What Do I Need to Sign My Will in Alaska?
Witness, notary, and remote online notarization (RON) requirements for wills in Alaska.
Frequently Asked Questions
Alaska requires 2 witnesses for a willAS 13.12.502Verified Sep 15, 2026View source. A witness must be at least 18 years old.
Alaska does not require notarization for a will to be validAS 13.12.502Verified Sep 15, 2026View source. The notary's usual role in Alaska is the optional self-proving affidavit: a notarized statement signed with the will that lets it enter probate without locating the witnesses.
Alaska has authorized remote online notarization for many documentsAS 44.50.075Verified Sep 4, 2026View source, but wills are excludedAS 44.50.075Verified Sep 4, 2026View source; the notarization happens in person.
To execute a will in Alaska: Find 2 adults to serve as witnesses. Review witness restrictions to ensure eligibility. Get the document notarized (standard practice, not required). Wet signature and in-person signing required
Yes. Alaska has adopted the Uniform Probate Code, which validates a will under any of three tests: it complied with the law of the place of execution, the law of the testator's domicile when signed, or the law of the testator's domicile at death (UPC § 2-506). The practical wrinkle is the self-proving affidavit: without one, the witnesses may need to testify when the will enters probate. The Alaska document portability tool carries the recognition rule by document type.
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Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate in Alaska
Free forms for planning your estate in Alaska: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
Last Will and Testament
In Alaska, a will is signed before 2AS 13.12.502Verified Sep 15, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyAS 13.12.502Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Alaska allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2AS 13.52.300Verified Jul 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
Alaska requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityAS 13.26.600, AS 13.26.605, AS 13.26.610, AS 13.26.615, AS 13.26.620, AS 13.26.625, AS 13.26.645, AS 13.26.650, AS 13.26.660, AS 13.26.665, AS 13.26.670, AS 13.26.675, AS 13.26.680, AS 13.26.695; AS 40.17.080, AS 40.17.090, AS 40.17.110 (recording); AS 13.28.010-095 (interstate recognition)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryAS 13.26.600, AS 13.26.605, AS 13.26.610, AS 13.26.615, AS 13.26.620, AS 13.26.625, AS 13.26.645, AS 13.26.650, AS 13.26.660, AS 13.26.665, AS 13.26.670, AS 13.26.675, AS 13.26.680, AS 13.26.695; AS 40.17.080, AS 40.17.090, AS 40.17.110 (recording); AS 13.28.010-095 (interstate recognition)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source.
Transfer on Death Deed
In Alaska, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryAS 13.48.010-.195Verified Aug 24, 2026, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathAS 13.48.010-.195Verified Aug 24, 2026.
Vehicle Transfer on Death
Name a beneficiary to inherit your vehicle at death without probate. Available in 26 states and the District of Columbia.
Living Will
In Alaska, the living will is the Advance Health Care DirectiveAS 13.52 (Health Care Decisions Act), §§ 13.52.010-13.52.395; as amended by ch. 24 SLA 26 (HB 195) and ch. 21 SLA 26 (SB 89)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a written instruction that is valid with no agent named.
Pour-Over Will
In Alaska, a pour-over will is signed before 2AS 13.12.502Verified Sep 15, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in Alaska
Free tools for planning your estate in Alaska: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.
Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Alaska, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.1%AS 13.16.440 (court reviews reasonableness of compensation paid to agents/attorneys employed by the estate; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.3%AS 13.16.440 (court reviews reasonableness of compensation paid to agents/attorneys employed by the estate; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Alaska runs $3,300Clio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jul 1, 2026View source to $4,950Clio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jul 1, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Does a Will Cost?
An attorney-prepared will in Alaska runs $1,119Clio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jul 1, 2026View source to $2,238Clio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jul 1, 2026View source, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $27,032AS 13.16.440 (court reviews reasonableness of compensation paid to agents/attorneys employed by the estate; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
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Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.
How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?
In Alaska, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a willAS 13.26.121, 13.26.126, 13.26.132Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18AS 25.20.010Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Alaska takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2.1%AS 13.16.440 (court reviews reasonableness of compensation paid to agents/attorneys employed by the estate; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.3%AS 13.16.440 (court reviews reasonableness of compensation paid to agents/attorneys employed by the estate; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
Alaska Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering Alaska probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.
