Alaska Executor & Trustee Checklist
You've been named executor or trustee in Alaska — and probably handed no instructions. This is the ordered list of what to do, in the sequence Alaska expects it, with the deadlines and terminology that are specific to this state. Work down it, check things off, and nothing important slips.
- Who administers the estate
- Personal Representative (executor if testate; administrator if intestate)
- Court
- Superior Court (probate handled with magistrate/probate masters in each judicial district)
- Appointment document
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- Creditor claim window
- 4 months from first publication
- Inventory deadline
- Within 3 months after appointment
- Trustee notice deadline
- Alaska has NOT adopted the UTC
- State death tax
- No estate tax, no inheritance tax
If you're the Executor / Personal Representative
The probate track — administering the estate through the Superior Court (probate handled with magistrate/probate masters in each judicial district).
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This is the document that proves you have authority to act as Personal Representative (executor if testate; administrator if intestate).
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Publish notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation (AS 13.16.455 et seq.). Known creditors should get actual notice; barred if not filed by the later of the published deadline or 60 days after actual notice.
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Within 3 months after appointment (AS 13.16.365); mailed to interested persons who request it — filing with the court is optional.
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30 days — as a UPC state, the PR must give information to heirs and devisees within 30 days after appointment (AS 13.16.360).
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Get an EIN for the estate from the IRS (free at irs.gov, ~10 minutes) — the estate is its own taxpayer and you'll need it before a bank will open an account.
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Open a dedicated estate bank account — every dollar in or out flows through it; commingling estate money with your own is the fastest way to get into trouble.
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Keep receipts and records of every transaction and decision — not just what you did, but why; your final accounting is built from this and it's your protection if a choice is ever questioned.
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Pay valid claims and taxes before distributing anything, in the statutory order — paying family first can leave you personally liable. No estate tax, no inheritance tax (and no state income tax).
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Collect a signed receipt or release from every beneficiary when you distribute.
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Sworn/verified Closing Statement filed by the PR in informal probate (AS 13.16.680); formal proceedings close by court order. No closing before the 4-month creditor period runs.
Celestial Divide keeps the inventory, valuations, creditor claims, and beneficiary distributions organized in one place — so nothing on this checklist slips through the cracks.
14 days, no credit card
If you're the Trustee
The trust track — administering a trust outside of probate.
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Locate and read the entire trust document, including any amendments and restatements — your powers, limits, and timelines live there.
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Alaska has NOT adopted the UTC — no fixed 60-day post-death rule. The trustee's duty to keep beneficiaries reasonably informed is governed by AS 13.36.080. Confirm current statute for a specific matter.
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Publish notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation (AS 13.16.455 et seq.). Known creditors should get actual notice; barred if not filed by the later of the published deadline or 60 days after actual notice.
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Get an EIN for the trust from the IRS — the trust becomes irrevocable at death and files its own returns from that point.
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Retitle and gather the trust assets; hunt down anything never moved into the trust — it may need probate.
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Keep trust assets separate from your own, always — separate accounts, separate records, no exceptions.
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Document every decision, valuation, and distribution as you go.
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Account to the beneficiaries at least annually and at termination.
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Distribute according to the terms of the trust and collect signed receipts and releases.
Good to know in Alaska
Small-estate affidavit (AS 13.16.680) when personal property is $50,000 or less and vehicles $100,000 or less, with no real property; usable 30 days after death.
Sworn/verified Closing Statement filed by the PR in informal probate (AS 13.16.680); formal proceedings close by court order. No closing before the 4-month creditor period runs.
Full UPC state — informal probate before a registrar/magistrate is common and inexpensive. Inventory generally not filed with the court unless requested. No death taxes of any kind.
Sources — investigate further
The steps above are drawn from Alaska's own statutes and courts. To dig deeper:
We'll email you a copy so it's always one click away. No spam — just the checklist and the occasional estate-settlement tip.
Celestial Divide keeps the inventory, valuations, creditor claims, and beneficiary distributions organized in one place — so nothing on this checklist slips through the cracks.
14 days, no credit card
General information, not legal advice. Laws change and county practice varies. When in doubt, talk to a probate attorney licensed in the relevant state.