Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: In Alaska, alaska follows the Uniform Probate Code: a personal representative must execute and file a surety bond unless one of four listed exceptions applies (will waiver, heir/devisee waiver, corporate fiduciary, or state cash/collateral deposit).
Alaska executor bond: what the statute says
Each line is a short extract quoted from the statute cited; the section has the exceptions.
- Waiver. AS 13.16.255: “…the will expressly waives surety bond as to the person qualifying…”
- Amount. AS 13.16.260: “…in an amount not less than the estimate…”
- Surety and cost. AS 13.16.260: “…duly executed by a corporate surety, or one or more individual sureties…”
For the rest of the process and its fees, see Alaska probate cost.
Does Alaska require an executor to post a bond?
Alaska follows the Uniform Probate Code: a personal representative must execute and file a surety bond unless one of four listed exceptions applies (will waiver, heir/devisee waiver, corporate fiduciary, or state cash/collateral deposit).
“A personal representative shall execute and file a bond with the registrar unless (1) the estate is testate and the will expressly waives surety bond as to the person qualifying as personal representative;”
Source: Alaska Stat. § 13.16.255
Can the will waive it in Alaska?
Yes. Bond is not required when the estate is testate and the will expressly waives surety bond as to the person qualifying as personal representative (AS 13.16.255(1)).
If a DIY will is the right route for you in Alaska
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Can the heirs or beneficiaries waive it in Alaska?
Yes. Independently of any will provision, bond is waived if ‘the devisees or the heirs file written waiver of surety bond’ with the court.
If a bond is required, how much?
When a bond is required, Alaska sizes it at 100% of the estimated value of the personal estate plus expected annual income, per its own bond-amount statute.
“in an amount not less than the estimate”
Source: Alaska Stat. § 13.16.260
What makes Alaska different
Alaska gives heirs/devisees a waiver power that is fully independent of the will; they can waive bond by written filing even if the will is silent or the decedent died intestate, which is a broader heir-waiver right than states requiring court approval on top of any waiver.
| Bond-requirement source | Alaska Stat. § 13.16.255 |
| Alaska courts (general reference) | Alaska judicial branch |
| Confidence | High |
Every statute quoted on this page was read directly from the state’s own legislature/code site this session, or, where that site blocked automated access, from a reputable legal-citation mirror quoting the same official text with its official citation (disclosed below). General information, not legal advice; a probate court has final discretion over bond in every state; confirm your own case with the court or a local attorney before relying on the default described here.
Related: how long creditors have to file a claim against an estate in Alaska.