◆ ALASKA · CARRY LAW
Alaska.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
Kept in this browser only. Never sent to us.
◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
Yes
Open, no permit
Yes
In a vehicle, no permit
Yes
Getting a permit
Yes, shall-issue
- You must tell an officer you are carrying, before being asked.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What Alaska requires
The state's permit is the Concealed Handgun Permit, issued by the Department of Public Safety.
Carrying without a permit3
Can I carry concealed here without a permit?
Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.
Yes
Yes, from 21, and no permit is needed, but read the next row carefully. If an officer contacts you, you must tell them immediately that you are carrying, and failing to is itself the crime.
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
Yes
Yes. The offense reaches a weapon “concealed on the person”, so open carry sits outside it.
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
Yes
Yes, from 21, on the same terms as on foot. Including the duty to tell an officer.
Permits and age3
If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?
Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.
Yes, shall-issue
The Department of Public Safety issues. You do not need it to carry in Alaska. It is worth having because other states recognize it.
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
Not confirmed
No. Alaska licenses its own residents, and a visitor of 21 or over needs nothing anyway.
How old do I have to be to carry here?
The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.
21
21 for concealed carry. Below that, concealing a deadly weapon is itself an offense.
If an officer stops you1
Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?
"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.
Required
Yes, and Alaska is unusually strict about it. If a peace officer contacts you while you are carrying concealed, you must IMMEDIATELY tell them, not on request, and not only if you hold a permit. Failing to is the offense.
Buying and owning2
Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?
Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.
Not required
No permit or license to buy, and no state waiting period.
No purchase-permit provision in Alaska Stat. § 11.61.220Read at FindLaw ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 11.61.220 on 2026-09-06. Alaska licenses CARRYING and the section creates no permit to acquire.Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
No limit
Alaska sets no cap on magazine capacity.
No magazine capacity provision in Alaska Stat. § 11.61.220Read at FindLaw ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 11.61.220 on 2026-09-06. The weapons-misconduct section, and found no capacity limit.How the state governs guns2
Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?
Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.
No, state law is the only law
Cities and boroughs may not regulate firearms.
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
No, none in this state
Alaska has no extreme-risk protection order.
No extreme-risk order in Alaska lawRead at FindLaw ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Searched for an Alaska extreme-risk or red-flag order on 2026-09-06. Alaska’s domestic violence protective orders can reach firearms through federal prohibited-person rules, and no petition-based extreme-risk order exists alongside them.◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits Alaska honors
If you are visiting Alaska, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored54
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where Alaska permits are honored
If you live in Alaska, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored30
Honored, with a condition3
Not honored19
Not settled2
◆ NFA ITEMS
Suppressors and NFA legality
Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.
Can I possess a suppressor here?
Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
◆ SOURCES
Where this comes from
This is information, not legal advice. Gun law changes often and the penalty for getting it wrong is criminal. Confirm every answer with the state before you carry there.
- The authority
- the Department of Public Safety ↗
- ATF’s index
- Alaska firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)