Federal law establishes a baseline national standard regarding individuals’ eligibility to acquire and possess firearms. Under federal law, people are generally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms if they have been convicted of a felony or some domestic violence misdemeanors, or if they are subject to certain court orders related to domestic violence or a serious mental condition. However, federal law merely provides a floor, and has notable gaps that allow individuals who have demonstrated significant risk factors for violence or self-harm to legally acquire and possess guns.

Alaska prohibits a person from possessing a concealable firearm (i.e., handgun) after having been convicted of a felony or adjudicated a delinquent minor for conduct that would constitute a felony if committed by an adult by any court. However, this prohibition does not apply if the felony was not an offense against a person and a period of 10 years or more has elapsed between the date of the person’s unconditional discharge and the date of the violation.¹

In 2010, Alaska repealed a law that prohibited a person intoxicated by liquor or a controlled substance from possessing a handgun.²

Alaska law prohibits people convicted of felonies from residing in a dwelling knowing that there is a concealed firearm in the dwelling.³

Alaska has no state law prohibiting firearm purchase or possession by:

• People convicted of violent misdemeanors;

• People subject to mental health related court orders; or

• People subject to domestic violence restraining orders.

For information on the background check process used to enforce these provisions, see the Alaska Background Checks section.

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1. Alaska Stat. § 11.61.200(a)(1), (b)(1)(C).[↩]
2. 2010 AK. ALS 100 (repealing former Alaska Stat. § 11.61.200(a)(12).[↩]
3. Alaska Stat. § 11.61.200(a)(10). A person convicted of a felony is exempt from this prohibition if he or she has written authorization to live in a dwelling in which there is a concealable weapon from a court of competent jurisdiction or from the head of the law enforcement agency of the community in which the dwelling is located. Id.[↩]