Open Carry in Alaska
Whether open carry is legal in Alaska, any permit or age rules, and where it is banned.
Short answer: Allowed without a permit. Alaska's weapons article (AS 11.61.190-11.61.250) regulates concealed carry and lists places where firearms are banned, but contains no permit requirement for openly carried firearms. AS 11.61.220(a)(3), (a)(6), (j); DPS Concealed Handgun Permits page
| Open carry | Allowed without a permit. Alaska's weapons article (AS 11.61.190-11.61.250) regulates concealed carry and lists places where firearms are banned, but contains no permit requirement for openly carried firearms. The age limit of 21 in AS 11.61.220 applies to concealed carry; an unemancipated minor under 16 may not possess a firearm without a parent's or guardian's consent (class B misdemeanor). The place restrictions in prohibited_places apply to open carry too. DPS: Alaska's laws 'do not prohibit anyone 21 or older who may legally possess a firearm from carrying it concealed or open. A firearms permit is not required.' Reviewed AS 11.61 Article 2 (Weapons and Explosives, AS 11.61.190-11.61.250) and AS 18.65 (all articles, incl. Article 10 concealed handgun permits and Article 11 firearms) on akleg.gov (Alaska Statutes 2025) on 2026-10-27; no provision found. |
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| Guns in your car | No permit is needed. Adults 21 and older may carry a concealed handgun, including in a vehicle, but must immediately tell a contacting peace officer about a concealed deadly weapon on their person and let the officer secure it during the contact. It is a class A misdemeanor to have a firearm on the person or in the interior of a vehicle in which the person is present while impaired by alcohol or a controlled substance. Under AS 18.65.800, the state, a municipality or a person may not prohibit someone who may legally possess a firearm from having it in their vehicle or from storing it locked in a legally parked vehicle, including on another person's property; an employer may still bar firearms in a secured restricted access area, in its own vehicles, and in its parking lot within 300 feet of that area if it posts notice. At schools and licensed child care facilities, a person 21 or older may keep an unloaded firearm in the trunk or in a closed container in a motor vehicle. The statute contains no separate rule that a gun in a vehicle must be unloaded or in plain sight; an earlier ADF&G guidance page saying vehicle firearms must be 'in plain sight or, if concealed, out of reach' was not found in current AS 11.61 text and is no longer used here. Reviewed AS 11.61 Article 2 (Weapons and Explosives, AS 11.61.190-11.61.250) and AS 18.65 (all articles, incl. Article 10 concealed handgun permits and Article 11 firearms) on akleg.gov (Alaska Statutes 2025) on 2026-10-27; no provision found. |
| Where guns are banned | Schools: possessing a deadly weapon or defensive weapon in the buildings, on the grounds or school parking lot of a public or private preschool through secondary school, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored event, without permission of the school's chief administrative officer, is a class A misdemeanor; adults 21+ may keep a deadly weapon other than a loaded firearm in a car trunk or closed container in a vehicle. Child care facilities: a firearm on the grounds or adjacent parking lot of a licensed child care facility (not a private home) is a class B misdemeanor, except an unloaded firearm in a trunk or closed container in a vehicle for adults 21+. Also class B misdemeanors: a firearm in a courtroom or office of the Alaska Court System or a courthouse occupied only by the court system and justice agencies; a firearm in a state-funded domestic violence or sexual assault shelter; a loaded firearm in a place where liquor is sold for drinking on the premises (with a defense for a concealed handgun in a licensed restaurant if the person does not drink, and for owners or employees on the premises); and a concealed deadly weapon in another person's home without an adult resident's permission. Having a firearm while impaired by alcohol or drugs is a class A misdemeanor. Municipalities may ban firearms in posted restricted-access areas of municipal buildings, and employers may ban them in posted secured restricted access areas. Permit holders are also barred anywhere state or federal law prohibits handgun possession (AS 18.65.755). Firearm rules in state and national park units are set by regulation and federal law and are not covered here. A felon who possesses a concealable firearm on school or licensed child care grounds commits a class B felony (AS 11.61.195(a)(2)). |
More Alaska gun laws
- Concealed Carry in Alaska
- Buying a Gun in Alaska
- Red Flag Law and Weapon Limits in Alaska
- All Alaska gun laws rules
FAQ
Is open carry legal in Alaska?
Allowed without a permit. Alaska's weapons article (AS 11.61.190-11.61.250) regulates concealed carry and lists places where firearms are banned, but contains no permit requirement for openly carried firearms. The age limit of 21 in AS 11.61.220 applies to concealed carry; an unemancipated minor under 16 may not possess a firearm without a parent's or guardian's consent (class B misdemeanor). The place restrictions in prohibited_places apply to open carry too. DPS: Alaska's laws 'do not prohibit anyone 21 or older who may legally possess a firearm from carrying it concealed or open. A firearms permit is not required.'
Can you keep a gun in your car in Alaska without a permit?
No permit is needed. Adults 21 and older may carry a concealed handgun, including in a vehicle, but must immediately tell a contacting peace officer about a concealed deadly weapon on their person and let the officer secure it during the contact. It is a class A misdemeanor to have a firearm on the person or in the interior of a vehicle in which the person is present while impaired by alcohol or a controlled substance. Under AS 18.65.800, the state, a municipality or a person may not prohibit someone who may legally possess a firearm from having it in their vehicle or from storing it locked in a legally parked vehicle, including on another person's property; an employer may still bar firearms in a secured restricted access area, in its own vehicles, and in its parking lot within 300 feet of that area if it posts notice. At schools and licensed child care facilities, a person 21 or older may keep an unloaded firearm in the trunk or in a closed container in a motor vehicle.
Where can't you carry a gun in Alaska?
Schools: possessing a deadly weapon or defensive weapon in the buildings, on the grounds or school parking lot of a public or private preschool through secondary school, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored event, without permission of the school's chief administrative officer, is a class A misdemeanor; adults 21+ may keep a deadly weapon other than a loaded firearm in a car trunk or closed container in a vehicle. Child care facilities: a firearm on the grounds or adjacent parking lot of a licensed child care facility (not a private home) is a class B misdemeanor, except an unloaded firearm in a trunk or closed container in a vehicle for adults 21+. Also class B misdemeanors: a firearm in a courtroom or office of the Alaska Court System or a courthouse occupied only by the court system and justice agencies; a firearm in a state-funded domestic violence or sexual assault shelter; a loaded firearm in a place where liquor is sold for drinking on the premises (with a defense for a concealed handgun in a licensed restaurant if the person does not drink, and for owners or employees on the premises); and a concealed deadly weapon in another person's home without an adult resident's permission. Having a firearm while impaired by alcohol or drugs is a class A misdemeanor. Municipalities may ban firearms in posted restricted-access areas of municipal buildings, and employers may ban them in posted secured restricted access areas.
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.