Alaska Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Statewide rule |
|---|---|
| Court | Alaska probate is handled in the superior court, which has original jurisdiction in all civil and criminal matters, including probate, and jurisdiction extending over the whole of the state (AS 22.10.020). |
| Where to file | File with the clerk of court at an Alaska Court System location in the judicial district where the person who died was domiciled (AS 13.16.055). Alaska has four judicial districts under AS 22.10.010. |
| Main paths | Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property under AS 13.16.680, informal probate under AS 13.16.080 through AS 13.16.130, small estate summary administrative procedure under AS 13.16.690, formal probate under AS 13.16.145 and related sections, and supervised administration under AS 13.16.215. |
| Who acts on an informal application | The court acts through a registrar. Alaska law allows the registrar's functions to be performed by a judge, a clerk designated by written court order, or a standing master in probate (AS 13.06.050(47); AS 13.06.090; Probate Rule 2). |
| Earliest informal action | The court may not issue a written statement of informal probate or informal appointment until at least 120 hours have elapsed since death (AS 13.16.085; AS 13.16.110). |
| Authority document | A personal representative receives letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not; administration begins when letters issue (AS 13.16.015). |
| Filing fee | $250 to open a probate of estates case, set by Administrative Rule 9(b)(2)(A) and published by the Alaska Court System as effective May 1, 2023. |
| Personal property without opening a case | Thirty days after the death, registered vehicles up to $100,000 and other personal property up to $50,000, both after liens and encumbrances, may be collected with form P-110, the Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property, presented to the holder under AS 13.16.680. Those figures were set effective September 15, 2008, for deaths on or after that date. |
| Small estate inside probate | AS 13.16.690 creates a small estate summary administrative procedure inside an open informal probate. It uses a comparison to allowances and priority costs, not a dollar ceiling. |
| Creditor claims | The personal representative publishes notice once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the judicial district (AS 13.16.450). Claims are barred four months after the first publication, or three years after death if notice is not published (AS 13.16.460). |
| Inventory | The personal representative prepares an inventory within three months after appointment, sends it to interested persons who request it, and may choose to file the original with the court (AS 13.16.365). |
| Deadline to open | Probate generally must be opened within three years after death, subject to the statutory exceptions in AS 13.16.040. |
| Forms | The Alaska Court System publishes the statewide P series probate forms at courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/forms.htm. |
| E-filing | TrueFiling runs statewide, but estates, trusts and wills are still listed as case types that cannot be submitted through TrueFiling; the court system says probate is planned to transition by the end of 2026, so check courts.alaska.gov/eFile/index.htm before filing. |
| Case search | CourtView Public Access at records.courts.alaska.gov is free and requires no account. Estate cases use the PR suffix, and deposited wills use WI. |
| Remote hearings | Under Supreme Court Order No. 2012, effective November 13, 2023, hearings in a probate case are presumptively remote apart from a listed set that includes contested estate hearings. Civil Rule 99 governs telephonic, video and internet participation. |
| Tax | Alaska imposes no inheritance tax on people who inherit. Alaska's estate tax chapter, AS 43.31, produces no Alaska tax for a current death, but the chapter remains in the statute book and AS 43.31.111 still speaks of a report to the Alaska Department of Revenue. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a path, list what the person owned, what was jointly owned or beneficiary-designated, and what debts or liens are attached. In Alaska, that first inventory controls the route: the Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property under AS 13.16.680 uses two separate ceilings, registered vehicles up to $100,000 and other personal property up to $50,000, both figures set effective September 15, 2008, for deaths on or after that date. Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts, balances, liens and debts before they decide whether estate settlement needs a court case.
Alaska assets can be easy to miss. The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend is personal property of the estate, while settlement common stock or other inalienable stock in a Native corporation organized under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act is not subject to probate and is handled under AS 13.16.705. Also check whether land passed by a Transfer on Death Deed recorded under AS 13.48, and whether a boat or vehicle has a transfer on death title under AS 13.33.401.
