Estate plan

Alaska

Everything to plan your estate in Alaska: execution requirements, the documents we generate, statutory citations, and the exact wording our generators insert.

Will

Trust

—

POA

HC Directive

E-will

Not adopted

RON

Limited

Since 2021, not all documents

ROW

Not allowed

Remote online witnessing

Community property

Minimum age

NW + N = N witnesses + notarizationNW = N witnesses, no notarizationN = notarization, no witnesses— = no formal requirements

Will

Alaska Stat. §13.12.501 et seq.

Witnesses: 2 required

Two witnesses must sign within reasonable time after witnessing testator's signing or acknowledgment

Notarization: Recommended

Not legally required, but recommended for self-proving affidavit

Holographic will: Valid

Handwritten wills without witnesses are recognized in Alaska

Self-proving affidavit: Available

Allows the will to be admitted to probate without witness testimony

Living Trust

Witnesses: None required

No formal execution requirements beyond settlor signature; notarization strongly recommended when funding real property

Notarization: Recommended

Not legally required for the trust document, but needed to transfer real property

Durable Power of Attorney

Alaska Stat. §13.26.600 et seq.

Witnesses: None required

No witnesses required for power of attorney

Notarization: Required

Notarization is required for a valid durable power of attorney

State-specific notes

•Execution requires the principal's signature acknowledged before a notary public or other officer authorized to take acknowledgments (Alaska Stat. §13.26.600(a)). If the principal is physically unable to sign, the principal may direct another individual to sign in the principal's conscious presence (§13.26.600(a)(1), (b))

•DURABILITY IS OPT-IN, NOT DEFAULT. To survive the principal's later incapacity, the instrument must expressly state \"This power of attorney shall not be affected by the subsequent incapacity of the principal\" or \"This power of attorney shall become effective upon the incapacity of the principal,\" or substantially similar words (Alaska Stat. §13.26.675(a)). Alaska is the opposite of UPOAA states on this point: a POA silent as to durability terminates on incapacity

•The statutory form (Alaska Stat. §13.26.645) provides explicit checkboxes for (a) when the POA becomes effective and (b) whether it is affected by subsequent incapacity. Both must be marked or the durability default fails

•The agent may not revoke a transfer on death deed made under AS 13.48 unless the principal expressly grants that authority in the GRANT OF SPECIFIC AUTHORITY section of the statutory form (Alaska Stat. §13.26.645, §13.48.070(e))

ViewStatutory warning notice

GENERAL POWER OF ATTORNEY THE POWERS GRANTED FROM THE PRINCIPAL TO THE AGENT OR AGENTS IN THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENT ARE VERY BROAD. THEY MAY INCLUDE THE POWER TO DISPOSE, SELL, CONVEY, AND ENCUMBER YOUR REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY. ACCORDINGLY, THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENT SHOULD ONLY BE USED AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT, YOU SHOULD SEEK COMPETENT ADVICE. YOU MAY REVOKE THIS POWER OF ATTORNEY AT ANY TIME.

Advance Health Care Directive

Alaska Stat. §13.52.010 et seq.

Witnesses: 2 required, or notary

Alaska accepts either 2 witnesses or notarization

Notarization: Accepted as alternative

A notary public may be used in lieu of witnesses

State-specific notes

•Agent restriction (Alaska Stat. §13.52.010(c)): unless related to the principal by blood, marriage, or adoption, the agent may not be an owner, operator, or employee of the health care institution at which the principal is receiving care

•Witness disqualifications (Alaska Stat. §13.52.010(d)): a witness may NOT be (1) a health care provider employed at the institution where the principal is receiving care, (2) an employee of the health care provider or the institution, or (3) the agent. These disqualifications apply to witnesses only; a notary is NOT disqualified on these grounds and may take the acknowledgment regardless of provider status

•At least one witness must be unrelated and disinterested (Alaska Stat. §13.52.010(e)): at least one of the two witnesses must be a person who is NOT related to the principal by blood, marriage, or adoption AND is NOT entitled to a portion of the principal's estate under a will, codicil, or by operation of law

•Execution may be by either two qualifying witnesses OR by notary acknowledgment (Alaska Stat. §13.52.010(b)); a notary acknowledgment satisfies execution alone and does not also require witnesses

Plus

6 more documents with Will.com Plus

$29/year unlocks the documents below alongside the four free ones above. Your answers and documents are saved privately to your account, encrypted in your browser, so you can revise them any time life changes.

Disposition of Remains Authorization

Names the agent who controls funeral, burial, or cremation decisions, with optional preferences.

HIPAA Authorization

Stand-alone PHI release that survives death for the period you specify, separate from the in-life authorization in your healthcare directive.

Nomination of Conservator

Pre-nominates the person you want a court to appoint if a conservator (or guardian of the estate) is ever needed.

Business Succession Declaration

Identifies your interests in any closely-held businesses and how they should be transferred or wound down.

Real-Estate Retitling Checklist

Step-by-step instructions for transferring real-property deeds into your trust so the trust actually controls those assets.

Letter of Instruction

Non-binding personal note to your executor and family: where to find documents, account access, funeral wishes, and other practical guidance.

Free vs. Plus

Free

Plus

All 4 state-specific documents

State-specific signing guide

Download as PDF, print forever

Covers real estate, business, digital, and funeral wishes

Disposition of remains authorization

Standalone HIPAA authorization

Nomination of conservator

Business succession declaration

Real-estate retitling checklist

Special needs trust provisions

Letter of instruction, pre-filled and editable

Edit anytime, stored in your account

Annual review reminder

See Will.com Plus →

Electronic will status

Alaska has not adopted electronic will legislation. A traditional paper will with physical signatures is required.

Digital assets access

Alaska has adopted RUFADAA (2017). This is the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, which lets your executor, trustee, or agent access your email, social media, cryptocurrency wallets, cloud storage, and other digital accounts after death or incapacity.

To take advantage of RUFADAA, your will, trust, or power of attorney must explicitly grant authority to access digital assets. Without explicit authorization, service providers can deny access even to a court-appointed executor.

Remote online notarization (RON)

Alaska authorized RON in 2021.

Will

Not allowed

Trust

Allowed

POA

Allowed

Remote online witnessing (ROW)

Alaska does not allow remote online witnessing for estate planning documents. Witnesses must be physically present when you sign.

Will

Not allowed

Trust

Not allowed

POA

Not allowed

HC Directive

Not allowed

Last reviewed: May 12, 2026.

This information is general in nature and not legal advice. Laws change. Consult a licensed estate planning attorney in Alaska for guidance specific to your situation.

Also for Alaska

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Free last will and testament, valid in Alaska.

Alaska healthcare directive

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Alaska power of attorney

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Alaska living trust

Skip probate and keep your estate private.

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