clubs, slapjacks, and nightsticks are also legal to own and carry without restrictions unless used with criminal intent.
BRASS KNUCKLES - Legal under Alaska law. There are no explicit bans on the possession, manufacture, or sale of brass knuckles. However:
byrna's?
Yes, Byrna's are legal for purchase and possession by individuals aged 18 or older and carried openly or concealed. Byrna guns are not classified as firearms under Alaska law. However, misuse or use during criminal acts may result in legal charges.
Byrna products cannot be shipped directly to consumers in Alaska due to shipping restrictions but may be purchased through authorized local dealers.
open carry permitted?
Yes, without a permit for any person who is legally allowed to possess a firearm. The minimum age to open carry is 18.
Handgun Purchase & Possession
minimum age to possess and transport?
16 years old.
(a) A person commits the crime of misconduct involving weapons in the fifth degree if the person;
(3) being an unemancipated minor under 16 years of age, possesses a firearm, switchblade or gravity knife without the consent of a parent or guardian of the minor.
purchase permits?
No.
waiting period?
No.
alaska permit exempts from background check?
Yes, for concealed weapons permits marked National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)-Exempt only.
possess a handgun on my private property without a permit?
Yes. Permitless carry is allowed in Alaska for anyone legally entitled to carry a firearm. However, it is prohibited for any person from knowingly carrying a concealed weapon in the residence of another without his or her permission.
background checks for private gun sales?
No. Private firearms transfers are not subject to a background check requirement, although federal and state purchaser prohibitions, including age restrictions, still apply. It is recommended that you retain any sales receipts to prove ownership of the gun.
handgun registration?
No.
Top Gun Laws & Concealed Carry Permit Information For Alaska Residents
Concealed Carry Basics Faq
carry while bow hunting?
Yes, provided the firearm is legal, there is no prohibition against carrying a concealed weapon for anyone that is at least 21 years old who is legally allowed to possess a firearm, The handgun must be for self defense only and not as a legal means of harvest.
hunter harassment law?
It is illegal to intentionally obstruct or hinder another person’s lawful hunting, fishing, trapping or viewing of fish and game. Illegal activities include positioning one’s self in a location where human presence may alter the behavior of fish or game another person is pursuing. It is also illegal to create a sight, sound, smell, or physical stimulus to alter the behavior of fish and game another person is attempting to take.
wear a covid mask & carry?
There is no known statute in Alaska making it illegal to wear a COVID mask while carrying concealed.
what are the knife laws in alaska?
The state of Alaska does not forbid the ownership of any type of knife. Anyone over the age of 21 can carry a concealed knife, but the carrier must alert any law enforcement with whom they come into contact about anything beyond a pocketknife. Anyone possessing a knife that can be defined as a deadly weapon should also report his or her weapon before visiting a house so that he or she can receive explicit permission to take the knife inside. Students K-12 may never take knives to school. Adults can only have a knife on the premise of these schools, including parking lots, with the written approval of the school’s principal.
[Alaska Stat. §§ 11.61.220, Alaska Stat. § 11.61.210(a)(7) & (a)(8)]
carry while gun hunting?
Yes, for self defense only and not as a legal means of harvest.
Requirements:
An applicant must:
*Consult with an attorney if you have any questions about your eligibility. If you don’t have an attorney, you can find one by contacting the State Bar of Alaska.
Non-Resident Concealed Carry Permits:
Alaska doesn't issue permits to non-residents.
Fees:
New permit $88.25
Renewals made during the 90 days before the permit expiration $25.00
Renewals made up to 60 days after expiration $50.00
Valid For:
Not more than 5 years (expires on the applicant’s birthday).
Processing Time:
30 days
Application:
Name/Address Changes:
An Address Change form is recommended for use to change an address. Notification of address change can also be by letter or email. Delivery to the Permits and Licensing Unit may be by email, letter, fax or personal delivery. There is no fee for change of address.
A change of name or other information that will require a new permit to be issued, such as through marriage or a court decree, must be reported to the Department of Public Safety within 30 days of the change. A copy of the document that caused the change and a written request must be faxed, mailed or delivered to the Department of Public Safety. The fee to change data that requires a new permit be printed is $25.00. The old permit does not have to be returned.
Residency Changes:
Moving to Alaska and interested in applying for a resident permit? How soon can you apply?Alaska issues permits to residents only. In order to apply for your permit, you must be an Alaska resident and have lived in the state for more than 90 days.
Moving from Alaska and have an Alaska resident permit? Does that permit transfer to your new state? Is there a grace period during which your Alaska permit remains valid?If a person with an Alaska concealed handgun permit establishes residency in another state, the pistol permit expires upon the establishment of residence in the other state.