Which court handles probate
Alaska has no separate court for decedents' estates: estate settlement is a case class of the superior court, the state's trial court of general jurisdiction, whose jurisdiction extends over the whole of the state and which sits at court locations grouped into four judicial districts (AS 22.10.010; AS 22.10.020). Papers are filed with the clerk of court at the Alaska Court System location where the case belongs, and venue for the first proceeding lies in the judicial district where the person who died was domiciled (AS 13.16.055). Alaska's other trial court, the district court, is a court of limited jurisdiction and does not hear estates (AS 22.15.010). Alaska's civil subdivisions are boroughs, unified municipalities and census areas, and more than half the state lies in the Unorganized Borough; probate venue follows none of them, it follows the judicial district.
AS 22.10.020(a) gives the superior court original jurisdiction in all civil and criminal matters, including probate. AS 22.10.010 creates one superior court for the state, organized into four judicial districts, and the Alaska Court System directory listed 40 trial court locations on August 28, 2026.
| Judicial district | Court locations listed | Presiding judge seat |
|---|---|---|
| First Judicial District | 12 | Juneau |
| Second Judicial District | 4 | Utqiagvik |
| Third Judicial District | 14 | Anchorage |
| Fourth Judicial District | 10 | Fairbanks |
The judicial district matters in several ways. It is the venue unit for the first probate proceeding under AS 13.16.055, the area whose newspaper of general circulation is used for creditor publication under AS 13.16.450, and the first digit in the court case number. The court system's case-number pattern uses a district digit, two letters for the court location, a filing year, a five-digit sequence and a case-type suffix. A decedent's estate uses PR, a deposited will uses WI, and a registered trust uses TR.
The probate process
- List everything the person owned and owed, including liens, debts, the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend, land, vehicles, accounts, and any Native corporation stock under AS 13.16.705.
- Decide whether an estate has to be opened. Thirty days after the death, registered vehicles up to $100,000 and other personal property up to $50,000, both after liens and encumbrances, may be collected by presenting form P-110, the Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property, under AS 13.16.680; those figures were set effective September 15, 2008, for deaths on or after that date.
- Gather the certified death certificate and the original will if there is one. The original will must be in the court's possession for informal probate of a will (AS 13.16.090).
- Choose informal probate or formal probate. Informal probate uses the Request to Start Informal Probate forms, P-315 with a will or P-325 without a will, and is governed by AS 13.16.080 through AS 13.16.130. Formal probate uses P-320 with a will or P-330 without a will and proceeds under AS 13.16.145 and related sections, with notice and usually a hearing.
- Address bond before appointment. The will may waive bond, each devisee or heir may waive it on form P-334, the personal representative may be a qualified organization, or the court may excuse it.
- Sign required forms under oath. Notary services are available for free at Alaska court offices.
- File with the clerk of court at an Alaska Court System location in the judicial district where the person who died was domiciled (AS 13.16.055). Estates are not on TrueFiling according to courts.alaska.gov/eFile/index.htm, so papers go to the counter or by mail, and by fax or electronic mail only where a presiding judge's order or the assigned judge allows it under Civil Rule 5.1.
- Pay the $250 filing fee set by Administrative Rule 9(b)(2)(A) and published as effective May 1, 2023, or submit form TF-920 to request a fee waiver.
- Wait for the court to act. The court cannot grant informal probate or informal appointment until at least 120 hours have elapsed since death (AS 13.16.085; AS 13.16.110). The court system states that, after the waiting period, the court usually takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to approve and sign the letters.
- Receive the written statement of informal probate and letters testamentary or letters of administration, which are the authority documents under AS 13.16.015. Ask for extra certified copies if institutions will need them.
- Send Information to Heirs and Devisees within 30 days after appointment using form P-340.
- Publish the notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the judicial district, mail or deliver notice to creditors you know of or could reasonably find out about, and file the affidavit of publication (AS 13.16.450; forms P-341 and P-342).
- Prepare the inventory within three months after appointment, send a copy to interested persons who request it, and file the original with the court only if you choose to (AS 13.16.365; form P-370).
- After the four months claim period has run from first publication, act on creditor claims under AS 13.16.460 and AS 13.16.475.
- Pay the homestead allowance, family allowance and exempt property where they apply, because they have priority over all other claims (AS 13.12.402 through AS 13.12.405), then costs of administration, then valid claims, taxes and debts in order of priority, per the court system's published order of payment.
- Distribute the remaining property and obtain receipts and releases on form P-385.
- Close the estate by sworn statement on form P-355 for an ordinary informal estate, by P-350 for a small estate under AS 13.16.690 and AS 13.16.695, or by P-360 for a formal closing.
