Alaska Asset Transfers After Death
Alaska estate transfers start with the asset record: title wording, beneficiary forms, trust ownership, agency title terms, deed records, court authority, and asset-holder requirements.
Alaska asset checklist
Use this worksheet view to assign each asset a status, collect the first record set, and decide which detailed Alaska guide to open next.
Real Property
First records to pull
- The recorded transfer on death deed
- A certified death certificate
- The deed showing the tenancy
- A certified death certificate, recorded with the new deed when the survivor sells
Tracker notes
- Find the legal description on the last recorded deed before preparing any new deed
- Use the DNR recording district finder; districts do not follow borough lines
- Real property in the decedent's sole name, no matter how small, rules out the small estate affidavit
Bank Accounts and Cash
First records to pull
- A certified death certificate
- A certified death certificate, and proof of death of every account owner if the account had survivorship
- Certified letters, or form P-110 if the estate qualifies
Tracker notes
- Ask each bank for the exact account registration before deciding anything
- Deposit uncashed checks and the final paycheck with letters or the affidavit, or ask the issuer to reissue them to you in your title
- Open a separate estate account with an EIN; never mix estate money with your own
Vehicles, Boats and Aircraft
First records to pull
- DMV Form V1 Vehicle Transaction Application
- The title
- A certified death certificate
- DMV Form 827 (original, notarized, with the VIN)
Tracker notes
- Do not use a vehicle from the estate until it is insured
- Count snowmachines, ATVs and boats in the $50,000 other-property cap, not the $100,000 vehicle cap
Investments, Retirement Plans and Life Insurance
First records to pull
- A certified death certificate
- The company's claim form
- Certified letters or form P-110
Household Goods, Firearms and Personal Belongings
First records to pull
- Bill of Sale, Assignment or Deed of Distribution
- Receipt and Release (form P-385)
Alaska-Specific Assets
Not sure which applies?
Answer a few questions to see whether Alaska probate is likely and which transfer path fits each asset.
Take the 2-minute assessmentSort each asset into a transfer bucketThe tracker steps and the outside-probate, estate-authority, and special-review buckets
Alaska estate transfers move faster when every asset has a source-backed status. The same estate can include POD accounts, title assets, real estate that needs deed review, small personal property, trust assets, and probate property that waits for representative authority.
If the person received Medicaid long-term care benefits, check Alaska Medicaid estate recovery before transferring or distributing the home, so a recovery claim does not surface after the deed work is done.
- Identify the asset record. Start with the title, deed, account agreement, beneficiary form, trust ownership, or company record rather than family memory.
- Place the asset in a transfer bucket. Mark each asset as outside probate, estate authority needed, or special review based on the record and source requirements.
- Collect proof before moving the asset. Gather death certificates, letters, small-estate affidavits, title forms, claim forms, deed records, and value support before asking for release or retitling.
- Route the hard assets to their task pages. Use the asset-transfer, vehicle, court, form, and probate guides when an asset needs more than a tracker note.
- Save receipts and transfer confirmations. Keep recorded deeds, agency receipts, title confirmations, bank confirmations, claim packets, settlement statements, and beneficiary releases with the estate file.
Usually Outside Probate
These pass by title, contract or a recorded instrument, with no personal representative and no court file.
- Joint bank accounts with a right of survivorship, which pass to the surviving owner
- Payable on death accounts, which pass to the surviving POD beneficiaries
- Life insurance, annuities and retirement plans with a living named beneficiary
- Real property held by spouses as tenants by the entirety, or as Alaska community property with a right of survivorship
- Real property under a transfer on death deed recorded before the death
- Property already held by the trustee of a trust
- A vehicle titled to the decedent 'OR' a survivor
Needs Letters or the Affidavit
Property in the decedent's sole name with no survivorship and no beneficiary. Small estates without probate real property can use form P-110; everything else needs a personal representative.
- Real property in the decedent's sole name, or as a tenant in common, which always needs a probate
- Single-party bank accounts and joint accounts without survivorship
- Vehicles titled to the decedent alone or 'AND' another owner
- Investment accounts and insurance payable to the estate
- Uncashed checks, refunds and a final paycheck
Alaska Special Rules
Assets with their own transfer rules, often outside the Alaska probate court entirely.
- Restricted Native allotments and townsite lots: federal BIA probate only
- ANCSA Native corporation stock: stock will or the corporation's own rules, decided by the corporation
- Limited entry fishing permits: can pass to only one person; CFEC designation form
- The Permanent Fund Dividend: claimable by the estate, usually by March 31 of the following year
- Aircraft: Bill of Sale and letters to the FAA, plus notice to the Municipality of Anchorage for aircraft there
- Firearms: transferred only to a recipient legally qualified to own them
Open the task guide that matches the assetAlaska asset-transfer, vehicle, forms, and probate guides for the hands-on work
Transfer assets after death
Asset-by-asset explanations for Alaska bank accounts, title assets, personal property, trusts, beneficiary assets, and estate property.
Vehicle title transfer
Review Alaska title requirements before retitling cars, trucks, boats, trailers, or other titled vehicles.
Probate forms
Match the transfer path to Alaska forms, local filing instructions, and supporting documents.
Probate guide
Use the Alaska probate guide for opening, appointment, notice, inventory, claims, distribution, and closing context.
How to avoid probate
Review beneficiary, trust, survivorship, and transfer-on-death options that may move assets outside probate.
Source notesOfficial references used for this page
The tracker uses Alaska statute, court, agency, recording, deed, and title sources where available. Borough or Census Area offices, asset holders, title companies, and tax reviewers may ask for more records before they accept a transfer.
- AS 13.16.680, as reproduced in Alaska Court System form P-110 (4/17)
- AS 13.16.685, as reproduced in Alaska Court System form P-110 (4/17)
- Alaska Court System form P-150 (7/20) Transfer on Death Deed
- State of Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Services: Add or Remove an Owner (title fee)
- State of Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Services: Deceased Owner
- Alaska DMV Form 827 (Rev. 1/2018), Affidavit for an Estate with Assets of $150,000 or Less
- Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Recorder's Office: Find Your District Office
- Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Recorder's Office: Recording Fees
- Alaska Court System Self-Help Center, Probate: Collecting Personal Property without a Court Case
- Alaska Court System Self-Help Center, Probate: Practical Steps to Take After Death
- Alaska Court System Self-Help Center, Probate: Debts and Creditors
- Alaska Court System Self-Help Center, Probate: Glossary of Probate Terms
- Alaska Court System Self-Help Center, Probate: Inventory and Management of Assets
- Alaska Court System Self-Help Center, Probate: Transfer on Death Deed
- Alaska Court System Self-Help Center, Probate: Transferring Ownership of Assets
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first step in Alaska estate transfers?
Do all Alaska estate transfers need probate?
When should a Alaska transfer tracker point to a task guide?
Settled Estate is not a law firm, and this content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Probate laws and procedures in Alaska can change. Consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation. Full disclaimer.
Build an Alaska transfer file
Use the probate guide, borough or census area packet, and asset-specific guides to keep transfer records connected to the estate workflow.