✓ Verified June 2026
This guide covers Alaska estate planning in plain English — the exact age, witness, and notarization rules, whether a handwritten will is valid, and how to make your will self-proving. All figures are from Alaska law, verified as of June 2026.
In This Alaska Guide:
Alaska Will Requirements at a Glance
Here are the exact rules for making a valid will in Alaska:
| Minimum age to make a will | 18 — any individual age 18 or older who is of sound mind may make a will (AS 13.12.501) |
| Witnesses required | 2 — the testator must sign (or acknowledge the signature) in front of two witnesses, each of whom must also be at least 18 years old; witnesses must sign within a reasonable time after witnessing the testator’s signature (AS 13.12.502(a), AS 13.12.505) |
| Notarization required | NO — notarization is not required to make a valid will in Alaska; however, notarization is needed if you want to attach a self-proving affidavit, which allows the will to be admitted to probate without requiring witness testimony (AS 13.12.502, AS 13.12.504) |
| Handwritten (holographic) will allowed | YES with conditions — Alaska recognizes holographic (handwritten) wills; the testator’s signature and the material portions of the will must be in the testator’s own handwriting; no witnesses are required for a holographic will; the signature may appear anywhere on the document (AS 13.12.502(b)) |
| Self-proving affidavit available | YES — the testator and both witnesses may sign a sworn affidavit before a notary public (or other officer authorized to administer oaths) using statutory form language; this affidavit may be executed at the same time as the will or added at any later date; a self-proving will may be admitted to probate without the witnesses needing to testify (AS 13.12.504) |
| Statutory will form | NO — Alaska does not have a legislatively enacted statutory fill-in-the-blank will form; however, the Alaska Court System Self-Help Center provides probate-related forms at courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/forms.htm, and Alaska LawHelp (alaskalawhelp.org) offers a free guided will-preparation resource |
What a Alaska Will Does (and Doesn’t Do)
a valid Alaska will may name a personal representative (executor) to manage the estate through probate; name a guardian for minor children; direct how probate assets are distributed among beneficiaries; make specific bequests of personal property, real estate, or cash; create a testamentary trust for minors or other beneficiaries; and express wishes regarding burial or cremation
What a Alaska will does NOT control: a will does not control assets that pass outside probate — these include life insurance proceeds with a named beneficiary, retirement accounts (401(k), IRA) with a named beneficiary, payable-on-death (POD) bank accounts, transfer-on-death (TOD) investment accounts, property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, assets held in a living trust,
and community property with right of survivorship agreements (Alaska is an opt-in community property state)
Oral wills in Alaska: NO — Alaska requires all wills to be in writing; oral (nuncupative) wills are not recognized under Alaska’s Uniform Probate Code (AS 13.12.502)
How to Update or Revoke a Alaska Will
a will may be amended by executing a codicil, which must meet the same formalities as the original will (signed by the testator with two witnesses); a will may be revoked by executing a new will that expressly revokes the prior one, by executing a later will with inconsistent provisions (the later will controls),
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or by the testator (or someone at the testator’s direction and in the testator’s conscious presence) burning, tearing, canceling, obliterating, or destroying the will with intent to revoke; divorce or annulment automatically revokes all provisions in favor of the former spouse (AS 13.12.507, AS 13.12.804)
Other Alaska will-making rules: Alaska adopted the Uniform Probate Code with a “harmless error” (substantial compliance) doctrine — a court may treat a document as a valid will even if it does not strictly meet all execution formalities, if clear and convincing evidence shows the decedent intended it as their will (AS 13.12.503); a beneficiary named in the will may serve as a witness without forfeiting their bequest,
unlike many older common-law states (AS 13.12.505); witnesses are not required to sign in the testator’s presence — they must sign within a reasonable time after witnessing; Alaska is one of the few states that offers opt-in community property through a community property agreement, which may affect how assets pass at death and what the will controls;
Alaska has not enacted a broad electronic or remote wills statute as of 2026, so paper-and-ink execution remains the standard
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Understanding Alaska Estate Planning
Getting started with Alaska estate planning is the single best gift you can give your family. A valid Alaska will lets you decide who inherits, name an executor, and name a guardian for your children — instead of leaving it to a default state formula.
When people look into Alaska estate planning, the real answer comes down to the state’s execution rules: your age, the number of witnesses, and whether you make it self-proving. If any part of Alaska estate planning is unclear, your state court’s self-help center can point you to the official forms and resources.
Official Alaska Sources & Resources
- Alaska Court Self-Help: https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/index.htm
- Alaska Wills Statute: https://law.justia.com/codes/alaska/title-13/chapter-12/article-5/
- Internal Revenue Service — Estate Tax: irs.gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex
This Alaska will guide was last verified against official sources in June 2026. Laws change — verify with your state court or a licensed attorney.
More Alaska Wills & Probate Guides
- Alaska Probate Process
- Dying Without a Will in Alaska
- Alaska Estate & Inheritance Tax
- Alaska Small Estate Affidavit
- Alaska Living Trust
- Probate Cost Calculator
- All 51 States
Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. Estate, probate, and tax laws change and vary by state and county. Verify current rules and dollar figures with your state’s court, statute, or a licensed attorney or tax professional before acting. For urgent matters like an active probate or a tax deadline, consult a licensed professional in your state right away.