Types of probate
| Path | When it fits | What happens | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property | At least 30 days have elapsed since death, no application or petition for appointment is pending or granted anywhere, registered vehicles are worth $100,000 or less and other personal property is worth $50,000 or less, both after liens and encumbrances, and the signer is a successor entitled to the property. The figures were set effective September 15, 2008, for deaths on or after that date. | The successor signs P-110 under oath and presents it to whoever holds the property. The court does not open a case and does not assign a case number. | AS 13.16.680; AS 13.16.685 |
| Informal probate | The common uncontested route: the original will is available if there is one, the latest will revokes older wills, no interested person objects, and everyone with equal or higher priority to serve agrees. | An application on the court system's Request form goes to the registrar without notice to interested persons. The court usually does not hold a hearing and issues a written statement and letters after the 120 hours waiting period. | AS 13.16.080 through AS 13.16.130; AS 13.16.085; AS 13.16.110 |
| Small estate inside informal probate | After the inventory is prepared in an open informal probate, the value of the entire estate less liens and encumbrances does not exceed the homestead allowance, exempt property, family allowance, administration costs, funeral expenses, and medical and hospital expenses of the last illness, added together. | This is a summary administrative procedure inside a court case. The personal representative may distribute immediately without giving notice to creditors and closes with P-350. | AS 13.16.690; AS 13.16.695 |
| Formal probate | A judge needs to decide something, such as a missing or not self-proved will, competing candidates, an objection, a challenge to the will, a request for supervision, or conversion from informal probate. | A petition goes to the court with notice to interested persons and usually a hearing. The court signs an order and the letters. | AS 13.16.145; AS 13.16.140 through AS 13.16.205 |
| Supervised administration | The will directs supervision or the court finds supervision necessary to protect people interested in the estate. | The estate settlement proceeds under continuing court authority until an order approves distribution and discharges the personal representative. | AS 13.16.215 through AS 13.16.235; AS 13.16.220 |
Executor duties
Executor duties in Alaska
- Qualify and accept the office, then receive letters testamentary or letters of administration, which prove authority to third parties (AS 13.16.015; forms P-335 and P-336).
- Address bond before appointment, unless the will waives it, every devisee or heir waives it on P-334, the personal representative is a qualified organization, or the court excuses it.
- Send Information to Heirs and Devisees within 30 days after appointment using P-340.
- Publish notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the judicial district, and mail or deliver notice to creditors you know of or could reasonably find out about (AS 13.16.450; forms P-341 and P-342).
- Prepare the inventory within three months after appointment, send a copy to interested persons who request it, and file the original with the court only if you choose to (AS 13.16.365; form P-370).
- Pay the homestead allowance, family allowance and exempt property where they apply, because those allowances have priority over all other claims (AS 13.12.402 through AS 13.12.405).
- Act on creditor claims after the four months claim period runs from first publication, and remember that silence for 60 days after the presentation period expires has the effect of allowing a claim (AS 13.16.460; AS 13.16.475).
- Handle tax tasks. Alaska's estate tax chapter, AS 43.31, produces no Alaska tax for a current death but has not been repealed; ask a tax professional about federal estate tax and the AS 43.31 reporting language before closing.
- Keep fiduciary records, manage estate property for interested persons, and act with care. A personal representative's fee must be reasonable under Probate Rule 7.1.
- Distribute property in the proper order, obtain receipts and releases on P-385, and close with P-355, P-350 under AS 13.16.690 and AS 13.16.695, or P-360, depending on the route.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Alaska
The Alaska Court System publishes a statewide probate form set, the P series, free at courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/forms.htm, and the same forms are used at every court location.
