Active Duty Military - Title and Registration Procedures
These procedures apply to new vehicles, used vehicles, and to vehicles that are titled in your name in another state that you are titling in Alaska. Vehicles are defined as cars, trucks, utility vehicles, motor homes, motorcycles and trailers. These procedures do not apply to boats.
To be eligible for exemptions and processing, the active duty military member must be an owner or co-owner of the vehicle.
As a non-resident you are not required to transfer your title or registration to Alaska. You may retain the registration in the state you are a resident of, according to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) - 50 U.S.C. App. §§501-597b1
The Division will continue to renew registrations by mail while you are active duty stationed outside of Alaska.
Be sure to keep your address current with the Division. Address Change
ALL ORIGINAL TITLE WORK MUST BE SUBMITTED IN PERSON OR BY MAIL TO:
State of Alaska
Division of Motor Vehicles
ATTN: CORRESPONDENCE
4001 Ingra Street, Suite 101
Anchorage AK 99503
This includes vehicles purchased through Dealerships or vehicles that are financed through out-of-state banks, credit unions or individual parties.
Note: Title work mailed may take 6 to 8 weeks to process.
REQUIREMENTS FOR TITLE AND REGISTRATION
- Application for Title & Registration Must be completed in full, in ink.
Enter the mailing and residence address where you are currently stationed in sections 3 and 4 of the application. The residence address MUST be a physical location (street, milepost, building and room number, etc.)
If you are making payments on the vehicle to a financial institution, business or individual, you must enter their name and mailing address in section 5. Be sure this information matches the MCO or title. The Alaska title will be mailed directly to the lienholder, if applicable. - Original Title or Original Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO)
- Leave & Earnings Statement(within 90 days) showing Alaska as the home of record.
- Copy of your active duty military ID.
- Odometer Reading signed by the seller and buyer. Needed for motor vehicles under 12,000 pounds and less than 10 years old. The current odometer reading must be on the previous title or MCO. If either the buyer or seller has not attested to the odometer reading, a separate Odometer Disclosure is required.
- Vehicle Registration, if applicable.
- Registration fees
- See Registration and Tax Chart
- Title: $15.00
- Lien recording, if applicable: $15.00
- Lienholder - The name and mailing address is required if you are making payments on the vehicle.(Must be on application)If no lienholder on record you need to write “NONE”
- Lien release if a lien is showing on the original title or MCO and has been paid off but is not signed off, in ink, on the ownership document. Statements with a "paid" stamp are unacceptable. A lien release is required when a title has a lienholder on it and you are requesting an Alaska title, regardless of whether the lien has been paid or not. You may obtain a letter from the lienholder stating that the lien release is conditional on placing a new lien on the Alaska title. The lien release letter must have the year, make and the Vin number of the vehicle.
- Notarized Power of Attorney (For all transactions when a person signed on behalf of the vehicle owner, including LEASED vehicles, using a power of attorney. Recommended for other transactions, just in case there is a problem with the paperwork.)
- Military shipping documents or custom's documents (When last title or registration was from a location other than the US.) (Also see Foreign Vehicles for more vehicle importation information)
REGISTRATION RENEWAL
Military Stationed Outside Alaska
If you are active duty military stationed outside of Alaska on military orders and maintain your Alaska residency, you may renew your vehicle registration in Alaska and use your mailing and residence address where you are stationed.
For options on renewing your registration, please see Renew Vehicle Registration.
EXEMPTIONS
Alaska National Guard
An Alaska resident who is a current member in the Alaska National Guard is entitled to one non-commercial free vehicle registration.
- Vehicle must be titled in the name of the Alaska National Guard member.
- Must be for a non-commercial vehicle of any age and cannot have more than one vehicle registered under this exemption.
- Complete an application V1 https://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/forms/pdfs/V1.pdf signed by the eligible individual.
- The Applicant must also provide one of the following:
- VMPF (virtual Military Personnel Flight) for Air National Guard issued within last 30 days showing Name and Unit.
- Soldier Record Brief (SRB) or Officer Record Brief (ORB) issued within last 30 days. Must list service location as AK and command as National Guard.
- National Guard memorandum of record indicating current Alaska National Guard Service issued within the last 30 days signed by unit personnel or commanding officer.
Military Exemption (Residents of other States Stationed in Alaska)
If you are active duty military stationed in Alaska on military orders and maintain your residency in another state , you may renew your vehicle registration in Alaska and use your mailing and residence address where you are stationed.
As a non-resident you are not required to transfer your title or registration to Alaska. You may retain the registration in the state you are a resident of, according to the Service members Civil Relief Act (SCRA) - 50 U.S.C. App. §§501-597b1
Choosing to register in Alaska
If you choose to obtain registration in Alaska, you may avoid paying the Motor Vehicle Registration Tax.
In order to be exempt, submit the following with your renewal:
- Current (within 90 days) LES showing your home of record
- Vehicle Transaction Application (Form V1)
- May not have an Alaska CDL
Please note: you must submit a separate affidavit for each vehicle.
EMISSIONS PROGRAMS
ALASKA DOES NOT REQUIRE PROOF OF COMPLIANCE WITH EMISSIONS PROGRAMS WHEN YOU PROVIDE AN OUT OF STATE RESIDENCE ADDRESS ON YOUR APPLICATION. IF THERE IS AN EMISSIONS PROGRAM WHERE YOU ARE STATIONED, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ASSURE YOU ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR RULES AND REGULATIONS.
The Division will accept applications for a duplicate title by mail provided the last title issued was an Alaska title. We will also remove a lienholder by mail provided there is no change to the ownership. This request MUST be received from the customer and not a lienholder.
The Division will continue to renew registrations by mail while you are active duty, stationed outside of Alaska. Be sure to keep your address current with the Division. Address Change
ADDITIONAL LICENSE PLATE INFORMATION:
- If you are interested in Veteran's License Plates, please check the instructions on that page and make a statement as to the type of plates requested, in the affidavit section of the application.
- If you wish to obtain Personalized Plates, you must wait until the vehicle is registered in your name.
- Transferring license plates to another vehicle.
- If you sell your old vehicle to a person that is not an Alaska resident, you do not need to return the license plates to Alaska. You may keep them as souvenirs, turn them in to a DMV where you are stationed, recycle them or destroy them.