Alaska Small Estate Affidavit: $100,000 for Vehicles, $50,000 for Everything Else

Settled Estate puts the Alaska small estate affidavit limit at $100,000, subject to conditions this page sets out in full. Real property cannot pass this way. Read from AS 13.16.680. Last verified September 2026.

Alaska measures a small estate with two caps, not one. Registered vehicles have their own $100,000 limit, all other personal property has a $50,000 limit, and a home or land that would go through probate rules the affidavit out at any value.

Based on AS 13.16.680

By Settled Estate EditorialPublished: January 15, 2026Updated: May 31, 2026

Does Alaska Have a Small Estate Affidavit?

Yes. The Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property under AS 13.16.680 (Court System form P-110) lets a successor collect the property of a person who died without opening a court case. It is available when the entire estate, wherever located, less liens and encumbrances, consists only of vehicles subject to registration under AS 28.10.011 worth no more than $100,000 in total and other personal property worth no more than $50,000, at least 30 days have passed since the death, and no application or petition to appoint a personal representative is pending or has been granted in any jurisdiction. The two caps are measured separately, so an estate can be under $150,000 in total and still fail one of them. Any real property that would pass through probate closes the route, however small its value. A will does not. The affidavit is signed under oath and handed to whoever holds the property; it is never filed with the court and carries no court fee.

Do you qualify?

Qualifying threshold: $100,000 for registered vehicles and $50,000 for all other personal property, each measured after liens and encumbrances (AS 13.16.680(a)(1)). The estate must consist only of those two kinds of property, so any real property that would pass through probate closes the route.Add up the two groups separately. The first is vehicles that must be registered in Alaska under AS 28.10.011: cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers and manufactured homes not permanently attached to land, less any loan against them. That total must be $100,000 or less. The second is everything else the person owned in their own name: bank accounts, the Permanent Fund Dividend, household goods, jewelry, tools, and also snowmachines, ATVs, boats and other vehicles that do not have to be registered. That total must be $50,000 or less. Joint accounts with a survivor and accounts with a named beneficiary pass outside probate and are left out of both. Meeting one cap does not make up for missing the other.
Waiting period: Thirty days after the death (AS 13.16.680(a)(2)). The route closes once anyone has applied or petitioned, in Alaska or any other state, to appoint a personal representative, and stays closed after an appointment is granted (AS 13.16.680(a)(3)).
Court filing fee: $0. The affidavit is never filed with the court, so there is no court fee. It can be signed before a notary or a court clerk, and notary services are free at every court location. Certified death certificates cost $30 for the first copy and $25 for each additional copy from Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records.
Attorney: Not typically neededNo statutory requirement. The Court System publishes the affidavit as form P-110 for successors to sign themselves. Advice earns its cost when the vehicle or other-property total sits near its cap, when the person owned land and it is unclear whether it passed outside probate, when relatives disagree about who is entitled, or when a holder refuses the affidavit.
Real estate: Not covered by this procedureReal estate closes the Alaska affidavit entirely. AS 13.16.680(a)(1) requires the estate to consist only of registered vehicles and other personal property, so any home or land that would go through probate rules it out, and the Court System says this holds no matter how small the value of the real property. The exception is real property that already passed to someone else automatically: property the spouses held as tenants by the entirety goes to the survivor, and property covered by a transfer on death deed recorded before the death (Court System form P-150, AS 13.48.010-13.48.190) goes to the named beneficiaries. Neither counts against the affidavit. Any other real property needs a probate, which costs $250 to open in every judicial district (Alaska R. Admin. 9(b)(2)(A)).

Start the Free Probate Assessment

Main Requirements

Registered Vehicles of $100,000 or Less

Vehicles subject to registration under AS 28.10.011 must total no more than $100,000 after liens (AS 13.16.680(a)(1)(A)). This is a separate cap, not part of a single combined limit.