| Form | Title | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| P-110 | Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent | Collecting personal property without opening a court case under AS 13.16.680, using the $100,000 registered-vehicle ceiling and $50,000 other-personal-property ceiling set effective September 15, 2008, for deaths on or after that date. |
| P-315 and P-316 | Request to Start Informal Probate and Appoint a Personal Representative When There Is a Will, and Statement Starting Informal Probate and Appointing a Personal Representative When There is a Will | Opening informal probate with a will under AS 13.16.080. |
| P-325 and P-326 | Request to Start Informal Probate and Appoint a Personal Representative When There is No Will, and the matching Statement | Opening informal probate without a will under AS 13.16.080. |
| P-320 and P-321 | Request to Start Formal Probate and Appoint a Personal Representative When There is a Will, and Order Starting Formal Probate and Appointing PR When There is a Will | Opening formal probate with a will under AS 13.16.145. |
| P-330 and P-331 | Request to Start Formal Probate and Appoint a Personal Representative When There is No Will, and the matching Order | Opening formal probate without a will under AS 13.16.145. |
| P-334 | Waiver of Bond Requirement | Waiving bond when each devisee or heir agrees. |
| P-335 and P-336 | Acceptance of Duties by Personal Representative and Letters Testamentary by Court, and Acceptance of Duties by Personal Representative and Letters of Administration by Court | Accepting the office and receiving the letters under AS 13.16.015. |
| P-340 | Information to Heirs and Devisees | Notice due within 30 days after appointment. |
| P-341 and P-342 | Notice to Creditors, and Affidavit of Publication | Publishing and proving creditor notice under AS 13.16.450. |
| P-345 | Notice of Allowance or Disallowance of Claim | Acting on a creditor claim under AS 13.16.475. |
| P-350 | Sworn Statement of Personal Representative Closing Small Estate | Closing a small estate summary administrative procedure under AS 13.16.690 and AS 13.16.695. |
| P-355 | Sworn Statement of Personal Representative to Close Informal Estate | Closing an ordinary informal estate. |
| P-360 | Request to Close Formal Estate and Approve Distribution | Closing formally, with court approval. |
| P-370 | Inventory of Property | Preparing the inventory within three months after appointment under AS 13.16.365. |
| P-380 and P-385 | Final Accounting and Proposed Distribution, and Receipt and Release | Accounting, distribution and receipts. |
| P-150 and P-151 | Revocable Transfer on Death Deed, and Revocation of Transfer on Death Deed | Passing Alaska real property outside probate under AS 13.48. |
| TF-920 | Request for Exemption from Payment of Fees | Requesting a fee waiver when the case is filed. |
Many probate forms must be signed under oath. The Alaska Court System states that notary services are available for free at all state court offices, and TF-835 is available for a filer who cannot sign before a notary.
Fees
$250 to open a probate of estates case, set by Administrative Rule 9(b)(2)(A) and published by the Alaska Court System as effective May 1, 2023. Administrative Rule 9 also sets the other probate and record-copy charges below.
| Item | Fee | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Probate of estates | $250 | Administrative Rule 9(b)(2)(A), published as effective May 1, 2023 |
| Depositing a will with the court for safekeeping | $50 | Administrative Rule 9(b)(2)(B), published as effective May 1, 2023 |
| Filing ancillary probate letters from a foreign court | $50 | Administrative Rule 9(b)(12)(A)(ii) and AS 13.21.030, published as effective May 1, 2023 |
| Certification of documents | $10 for the first, $3 each additional | Administrative Rule 9, published as effective May 1, 2023 |
| Copies, charged per document rather than per page | $5 for the first, $3 each additional | Administrative Rule 9, published as effective May 1, 2023 |
| Records research | $30.00 | Administrative Rule 9, published as effective May 1, 2023 |
| Petition for appointment of a temporary property custodian under AS 22.15.110(a)(3) | $0 | Administrative Rule 9(b)(2)(E), published as effective May 1, 2023 |
| Lodging a temporary property custodian affidavit and inventory | $0 | Administrative Rule 9(b)(2)(F), published as effective May 1, 2023 |
To ask the court to waive court fees, submit TF-920, Request for Exemption from Payment of Fees, when the case is filed. Administrative Rule 9(f)(1) waives fees for a person determined indigent under Administrative Rule 10, and Administrative Rule 9(f)(4) provides that a civil case is dismissed without prejudice and without notice if the fee is not paid or a waiver is not requested within 30 days from filing.
The Alaska Court System states that, in other cases, once a case is open there are no additional fees unless you request copies or other services.
Timeline
- Informal probate or informal appointment cannot be granted until at least 120 hours after death, which the Alaska Court System states as five days (AS 13.16.085; AS 13.16.110).
- The Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property can be presented thirty days after the death if the AS 13.16.680 requirements are met, including the $100,000 registered-vehicle ceiling and $50,000 other-personal-property ceiling set effective September 15, 2008, for deaths on or after that date.
