Updated October 11, 2026. Quick answer: A conveyance of Alaska land signed in Alaska must be acknowledged before an authorized officer, or proved by a subscribing witness. The state recorder fee schedule is $20.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page, plus $2.00 more for each name over six indexed and a $50.00 non standard document fee when the margin rules are not met.
Alaska quitclaim deed at a glance
| Item | What the documents say |
|---|---|
| Signing | Alaska allows a deed to be made by a grantor of lawful age who signs and seals it, then has it acknowledged and recorded. |
| Witnesses | AS 34.15.010 lists signing, sealing, acknowledgment and recording and does not list witnesses; witness proof appears only as an alternative way to prove execution. |
| Notary or acknowledgment | A conveyance of Alaska land signed in Alaska must be acknowledged before an authorized officer, or proved by a subscribing witness. |
| Statutory quitclaim form | AS 34.15.040 gives a short quitclaim deed form that may be used in substance. |
| Where to record, and the fee | Alaska DNR Recorder’s Office (recording district office where the property lies). The state recorder fee schedule is $20.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page, plus $2.00 more for each name over six indexed and a $50.00 non standard document fee when the margin rules are not met. |
| State transfer tax | Not found in the documents read (The archived Alaska statutes and recorder pages did not state whether a state transfer tax applies.) |
| Gift from a parent to a child | Not found in the documents read |
| Spouse or homestead | When a married person conveys the family home or homestead, the spouse must join in the deed, though a spouse’s failure to join does not affect validity unless the spouse appears on the title. |
| Source | Alaska Legislature; Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Recorder’s Office |
Signing, witnesses and the notary in Alaska
Alaska allows a deed to be made by a grantor of lawful age who signs and seals it, then has it acknowledged and recorded.
A conveyance of Alaska land signed in Alaska must be acknowledged before an authorized officer, or proved by a subscribing witness.
Witnesses: AS 34.15.010 lists signing, sealing, acknowledgment and recording and does not list witnesses; witness proof appears only as an alternative way to prove execution.
Statutory form: AS 34.15.040 gives a short quitclaim deed form that may be used in substance.
The text itself:
- Alaska Statutes Chapter 34.15 (secs. 34.15.010-34.15.230): “may be made by deed, signed and sealed by the person”
- Alaska Statutes Chapter 34.15 (secs. 34.15.010-34.15.230): “A quitclaim deed may be substantially in the following form”
- Alaska Statutes Chapter 34.15 (secs. 34.15.010-34.15.230): “shall be acknowledged before a person authorized to take acknowledgments”
- Preparing Documents: “must also be acknowledged”
If you want a ready-made form
Review LawDepot’s quitclaim deed form
LawDepot builds a quit claim deed from guided questions for your state. Compare the form with the signing, notary and recording rules on this page before you sign anything.
A deed moves title and can change a family’s tax and benefit position. If you need advice about your situation, ask a real estate attorney before choosing a document service.
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Review LawDepot’s quitclaim deedOpens on LawDepot. Follow the signing, notary and recording rules for your state.
How our partner relationships workRecording: where to file and what it costs
Recording office: Alaska DNR Recorder’s Office (recording district office where the property lies). The state recorder fee schedule is $20.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page, plus $2.00 more for each name over six indexed and a $50.00 non standard document fee when the margin rules are not met.
The text itself:
- Recording Fees: “For recording all documents: first page 1 or fraction thereof”
- Recording Fees: “Each additional page or fraction thereof (same instrument)”
Transfer tax and a gift to a family member
The archived Alaska statutes and recorder pages did not state whether a state transfer tax applies.
Between family members: Not found in the documents read.
Spouse and homestead
When a married person conveys the family home or homestead, the spouse must join in the deed, though a spouse’s failure to join does not affect validity unless the spouse appears on the title.
The text itself:
- Alaska Statutes Chapter 34.15 (secs. 34.15.010-34.15.230): “the husband and wife shall join in the deed or conveyance”
- Alaska Statutes Chapter 34.15 (secs. 34.15.010-34.15.230): “Failure of the spouse to join in the deed or conveyance”
A worked example: a parent deeds the home to an adult child
An illustration, not a return: a parent bought a home for $100,000, and it is worth $300,000 when the parent deeds it to an adult child by quitclaim deed, with no payment. The child later sells it for $350,000. For a gift, federal law says the child’s basis is “the same as it would be in the hands of the donor”, so the basis stays $100,000 and the gain is $250,000 ($350,000 minus $100,000). Had the child received the same home at the parent’s death, when it was worth $300,000, the statute sets the basis at “fair market value of the property at the date of the decedent’s”, so the gain would be $50,000 ($350,000 minus $300,000).
See CMG’s quitclaim vs warranty deed for a family transfer page for the choice of deed.
What the documents do not say
- Whether a gift from a parent to a child is exempt from the transfer tax: not found in the documents read.
- Whether Alaska has a state transfer tax on deeds: not found in the documents read.
- County or city transfer taxes and local recording surcharges in Alaska were not read unless named above.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the Alaska rules above govern land in another state, or that signing the deed ends the paperwork before it is recorded with the recording office.
Related: quitclaim vs warranty deed for a family transfer, Alaska transfer on death deed, Alaska probate cost, and whether Alaska has an estate tax.
Sources
- Alaska Statutes Chapter 34.15 (secs. 34.15.010-34.15.230): https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&secStart=34.15.010&secEnd=34.15.230
- Recording Fees: https://dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff/Fees
- Preparing Documents: https://dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff/PreparingDocs
- 26 U.S.C. 1015, Basis of property acquired by gifts and transfers in trust (U.S. Code, GovInfo): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title26/html/USCODE-2023-title26-subtitleA-chap1-subchapO-partII-sec1015.htm
- 26 U.S.C. 1014, Basis of property acquired from a decedent (U.S. Code, GovInfo): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title26/html/USCODE-2023-title26-subtitleA-chap1-subchapO-partII-sec1014.htm
Sources: the primary documents linked above, read on October 11, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a tax professional or the state agency itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.