Other Personal Property of $50,000 or Less

Everything else must total no more than $50,000 after liens (AS 13.16.680(a)(1)(B)), including snowmachines, ATVs and boats, which do not have to be registered.

No Real Property in the Probate Estate

The estate must consist only of vehicles and other personal property, so any real property that would go through probate closes the route. Property that passed by tenancy by the entirety or a recorded transfer on death deed does not count.

Thirty Days Have Passed Since the Death

Required by AS 13.16.680(a)(2).

No Personal Representative Application Anywhere

No application or petition to appoint a personal representative may be pending or granted in any jurisdiction, in Alaska or elsewhere (AS 13.16.680(a)(3)).

The Signer Is a Successor

The person signing must be entitled to the property under the will or the probate code. A creditor is not a successor (AS 13.06.050, reproduced in form P-110).

A Will Does Not Close the Route

A beneficiary named in a will is a successor, so the affidavit works with or without a will.

Available Small-Estate Options

Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property, AS 13.16.680

Limit: Registered vehicles up to $100,000 and other personal property up to $50,000, each after liens, with no real property in the probate estate
Real Estate: Not included
Timeline: Usable 30 days after the death, then as long as each holder takes to pay or deliver
Typical Fee: $0. Never filed. Certified death certificates at $30 for the first copy and $25 for each additional copy

Small Estate Closing by Sworn Statement, AS 13.16.690 and AS 13.16.695

Limit: No dollar figure. The estate, less liens and debts, must not exceed the family allowances plus administration, funeral and last-illness costs
Real Estate: Can be included
Timeline: Runs inside an informal probate; distribution can follow the inventory without notice to creditors
Typical Fee: $250 estate filing fee (Alaska R. Admin. 9(b)(2)(A))

Informal Probate, AS 13.16.080

Limit: No dollar threshold. The ordinary route for an uncontested estate, including one with land
Real Estate: Can be included
Timeline: The estate cannot close until at least six months after the first published notice to creditors
Typical Fee: $250 in every judicial district

Any probate real property closes the affidavit, at any value.

The Alaska condition families miss is not the dollar figure. AS 13.16.680(a)(1) requires the estate to consist only of registered vehicles and other personal property, so a small cabin lot or a fractional interest in land that would go through probate ends the affidavit route, even when the cash and vehicles are well under both caps. Check how any real property was titled before adding anything up. If it was held with a spouse as tenants by the entirety or covered by a transfer on death deed recorded before the death, it passed automatically and the affidavit is still open.

Step-by-Step Process

Check for Real Property First

List any home or land the person owned, in Alaska or anywhere else. If any of it would pass through probate, the affidavit is not available at any value. Real property held with a spouse as tenants by the entirety, or covered by a transfer on death deed recorded before the death, passed automatically and does not count.

Total the Registered Vehicles

Add up the vehicles that must be registered under AS 28.10.011, such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers and unattached manufactured homes, and subtract any loan against them. The total must be $100,000 or less (AS 13.16.680(a)(1)(A)).

Total Everything Else

Add up all other property in the person's own name, including bank accounts, the Permanent Fund Dividend, household goods, snowmachines, ATVs and boats, and subtract liens. The total must be $50,000 or less (AS 13.16.680(a)(1)(B)). Leave out joint accounts with a survivor and accounts with a named beneficiary.

Wait 30 Days and Confirm No Probate Has Been Opened

At least 30 days must have passed since the death (AS 13.16.680(a)(2)), and nobody may have applied or petitioned in any court to appoint a personal representative (AS 13.16.680(a)(3)). Ask relatives and the court location in the judicial district where the person lived before signing.

Sign Form P-110 Under Oath

Only a successor entitled to the property under the will or as an heir may sign; a creditor is not a successor (AS 13.06.050). Sign before a notary or a court clerk. Notary services are free at every court location. For a vehicle, the Division of Motor Vehicles uses its own Form 827 with a Vehicle Transaction Application (Form V1).