- For a nonresident decedent, informal appointment is delayed until 30 days after death unless the personal representative appointed at the decedent's domicile is the applicant, or the will directs that Alaska law applies (AS 13.16.110).
- Within 30 days after appointment, send Information to Heirs and Devisees on P-340.
- Upon appointment, publish notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the judicial district, and mail or deliver notice to creditors you know of or could reasonably find out about (AS 13.16.450).
- Creditor claims that arose before death are barred four months after the first publication if notice is published, or three years after death if notice is not published (AS 13.16.460).
- The Alaska Court System states that the probate cannot be closed until at least six months after the date of first publication of the notice to creditors (courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/personal-rep-faq3.htm). AS 13.16.450 governs the publication duty itself.
- Prepare the inventory within three months after appointment, send it to interested persons who request it, and file the original with the court only if you choose to (AS 13.16.365).
- A claimant whose claim is disallowed must act within 60 days after the notice of disallowance is mailed if the notice warns of the bar (AS 13.16.475).
- Probate generally must be opened within three years after death, subject to the statutory exceptions in AS 13.16.040.
- For a small estate closed under AS 13.16.690 and AS 13.16.695, the appointment terminates one year after P-350 is filed if nothing involving the personal representative is pending.
- A claim against property transferred by a Transfer on Death Deed must be brought not later than 12 months after the transferor's death (AS 13.48.110).
State-specific considerations
California uses statewide Judicial Council forms (the DE-series). The same forms apply in all 58 counties, although counties may add local cover sheets. Los Angeles requires LASC PRO 010.
| Consideration | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Venue follows the judicial district | Alaska's probate venue rule looks to the judicial district of domicile, not to a borough, unified municipality or census area (AS 13.16.055). This is central to estate settlement because court-location pages identify the counter, while the state rule identifies the venue unit. |
| Alaska kept the registrar | Informal applications are assigned to a registrar, and AS 13.06.090 allows a judge, a designated clerk or a standing master in probate to perform the registrar's functions (AS 13.06.050(47); Probate Rule 2). The Alaska Court System's public-facing word is still usually the court. |
| Two different small-property routes | The Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property under AS 13.16.680 is presented to the holder of property after 30 days and uses the $100,000 and $50,000 ceilings set effective September 15, 2008, for deaths on or after that date. The small estate summary administrative procedure under AS 13.16.690 happens inside an open informal probate and uses a comparison, not those figures. |
| Probate is not on TrueFiling | TrueFiling operates statewide, but the Alaska Court System lists estates, trusts and wills among the case types that still have paper case files and cannot be submitted through TrueFiling. The court system says probate is planned to transition by the end of 2026, so check courts.alaska.gov/eFile/index.htm before filing. |
| Native corporation stock | Settlement common stock or other inalienable stock in a Native corporation organized under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act is not subject to probate and is not counted in the estate or allowance value; the corporation or its agent determines who is entitled when the stock does not pass through the stock certificate clause or form (AS 13.16.705). |
| Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend | The Alaska Court System identifies the Permanent Fund Dividend as personal property. It counts toward the $50,000 other-personal-property ceiling in AS 13.16.680, a figure set effective September 15, 2008, for deaths on or after that date. |
| Transfer on Death Deed | Alaska allows a Transfer on Death Deed for real property, recorded before death in the recorder's office in the recording district where the property is located (AS 13.48). The court system warns that creditors have one year after death to make a claim against property transferred this way. |
| Transfer on death titles | Effective July 1, 2026, AS 13.33.401 allows transfer on death titles for boats and vehicles titled by the state, enacted by SB 104 as ch. 12, SLA 2026. |
| Remote hearings | Under the Alaska Supreme Court's statewide order on remote and in person hearings, hearings in a probate case are presumptively remote apart from a listed set that includes contested estate hearings, and the judge can change the format for a particular hearing (Supreme Court Order No. 2012, effective November 13, 2023). Civil Rule 99 governs telephonic, video and internet participation. |
| Free notary service | The Alaska Court System states that notary services are available for free at all state court offices, which matters because many estate forms must be signed under oath. |
Small-estate alternatives
Alaska uses two separate mechanisms, and they should not be mixed together. The first is the Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property under AS 13.16.680. It is available thirty days after the death when no application or petition for appointment is pending or granted anywhere, the signer is a successor entitled to the property, registered vehicles are worth $100,000 or less, and other personal property is worth $50,000 or less, both after liens and encumbrances. Those two figures were set effective September 15, 2008, for deaths on or after that date, and they are not added together.
