Expunging a Criminal Record in Alaska (2026)
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Alaska · Last updated August 19, 2026
Alaska is one of the few states with essentially no general expungement of adult convictions. There is no statute that lets you erase or seal a valid Alaska conviction simply because time has passed, so most criminal records in Alaska are permanent. The narrow relief that does exist under AS 12.62.180 lets you ask the agency that holds the record to seal information that, beyond a reasonable doubt, resulted from mistaken identity or a false accusation. Other errors can be fixed through the Department of Public Safety's record-correction process, and a full pardon from the Governor is the main way to obtain relief from an accurate conviction. Alaska has no automatic 'clean slate' sealing.
Find out where you stand in Alaska
What are you trying to clear?
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What record-clearing relief does Alaska offer, and what is it called?
Very little. Alaska has no general expungement of convictions. The main relief is sealing under AS 12.62.180, but only for records that resulted from mistaken identity or a false accusation. Otherwise your options in Alaska are correcting inaccurate records or seeking an executive pardon from the Governor.
Who is eligible to seal a criminal record in Alaska, and is there a waiting period?
Under AS 12.62.180, sealing is limited to records that, beyond a reasonable doubt, resulted from mistaken identity or a false accusation. Alaska sets no waiting period because eligibility does not depend on time passing; it depends on the record being wrong. A valid Alaska conviction generally cannot be sealed at all.
Can you expunge or seal a felony conviction in Alaska?
No. Alaska does not expunge or seal valid felony convictions, and the same is true for valid misdemeanors. A felony record in Alaska is permanent unless it resulted from mistaken identity or a false accusation, or the Governor grants a pardon. A pardon forgives the conviction but does not erase the underlying record.
Does Alaska have automatic 'clean slate' sealing of criminal records?
No. Alaska has not enacted any automatic or 'clean slate' sealing law, and there is no petition process that clears eligible convictions after a waiting period. Records held in the Alaska Department of Public Safety system are not auto-sealed. The only routes are AS 12.62.180 sealing, record correction, or a gubernatorial pardon.
What can and cannot be cleared from an Alaska criminal record?
Cleared: records resulting beyond a reasonable doubt from mistaken identity or a false accusation, sealable under AS 12.62.180, plus a narrow 2024 exception for certain marijuana possession. Not cleared: valid misdemeanor and felony convictions, which Alaska keeps permanently. Inaccurate details can be corrected but not removed. A pardon forgives but does not delete the record.
Alaska Has No General Expungement: Sealing Is Limited to Wrong Records, and a Pardon Is the Main Relief
Alaska is one of the few states with no general expungement of adult convictions, and it favors keeping criminal records public. There is no statute that erases a valid Alaska conviction after a waiting period, so a misdemeanor or felony record is generally permanent. The one sealing route, AS 12.62.180, is narrow: a person may ask the head of the agency that maintains the record to seal information that, beyond a reasonable doubt, resulted from mistaken identity or a false accusation, and the agency head's decision is the final administrative decision, appealable to the courts. If a record is not the product of mistaken identity or a false accusation but still contains an error, the fix is a Request to Correct Criminal Justice Information filed with the Alaska Department of Public Safety, which maintains the state repository through the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN); the Department can only seal or correct Alaska-origin records, not federal or out-of-state records. For an accurate conviction, the primary form of relief is an executive pardon granted by the Governor, processed with the assistance of the Board of Parole; a pardon forgives the offense but does not delete the record. A separate set-aside of a conviction is possible only when a court suspended imposition of sentence at the outset under AS 12.55.085, with the prosecutor's and defendant's consent, and even a set-aside leaves the record visible. Alaska has enacted no automatic 'clean slate' sealing. A limited 2024 change addressed certain marijuana possession, but it did not create broad conviction relief.