Lost/Stolen Permits:
A lost, stolen or damaged permit that is still within its valid period may be replaced by completing the replacement request form and submitting the form, payment of fees and a new photograph. Even if the form is filled out online, it must still be printed out for an original signature and submitted in hard copy. The form must be submitted in person to an office of the Department of Public Safety or to a municipal police agency that is authorized to accept the forms and verify the holder’s identification. There is a $25 fee for the replacement permit.
Step 1:
Complete a firearms course within 12 months of application [except for exempt honorably retired peace officers that can provide specific documentation as outlined in 13 AAC 30.090(d)].
Step 2:
Have your fingerprints taken by an approved vendor.
Step 3:
Download and complete the application form.
Step 4:
Take the completed application to the State Troopers' office with the following:
Pay the fee.
Step 5:
You will be notified within 30 days if your application has been approved or denied.
carry/possess at a hotel?
Alaska statutes don't specifically address firearms at hotels. Please note that each hotel develops their own policies and the individual hotel should be contacted to inquire about it's concealed carry policy. See the Handguns at Hotels page for additional information.
carry in state/national parks, state/national forests and wildlife management areas (wmas)?
Yes. See the National Parks webpage for links to each Park in Alaska.
carry at roadside rest areas?
Yes.
carry in vehicle?
Yes, a loaded firearm can be carried openly or concealed by anyone at least 21 years old that can legally own a handgun.
store in a vehicle in an employee parking lot?
The state, a municipality or a person may not adopt or enforce a law, ordinance, policy or rule that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm while that individual is within a motor vehicle. Nor prohibit an individual from storing a firearm that is locked in the individual's motor vehicle while the motor vehicle is otherwise legally parked in or on state or municipal property or another person's property. This section applies only to possession of a firearm by an individual who may legally possess a firearm under state and federal law.
An employer or its agent may, however, prohibit firearms possession in the following areas:
(1) Within a “restricted access area” (an area beyond a secure point where visitors are screened that does not include common areas of ingress and egress open to the general public);
(2) Within a vehicle owned, leased or rented by the employer or its agent; or
(3) In a parking lot owned or controlled by the employer within 300 feet of the secured restricted access area.
carry in bars/restaurants that serve alcohol?
Concealed carry is allowed in restaurants, unless posted and provided you consume no alcohol. However, it is not allowed in bars.
tribal lands
Technically, there is only 1 federally recognized indian reservation in Alaska. However, there are 229 federally recognized tribes. Alaska is different from the lower 48 states in that they do not have a traditional reservation land base.
Instead of reservations, ANCSA established:
These corporations collectively manage about 44 million acres of land for the benefit of Alaska Native shareholders.
It is generally illegal to carry a concealed firearm on all of Alaska's native lands. Explicit written permission is recommended before traveling to any federally recognized tribal land in Alaska.
Use of Force in Defense of a Third Person
A person is justified in using force when and to the extent the person reasonably believes it is necessary to defend a third person when the third person would be justified in using that degree of force for self-defense.
Use of Deadly Force in Defense of Self
A person who is justified in using non-deadly force may use deadly force in self-defense when and to the extent the person reasonably believes the use of deadly force is necessary for self-defense against:
A person may not use deadly force under this section if the person knows that, with complete personal safety and with complete safety as to others being defended, the person can avoid the necessity of using deadly force by leaving the area of the encounter, except there is no duty to retreat if the person is protecting a child or a member of the person’s household, is on premises that the person:
Use of Force in Defense of Property and Premises
A person may use non-deadly force when and to the extent the person reasonably believes it is necessary to terminate the commission or attempted commission of:
A person may use deadly force when and to the extent the person reasonably believes it necessary to terminate the commission or attempted commission of:
A person in a vehicle — or forcibly removed from a vehicle — may use deadly force when and to the extent the person reasonably believes it is necessary to terminate a carjacking.
A person outside of a vehicle may use deadly force when and to the extent the person reasonably believes it is necessary to terminate the theft of that vehicle when another person is inside of the vehicle.
Use of Non-Deadly Force in Defense of Self
A person is justified in using non-deadly force when and to the extent the person reasonably believes it is necessary for self-defense against the use of unlawful force by the other person, unless:
Immunity: Use of Defensive Force
Self-Defense
Alaska is a Castle Doctrine state and has a “stand your ground” law. A person has no duty to retreat before using deadly force in the person’s temporary or permanent residence, property owned or leased, at his or her workplace, or when protecting a child or a member of the household.
Alaska Gun Law Updates
DateDetails
2025-03-31
Added non-lethal sections to Carry Basics.
2025-01-01
Added tribal land information to the carry location section.
2021-05-17
Added info on driver's license link to permit in At A Glance table
2020-11-10
Added information on a training exemption for retired peace officers in the Training Section
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