Form P-110 is the Alaska Court System form for that AS 13.16.680 affidavit route. The successor signs under oath and presents the form to the person or business holding the property. AS 13.16.685 protects the person who pays or delivers property under the affidavit, and it also allows a recovery proceeding if the holder refuses. Form P-110 also asks the person signing to state that the estate includes no real estate, or that any real estate passed automatically to someone else.
The second mechanism is the small estate summary administrative procedure inside an open informal probate (AS 13.16.690). After the inventory is prepared, the personal representative compares the estate value, less liens and encumbrances, to the homestead allowance, exempt property, family allowance, administration costs, funeral expenses, and the reasonable and necessary medical and hospital expenses of the last illness, added together. If the estate qualifies, the personal representative may distribute immediately without giving notice to creditors and closes with P-350 under AS 13.16.695. If no proceeding involving the personal representative is pending one year after that closing statement is filed, the appointment terminates (AS 13.16.695).
The allowance figures used in that AS 13.16.690 comparison are $27,000 for the homestead allowance under AS 13.12.402, $10,000 for exempt property under AS 13.12.403, and a family allowance the personal representative may determine in a lump sum up to $18,000 under AS 13.12.405. Those figures were confirmed current for a 2026 death and unchanged through the 2025 through 2026 legislature.
Recent updates
| Change | Detail |
|---|---|
| Transfer on death titles for boats and vehicles, new July 1, 2026 | SB 104 became law as ch. 12, SLA 2026 and took effect July 1, 2026, adding AS 13.33.401. An owner may apply to the state for a transfer on death title naming one or two designated beneficiaries, and the title passes to them when the sole owner or the last surviving joint owner dies. It is revocable at any time during the owner's life and is a nontestamentary transfer, so the boat or vehicle does not pass through probate. |
| Probate is still not on TrueFiling | The Alaska Court System lists estates, trusts and wills among the case types that still have paper case files as the official court record and cannot be submitted through TrueFiling, and says probate is planned to transition by the end of 2026. Confirmed unchanged on August 28, 2026, at courts.alaska.gov/eFile/index.htm. |
| Court filing fees effective May 1, 2023 | The Alaska Court System publishes its fee table headed Effective 5/1/2023: probate of estates $250, depositing a will $50, and filing ancillary probate letters from a foreign court $50. The underlying rule is Administrative Rule 9(b)(2), with an amendment history ending in SCO 2003 effective May 1, 2023 and SCO 2008 effective nunc pro tunc May 1, 2023. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Alaska path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | A home usually points away from the AS 13.16.680 personal-property affidavit, because that statute reaches personal property and instruments rather than land. If the property passed automatically, such as by tenants by the entirety or a Transfer on Death Deed recorded under AS 13.48, the spouse may not need letters for the home. If the will names the spouse and nobody objects, informal probate under AS 13.16.080 is usually the route, with the homestead allowance, family allowance and exempt property having priority under AS 13.12.402 through AS 13.12.405. | Sunset finds accounts, debts, liens, property records and beneficiary clues so the spouse can see whether estate settlement needs letters or whether assets pass outside the case. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the estate consists of registered vehicles worth $100,000 or less and other personal property worth $50,000 or less, both after liens and encumbrances, and the other AS 13.16.680 conditions are met, P-110 can be presented after 30 days and the court does not open a case. If a case is needed, Alaska allows a person who does not live in Alaska to serve as personal representative, and probate papers are filed at a court location in the correct judicial district under AS 13.16.055. | Sunset assembles the asset list that tests the two AS 13.16.680 ceilings, prepares the right form set when a case is needed, and helps the family avoid unnecessary travel where the court permits remote steps. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home that has to be sold usually requires letters of administration if there is no will, issued after appointment and acceptance under AS 13.16.015. The personal representative publishes notice to creditors under AS 13.16.450; claims are cut off four months after first publication under AS 13.16.460, and the Alaska Court System states that the probate cannot be closed until at least six months after first publication. If someone with equal or higher priority will not consent, or someone objects, the case may need formal probate under AS 13.16.145. | Sunset identifies balances, liens, creditor issues and sale-related documents, then connects the family to a vetted local probate attorney when the home sale or family priority issue needs counsel. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it helps with | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Court System probate self-help pages | The court system's own decedents' estates hub, with pages on informal probate, formal probate, small estates under AS 13.16.690, collecting property under AS 13.16.680, personal representative duties, debts, distribution, taxes, wills, Transfer on Death Deeds under AS 13.48, intestacy, trusts, laws, forms and flowcharts. | courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/index.htm |
