How to make a will in Alaska

Alaska will requirements at a glance

How to sign a will in Alaska

1. Print your will and read every word. Fill in any blanks in ink, but don't sign yet.
2. Choose two adult witnesses who receive nothing under your will and aren't married to anyone who does.
3. Sign and date your will in front of both witnesses, at the same time. Then each witness signs while you and the other witness watch. (AS 13.12.502(a))
4. Make it self-proving. You and your witnesses sign a short self-proving affidavit in front of a notary, so the court won't need to find your witnesses later. (AS 13.12.504)
5. Store the original safely and tell your executor where it is. Alaska also lets you deposit your will with the probate court for safekeeping.

Who can make a will

Anyone 18 or older and of sound mind. (AS 13.12.501)

Witness rules

Each witness signs within a reasonable time after witnessing the testator sign, or after the testator acknowledges the signature or the will. The statute does not require witnesses to sign in the testator's presence or each other's. Someone else may sign for the testator in the testator's conscious presence and at the testator's direction. (AS 13.12.502(a))

If a witness inherits: No effect: signing by an interested witness does not invalidate the will or any provision of it (AS 13.12.505(b)).

Handwritten wills

Valid whether or not witnessed if the signature and material portions of the document are in the testator's handwriting (AS 13.12.502(b)).

Self-proving affidavit

Testator acknowledgment and witness affidavits before an officer authorized to administer oaths, at signing or later. (AS 13.12.504)

Can I sign my will online in Alaska?

No. No electronic-will or remote-witnessing statute found in AS 13.12; Alaska is not on 2026 lists of electronic-will states.

Print your will and sign it on paper with your witnesses in the same room.

Online notarization: A notary located in Alaska may notarize for a remotely located person by audio-video with identity proofing and a recording kept 10 years. The statute does not mention wills; it does not authorize remote witnessing of the will itself. (AS 44.50.075 (enacted by HB 124, 2020; effective Jan. 1, 2021 per NNA summary))

Good to know in Alaska

You can deposit your will with the court for safekeeping during your lifetime; it stays confidential and is released only to you or someone you authorize in writing (AS 13.12.515). Holographic wills are valid without witnesses.

Estate and inheritance taxes

Alaska has no state estate or inheritance tax (2026). The federal estate tax applies only to estates over $15,000,000 per person in 2026, and gifts to charity are deductible.

Alaska will questions

Does a will need to be notarized in Alaska?

No. Two witnesses make a Alaska will valid. A notary is needed only for the optional self-proving affidavit, which lets the court accept your will without contacting your witnesses.

Are handwritten wills legal in Alaska?

Valid whether or not witnessed if the signature and material portions of the document are in the testator's handwriting (AS 13.12.502(b)).

Can a beneficiary witness a will in Alaska?

No effect: signing by an interested witness does not invalidate the will or any provision of it (AS 13.12.505(b)).

Can I make a will online in Alaska?

You can write your will online for free with MyLastWill, then print it and sign it with your witnesses. Alaska doesn't allow electronic wills, so the will must be signed on paper.

Does Alaska have an estate or inheritance tax?

Alaska has no state estate or inheritance tax (2026). The federal estate tax applies only to estates over $15,000,000 per person in 2026, and gifts to charity are deductible.

Last reviewed October 24, 2026 against Alaska statutes. Laws change, and this is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, talk with a Alaska attorney.