Relevant Laws
Sealing of Criminal Justice Information (AS 12.62.180)
Alaska's only record-sealing statute. It lets a person ask the head of the agency maintaining a record to seal information that, beyond a reasonable doubt, resulted from mistaken identity or a false accusation. It does not authorize expungement of valid convictions, and sealed records stay available for criminal justice employment and research.
No Automatic or Clean Slate Relief in Alaska (Petition and Pardon Only)
Alaska has enacted no automatic or 'clean slate' sealing law and no waiting-period expungement of convictions. There is no process that clears eligible records over time. Relief exists only through an AS 12.62.180 sealing request, a Department of Public Safety record correction, or a discretionary pardon from the Governor.
Executive Pardon and Set-Aside of a Conviction (AS 12.55.085)
For an accurate conviction, the main relief is an executive pardon from the Governor, processed through the Board of Parole; a pardon forgives but does not erase the record. Separately, AS 12.55.085 allows a court that suspended imposition of sentence to set aside the conviction after probation, with consent, though the record remains visible.
No General Federal Expungement of State Records
There is no general federal law that expunges Alaska state convictions, and Alaska cannot seal or correct FBI or out-of-state records through its own agencies. Record relief is a matter of state law, which in Alaska is limited to sealing wrong records, correcting errors, and executive clemency.
Regional Variances
Alaska Record-Relief Eligibility Table
Relief type and name
Alaska offers no general expungement of convictions. The only sealing is under AS 12.62.180, limited to records resulting from mistaken identity or a false accusation. Inaccurate records can be corrected through the Department of Public Safety. For accurate convictions, the relief is an executive pardon from the Governor, not expungement.
Eligible records
Records that, beyond a reasonable doubt, resulted from mistaken identity or a false accusation are eligible for sealing under AS 12.62.180. Records with other errors are eligible only for correction, not removal. A narrow 2024 change addressed certain marijuana possession. Accurate convictions are not eligible for sealing at all.
Waiting period by offense class
None. Alaska sets no waiting period for its sealing route because eligibility turns on the record being wrong, not on elapsed time. Unlike states that allow expungement a set number of years after a misdemeanor or felony, Alaska has no time-based conviction relief to wait out. A pardon has no fixed statutory waiting period either.
Excluded offenses
All valid convictions, misdemeanor and felony alike, are effectively excluded from sealing under AS 12.62.180, since sealing requires mistaken identity or a false accusation. Serious, violent, and sex offenses are not made eligible by any Alaska expungement statute because no such general statute exists. FBI and out-of-state records cannot be reached by Alaska.
Clean slate status
Alaska has no automatic or 'clean slate' sealing. There is no statute that auto-seals eligible convictions and no petition-after-waiting-period path. Relief is available only by request under AS 12.62.180, by record correction with the Department of Public Safety, or by a discretionary gubernatorial pardon.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Determine whether any Alaska relief route applies to your record
Before you file anything days after startingBecause Alaska has no general expungement, confirm your path first. Sealing under AS 12.62.180 applies only if the record resulted, beyond a reasonable doubt, from mistaken identity or a false accusation. An accurate conviction points instead toward a gubernatorial pardon. Do not assume a waiting-period expungement exists, because it does not in Alaska.
Obtain and review your Alaska criminal history record
Before choosing a request days after startingRequest your criminal justice information from the Alaska Department of Public Safety, which maintains the state repository through APSIN. Confirm whether each entry is a conviction or a non-conviction and whether it contains an error. This tells you whether to pursue AS 12.62.180 sealing, a record correction, or a pardon, and which agency holds the record.
Prepare the correct sealing, correction, or pardon request
After confirming eligibility days after startingFor mistaken identity or a false accusation, prepare the Request to Seal Criminal Justice Information under AS 12.62.180. For other errors, prepare the Department of Public Safety's Request to Correct Criminal Justice Information. For an accurate conviction, prepare an executive clemency application to the Governor through the Board of Parole, with supporting documentation.