| Alaska probate forms | The statewide P series probate form index used at every court location. | courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/forms.htm |
| AVA, the Alaska Virtual Assistant | The Alaska Court System's chatbot offered on probate self-help pages for probate estates questions. | courts.alaska.gov/shc/AVA/ava.htm |
| CourtView Public Access | Free case search at records.courts.alaska.gov. Estate cases use PR, deposited wills use WI, and the search does not require an account. | records.courts.alaska.gov |
| Filing fees and TF-920 fee waiver | The fee table published as effective May 1, 2023, including the $250 probate of estates charge under Administrative Rule 9, and the TF-920 fee waiver route. | courts.alaska.gov/shc/courtfees.htm |
| Telephonic hearings and conference lines | Location-by-location conference lines and meeting IDs. Remote participation is governed by Supreme Court Order No. 2012 and Civil Rule 99. | courts.alaska.gov/trialcourts/hearings.htm |
| Alaska Court System law libraries | Remote service by email and phone, plus law library access information. The published contacts are [email protected], 907-264-0856 and 888-282-2082. | courts.alaska.gov/library/locations.htm |
| Alaska Lawyer Referral Service | A free Alaska Bar Association referral service. Tell the service you need a probate lawyer; it provides names and telephone numbers of up to three lawyers, and listed lawyers agree to charge no more than $125 for the first half-hour consultation. | 907-272-0352, 1-800-770-9999 in Alaska, [email protected], alaskabar.org/for-lawyers/lawyer-referral-service/ |
| Alaska Bar Association section and unbundled lists | Directories for estate planning and probate lawyers and attorneys offering limited-scope help. | alaskabar.org/member-services/section-directories/ |
| Alaska Legal Services Corporation | Alaska's civil legal aid provider. Its published practice areas are civil areas such as consumer, family, housing, public benefits, health care, Alaska Native law, veterans and seniors; ask the program directly about your issue. | Statewide intake 1-888-478-2572, alsc-law.org/intake/ |
| alaskalawhelp.org probate basics | Short plain-language probate presentations linked by the Alaska Court System. | alaskalawhelp.org/classroom/the-basics-of-probate |
| Alaska Department of Revenue Tax Division estate tax page | The department's own historical overview of Alaska estate tax under AS 43.31. | tax.alaska.gov/programs/programs/index.aspx?60200 |
When to hire an attorney
You do not have to have a lawyer to open a probate in Alaska, and the Alaska Court System publishes forms and instructions for families who handle an informal case themselves. Counsel makes sense when the will cannot be found or is not self-proved, people with equal or higher priority disagree about who should serve, someone objects or seeks removal, the estate is insolvent or creditor questions are unclear, real property has to be sold on a timetable, Native corporation stock under AS 13.16.705 or a business interest is involved, or the matter needs formal probate under AS 13.16.145. Alaska lawyers may offer unbundled legal services for a specific task, and the Alaska Lawyer Referral Service will provide up to three lawyer names with a first half-hour consultation capped at $125. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney when the estate needs one.
How Sunset helps in Alaska
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions and helps the family build the asset and debt picture that decides the Alaska route. That matters here because AS 13.16.680 uses two separate ceilings, the Permanent Fund Dividend may count as personal property, and Native corporation stock under AS 13.16.705 sits outside probate.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the Alaska Court System P series forms for the route: P-110 for the Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property under AS 13.16.680, P-315 or P-325 for informal probate under AS 13.16.080, P-320 or P-330 for formal probate under AS 13.16.145, and the follow-up forms for notices, inventory, claims and closing.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate has a dispute, real property sale, creditor problem, tax question, Native corporation stock issue or formal hearing, Sunset connects the family to a vetted Alaska probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset helps families move through estate settlement without charging them, and keeps the work organized around the Alaska judicial district, the court location and the forms the court system actually uses.