Give a Copy to Each Holder

Present the affidavit and a certified death certificate to each bank, company or person holding the property. The holder must pay or deliver it to the successor and is then discharged as if it had dealt with a personal representative (AS 13.16.685).

Pass the Property to the People Entitled to It

The successor does not keep the property for themselves. It goes to the beneficiaries under the will or to the heirs, and the successor stays answerable to a personal representative appointed later or to anyone with a better right to it (AS 13.16.685).

Borough or Census Area Note: Alaska has no counties, and its 30 boroughs and census areas hold no court. The affidavit is not filed anywhere, so no court location is involved. If a probate turns out to be needed, it is a Superior Court case filed at a court location in the judicial district where the person lived, under one statewide fee schedule. A vehicle is retitled by the State of Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, not by a borough.

FAQ: Alaska Small Estate Affidavit

Does Alaska have a small estate affidavit?

Yes. The Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property under AS 13.16.680, Court System form P-110, lets a successor collect the property of a person who died without opening a court case. It works when the estate consists only of registered vehicles worth $100,000 or less and other personal property worth $50,000 or less, both after liens, 30 days have passed, and no one has applied to appoint a personal representative anywhere. It is presented to whoever holds the property and is never filed with the court.

What is the Alaska small estate limit?

Two separate limits. Vehicles that must be registered in Alaska can total up to $100,000, and all other personal property up to $50,000, each after subtracting liens and encumbrances (AS 13.16.680(a)(1)). The DMV's Form 827 describes an estate of $150,000 or less, but that is only the sum of the two caps: $120,000 of vehicles and $10,000 of cash is under $150,000 and still does not qualify.

Does a house stop you from using the Alaska affidavit?

Yes, if it would pass through probate. AS 13.16.680(a)(1) requires the estate to consist only of vehicles and other personal property, and the Court System says any real property rules the affidavit out no matter how small its value. A home the spouses held as tenants by the entirety, or one covered by a transfer on death deed recorded before the death, passed outside probate and does not count.

Do snowmachines, ATVs and boats count as vehicles?

Not for the $100,000 vehicle cap. That cap covers only vehicles that must be registered under AS 28.10.011, such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers and manufactured homes not attached to land. Snowmachines, ATVs, tractors, off-road equipment and boats count toward the $50,000 cap on other personal property.

How much does an Alaska small estate affidavit cost?

There is no court fee, because the affidavit is never filed. It can be signed before a court clerk, and notary services are free at every court location. Certified death certificates cost $30 for the first copy and $25 for each additional copy from Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records. Retitling a vehicle at the DMV carries a $15 title fee plus any registration fees.

Can I use the affidavit if there is a will?

Yes. A successor is anyone, other than a creditor, entitled to the property under the will or the probate code (AS 13.06.050, reproduced in form P-110), so a beneficiary named in a will can sign. What closes the route is an application or petition to appoint a personal representative, pending or granted, in any court.

Official Forms, Sources, and VerificationOfficial references used for this page

Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent (form P-110, 4/17), reproducing AS 13.16.680 and AS 13.16.685Alaska Court System. Current official form, accessed September 28, 2026.
Probate: Collecting Personal Property without a Court CaseAlaska Court System Self-Help Center. Current official guidance, accessed September 28, 2026.
Affidavit for an Estate with Assets of $150,000 or Less (Form 827, Rev. 1/2018)State of Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles. Current official form, accessed September 28, 2026.
Sworn Statement of Personal Representative Closing Small Estate (form P-350, 7/22)Alaska Court System. Current official form, accessed September 28, 2026.
Filing Fees & Fee WaiverAlaska Court System Self-Help Center. Fee table effective May 1, 2023, accessed September 28, 2026.
Transfer on Death Deed (form P-150, 7/20)Alaska Court System. Current official form, accessed September 28, 2026.
Vital Records OrdersAlaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records. Current official guidance, accessed September 28, 2026.

Information current as of May 31, 2026

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.