Tools for When Someone Dies in Alaska

After a death in Alaska, the estate either qualifies for the simplified procedure for estates under $150,000 or goes through probate, where creditors have 4 months to file claims after notice.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

13 tools for Alaska

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?

In Alaska, certified death certificates come from the Alaska Department of Health - Health Analytics and Vital Records; the first copy costs $30, additional copies $25 each.

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Do I Need Probate?

In Alaska, estates with personal property of $150,000 or less skip probate with the Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property, 30 days after death.

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What Taxes Apply to My Inheritance?

Alaska imposes no inheritance or estate tax; probate assets arrive when the estate closes, 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate.

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What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in My State?

Alaska allows you to name your own agent in a signed, written document, and that designation takes priority over the statutory order of next of kin who otherwise control disposition of the remains.

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Can I Self-File Probate?

In Alaska, informal probate is available, and a self-represented executor can usually handle it for a simple, uncontested estate.

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How Do I Get Appointed as Executor?

In Alaska, the Superior Court for the State of Alaska appoints the personal representative and the Registrar issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration; an informal (registrar) track is available.

See the Steps

What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?

In Alaska, creditors have 4 months from first publication of the creditor notice to present claims; late claims are barred.

Check Deadlines

What Happens When an Estate Is Insolvent?

When an estate owes more than it holds, Alaska pays the claims in 6 classes in statutory order, beginning with costs and expenses of administration.

Check the Payment Order

How Do I Open an Estate Account When Someone Dies?

Compare estate-account opening requirements bank by bank: channels, required documents, and steps.

See Bank Requirements

When Do I Have to Withdraw an Inherited IRA?

See which federal withdrawal rules apply to an inherited IRA, Roth IRA, or employer plan, the deadline year, and the missed-withdrawal tax.

Check Withdrawal Rules

What Is the Estate's Personal Property Worth for Probate?

Estimate the fair market value of household items for probate and see how it affects fees.

Estimate Value

How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in Alaska: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 days of appointment; creditors have 4 months to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.

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What Do I Do When Someone Dies?

After a death in Alaska, the estate either qualifies for the simplified procedure for estates under $150,000 or goes through probate, where creditors have 4 months to file claims after notice.

Get the Checklist

In Alaska, the first certified copy costs $30, and each additional copy ordered at the same time $25. Copies ordered together cost less than separate orders placed later. The Alaska estate settlement plan lists the accounts and institutions that each want a certified copy.

Standard processing in Alaska takes 2-3 months for mail/fax. Expedited service takes At least 2-3 weeks for VitalChek orders. A funeral home's order at the time of death usually arrives first.

Alaska sets a statutory order for who controls the disposition of remains: the individual who was the spouse of the decedent at the time of the decedent's death, then the sole surviving competent adult child, or a majority of the surviving competent adult children, then the surviving competent parents of the decedent. The state allows you to name your own agent in a signed, written document, and that designation takes priority over the default order. Those wishes can be recorded alongside the rest of an estate plan when you create a revocable living trust.

Alaska imposes no statutory minimum waiting period before cremation. The person with disposition authority under AS 13.75.020 must authorize the cremation. If the decedent left a disposition document stating they did not wish to be cremated, no person may authorize cremation (AS 13.75.070). A burial-transit permit from the local registrar is required before cremation, and is issued once the death certificate has been filed (AS 18.50.250; 7 AAC 05.460).

Alaska allows estates with personal property of $150,000 or less to use the Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property, which avoids full probate administration. The Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property is presented directly to the bank, employer, or other holder of the property — it is not filed with a court. The waiting period is 30 days after death.

Tools for When Someone Dies in Alaska

The first weeks after a death are a short list of practical tasks: certified copies of the death certificate, the burial or cremation arrangements the state allows, and finding out whether the estate needs a court process at all. The What to Do When Someone Dies Checklist puts them in order for your state, split by whether the person left a will, a trust, or nothing.

Certified death certificates in Alaska come from the Alaska Department of Health - Health Analytics and Vital Records; the first copy costs $30. In Alaska, probate on a $500,000 estate costs about $27,032, and a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 15, 2026

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Data sourced from Alaska statutes and official state code. How we research.