Frequently asked questions
Where is probate filed in Alaska?
The first probate proceeding is filed in the judicial district where the person who died was domiciled at death (AS 13.16.055). Papers go to the clerk of court at an Alaska Court System location in that district. If the person was not domiciled in Alaska, venue can be in a judicial district where the person's property was located or where a fiduciary controlling that property resides or has its principal place of business (AS 13.16.055).
Does Alaska have a separate court for wills and estates?
Alaska has no separate court for decedents' estates. Probate is handled in the superior court, which has original jurisdiction in all civil and criminal matters, including probate (AS 22.10.020). Alaska's other trial court, the district court, is a court of limited jurisdiction and does not hear estates (AS 22.15.010).
Who acts on an informal probate application in Alaska?
Alaska law assigns informal applications to a registrar, an officer of the court. AS 13.06.090 allows the registrar's functions to be performed by a judge or by a clerk designated by written court order, and Probate Rule 2 says a standing master in probate serves as a registrar. For readers, the safe practical point is that the court reviews the application and issues the statement and letters if the requirements are met.
How soon after a death can probate be started in Alaska?
The court cannot grant informal probate or informal appointment until at least 120 hours have elapsed since death (AS 13.16.085; AS 13.16.110). The Alaska Court System states that, after that waiting period, the court usually takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to approve and sign the letters. If the person who died was not an Alaska resident, informal appointment is delayed until 30 days after death unless a statutory exception applies (AS 13.16.110).
How much does it cost to file a probate case in Alaska?
The filing fee is $250 to open a probate of estates case, set by Administrative Rule 9(b)(2)(A) and published by the Alaska Court System as effective May 1, 2023. Depositing a will costs $50 and filing ancillary probate letters from a foreign court costs $50, also under Administrative Rule 9 and the same May 1, 2023 fee table. A person who cannot afford court fees can submit TF-920 to request a fee waiver.
Can a small estate skip probate in Alaska?
Sometimes personal property can be collected without opening a case, but that is the Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property under AS 13.16.680. It applies after 30 days when registered vehicles are worth $100,000 or less and other personal property is worth $50,000 or less, both after liens and encumbrances, with those figures set effective September 15, 2008, for deaths on or after that date. A small estate under AS 13.16.690 is different: it is a summary administrative procedure inside an open informal probate and has no dollar ceiling.
Can I file probate papers online in Alaska?
Alaska's court system runs electronic filing through TrueFiling at every court location, but estates, trusts and wills are not on it: the Alaska Court System lists estates, trusts and wills among the case types that still have paper case files as the official court record and that cannot be submitted through TrueFiling. The court system says probate is planned to transition by the end of 2026, so check courts.alaska.gov/eFile/index.htm before you file. Filing by fax or electronic mail is allowed only where the presiding judge's administrative order or the assigned judge permits it under Civil Rule 5.1.
Can I appear by phone or video in an Alaska probate case?
Under the Alaska Supreme Court's statewide order on remote and in person hearings, hearings in a probate case are presumptively remote apart from a listed set that includes contested estate hearings, and the judge can change the format for a particular hearing (Supreme Court Order No. 2012, effective November 13, 2023). Telephonic, video or internet participation under Civil Rule 99 is allowed for good cause and where it will not substantially prejudice another party. Every court location publishes conference line information and meeting IDs through the Alaska Court System hearings page.
How do I look up an Alaska probate case online?
Use CourtView Public Access at records.courts.alaska.gov. It is free and requires no account. Estate case numbers end in PR, deposited wills end in WI, and CourtView is a case index rather than a document library.
Does Alaska have an inheritance tax or an estate tax?
Alaska imposes no inheritance tax on people who inherit. Alaska's estate tax chapter, AS 43.31, is written as a credit against the federal estate tax and produces no Alaska tax for a current death, but the chapter has not been repealed and AS 43.31.111 still speaks of a report to the Alaska Department of Revenue. The Alaska Department of Revenue Tax Division states: "Estate Tax - Alaska no longer has an estate tax. Alaska did have one until Jan. 1, 2005." Federal estate tax can still apply to a large estate. Ask a tax professional about both before you close an estate.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.