Alaska law forbids anyone under 16 from possessing a firearm of any kind without permission from a parent or guardian. “Possess” means you have control of the gun. You can be in control of a gun even if you do not have it with you at the moment. For example, you can be in possession of a gun hidden under your mattress even when you are not home.

If you are over 16 years old, you may generally possess a firearm, but there are limits. You may not possess any guns on school property. This means, for example, that you may not have a hunting rifle in your vehicle in the school’s parking lot. You may not have a gun at a day care center, at a courthouse, at a liquor store, or at a bar. You may not have a gun on your person, or in a vehicle you are riding in, if you are drunk or high. If you have been convicted of a felony, or are adjudicated delinquent for some serious offenses, you may not possess any firearm. Probation terms often limit possession of firearms, especially guns that can be concealed (like handguns or very short-barreled shotguns or rifles).

If you are carrying a gun when you have contact with any law enforcement officer, you must immediately tell the officer that you are in possession of a firearm.

If you are in a federal park or wildlife refuge in Alaska, you may carry a gun, but you cannot fire the gun, show off any weapon (including a gun) in the view of others, or use a gun in any other way. Park rules also prohibit you carrying a gun into a ranger station or park administrative office.

Under federal law, you must be 18 years old to purchase a shotgun or rifle, and you must be 21 years old to purchase a handgun from a federally licensed firearms dealer (like a gun shop, pawn shop, or store like Sportsman’s Warehouse or Walmart). These age restrictions also apply to buying ammunition.

Federal law also prohibits unlicensed sellers from selling handguns or handgun ammunition to anyone under 18.

If you meet the age requirements described above, you do not need a special state permit to buy a gun in Alaska. But you may be prohibited from purchasing any firearms if you have been convicted of a felony, or adjudicated a delinquent minor.

No, not if you are under 21. Unless you meet that age requirement, Alaska law forbids you from knowingly possessing a deadly weapon when the weapon is concealed on your person or when you are away from your own dwelling or land. The rule does not apply to an ordinary pocketknife or a “defensive weapon” like mace spray. There is also an exception if you are engaged in a lawful outdoor activity, like hunting, fishing, or trapping, that necessarily requires use of a deadly weapon for personal protection.

If you are 21 or older, Alaska law does not require a permit to carry a concealed weapon, but the State of Alaska does issue concealed carry permits for handguns to persons 21 or over. These permits are useful if you want to take a handgun to another state that requires a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

Unless you are over 16, you must have permission from a parent or guardian to have a switchblade or gravity knife. 

If you are under 21, you may not carry a “deadly weapon” if it is concealed on your person, or in certain places like schools. A knife may be considered a “deadly weapon.” Many schools forbid all knives from school grounds, including school buses.

Yes, the following weapons are always illegal in Alaska: metal knuckles (“brass knuckles”); explosive, incendiary, or noxious gases; firearms with silencers; fully automatic firearms; short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns. 

Firearms, switchblades, and gravity knives require permission from a parent or guardian unless you are over 16.