Submit the request to the correct decision-maker
When your package is complete days after startingSend a sealing request to the head of the agency that maintains the record, a correction request to the Department of Public Safety, and a pardon application through the Board of Parole to the Governor. Note that a sealing agency head's decision is the final administrative decision, appealable to the court, while a pardon is discretionary and not appealable.
Verify the result and understand its limits
After a decision days after startingIf a record is sealed or corrected, confirm with the Department of Public Safety that the Alaska repository reflects the change; Alaska cannot alter FBI or out-of-state records. Remember that sealed records stay visible for criminal justice employment and research, and a pardon does not delete the record. An attorney can help if a request is denied or contested.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Determine whether any Alaska relief route applies to your record | Because Alaska has no general expungement, confirm your path first. Sealing under AS 12.62.180 applies only if the record resulted, beyond a reasonable doubt, from mistaken identity or a false accusation. An accurate conviction points instead toward a gubernatorial pardon. Do not assume a waiting-period expungement exists, because it does not in Alaska. | - | Before you file anything |
| Obtain and review your Alaska criminal history record | Request your criminal justice information from the Alaska Department of Public Safety, which maintains the state repository through APSIN. Confirm whether each entry is a conviction or a non-conviction and whether it contains an error. This tells you whether to pursue AS 12.62.180 sealing, a record correction, or a pardon, and which agency holds the record. | - | Before choosing a request |
| Prepare the correct sealing, correction, or pardon request | For mistaken identity or a false accusation, prepare the Request to Seal Criminal Justice Information under AS 12.62.180. For other errors, prepare the Department of Public Safety's Request to Correct Criminal Justice Information. For an accurate conviction, prepare an executive clemency application to the Governor through the Board of Parole, with supporting documentation. | - | After confirming eligibility |
| Submit the request to the correct decision-maker | Send a sealing request to the head of the agency that maintains the record, a correction request to the Department of Public Safety, and a pardon application through the Board of Parole to the Governor. Note that a sealing agency head's decision is the final administrative decision, appealable to the court, while a pardon is discretionary and not appealable. | - | When your package is complete |
| Verify the result and understand its limits | If a record is sealed or corrected, confirm with the Department of Public Safety that the Alaska repository reflects the change; Alaska cannot alter FBI or out-of-state records. Remember that sealed records stay visible for criminal justice employment and research, and a pardon does not delete the record. An attorney can help if a request is denied or contested. | - | After a decision |
Frequently Asked Questions
Alaska's sealing route under AS 12.62.180 and the Department of Public Safety's record-correction process are administrative requests to the agency, not court petitions with a statutory filing fee like many states charge for expungement. Costs are mostly limited to obtaining your record and any attorney help. A pardon application through the Board of Parole is also filed without an expungement filing fee.
There is no fixed statutory timeline in Alaska. A sealing request under AS 12.62.180 runs on the agency head's administrative review schedule, and a denial can add an appeal to the courts. A gubernatorial pardon is fully discretionary and can take a long time, because it moves through the Board of Parole and then awaits the Governor's decision, which may never come.
Often yes. Even under AS 12.62.180, sealed information remains accessible for criminal justice employment and for research and statistical purposes, so it is not gone. A gubernatorial pardon forgives the conviction but does not delete the record, so law enforcement, courts, and many licensing boards in Alaska can still see it. Alaska cannot reach FBI or out-of-state records at all.
Be careful. Because Alaska does not expunge convictions, a pardoned or otherwise accurate conviction still exists as a record, and answering that you were never convicted can be treated as false. Only a record sealed as mistaken identity or a false accusation reflects that you were not properly convicted. An attorney can help you word answers accurately for your specific situation.
A pardon is the main path to restoring civil rights in Alaska, but firearm rights are not automatic and depend on the terms of the pardon and on overlapping federal law. Because a pardon does not erase the conviction, federal firearm prohibitions can still apply unless the relief specifically restores those rights. Consulting an attorney is important before relying on restored gun rights.
Other Alaska guides
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