---
title: "Alaska Executor Checklist: First 30 Days | MCC Solutions"
description: "Alaska executor checklist: first 30 days, up to $50,000 small estate limit, 30-day wait, notarized affidavit, 2 will witnesses, official court links."
url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/notary/alaska-executor-checklist"
---

Executor checklist · Alaska

# Alaska executor and estate paperwork checklist

The first 30 days, the small estate route, the will at probate, and the official pages to ask, from this state's own court and statute pages.

**Quick answer.** In the first 30 days, an executor in Alaska orders certified death certificates, finds the original will, secures the home, car and mail, lists what the person owned and owed, and holds off on paying debts until it's clear who has authority. For the small estate route, Alaska's official pages give a limit of up to $50,000, a 30-day wait after the death and a notarized affidavit; the paperwork goes to the bank or other holder.

✓ New Jersey commissioned notary, no. 50244803, insured for errors and omissions. [See the credentials](/about/credentials)

**Short answer.** Alaska: up to $50,000 small estate limit; 30-day wait; notarized affidavit; handed to the bank or holder; 2 will witnesses; self-proving affidavit allowed. 11 of 11 state facts below are confirmed on official pages.

**This is an organizer, not legal advice.** An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation.

## The first 30 days

Work down the list; nothing you tick is saved or sent. The steps are general, the dates come from the official pages.

- **Ask for certified death certificates, more than you think**The funeral director or vital records office issues them. Institutions often keep the copy you send, so plan on one each.
- **Confirm the death was reported to Social Security**Usually the funeral home does this. If it didn't, phone 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778); a widow or widower, or certain children, may qualify for $255.
- **Locate the signed will and any changes**The signed original matters more than a copy. Keep it whole and somewhere safe, and note who else has a copy.
- **See whether a self-proving affidavit is attached**It's a sworn page signed by the witnesses, usually at the end of the will; the rule for this state is below.
- **Protect the property**Change locks if keys are out, keep insurance paid, and have the mail forwarded so bills and statements reach you.
- **Don't pay bills or hand out belongings yet**First learn which route fits and who is allowed to act; ask the probate office or an attorney about anything urgent.
- **Put the power of attorney away**A power of attorney ends at the principal's death. Whoever was the agent no longer signs for the person.
- **Start an inventory**Every account, property, vehicle and debt, with how each is held. Beneficiary and joint accounts usually pass directly, not through the estate.
- **Compare the estate with $50,000**That's the small estate figure on this state's official page. Count only what the page says counts.
- **Count 30 days from the death**That's when the official page says the small estate paperwork can be used.
- **Start the estate ledger**Record every dollar in and out with a receipt: funeral costs, bills paid, money collected.
- **Once you have authority: EIN and an estate account**The IRS says you need an EIN before filing the estate's Form 1041, which is due if the estate has more than $600 of gross income in a year.

Sources for the federal steps: [Social Security Administration: When someone dies](https://ssa.gov/personal-record/when-someone-dies) · [IRS: Deceased taxpayers, filing the estate income tax return (Form 1041)](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/deceased-taxpayers-filing-the-estate-income-tax-return-form-1041) · power of attorney: [Power of attorney at a real estate closing](/notary/guides/power-of-attorney-at-a-real-estate-closing).

## The small estate route

- #### ConfirmedSmall estate limit Personal property other than vehicles worth $50,000 or less after debts and liens; vehicles registered in the state have their own $100,000 cap. Owning real estate rules the affidavit out unless it passed automatically (tenancy by the entirety or a transfer on death deed)."The value of all other personal property owned by the person who died is $50,000 or less"Vehicles aren't counted toward this limit; they're handled separately.

Sources: [Alaska Court System: Collecting personal property without a court case](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/affidavit.htm); [Alaska Court System form P-110, Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent](https://public.courts.alaska.gov/web/forms/docs/p-110.pdf); [Alaska Court System: Small estates](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/small-estates.htm), checked November 2026

- #### ConfirmedReal estate Real estate in the person's name alone takes the estate out of this procedure. Sources: [Alaska Court System: Collecting personal property without a court case](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/affidavit.htm); [Alaska Court System form P-110, Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent](https://public.courts.alaska.gov/web/forms/docs/p-110.pdf); [Alaska Court System: Small estates](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/small-estates.htm), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedWaiting period after the death 30 days. At least 30 days after the death."It has been at least 30 days since the person died." Sources: [Alaska Court System: Collecting personal property without a court case](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/affidavit.htm); [Alaska Court System form P-110, Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent](https://public.courts.alaska.gov/web/forms/docs/p-110.pdf); [Alaska Court System: Small estates](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/small-estates.htm), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedNotary or oath Signed before a notary. Signed under oath before a notary or a court clerk; court locations notarize for free."You can do this before a notary or a court clerk." Sources: [Alaska Court System: Collecting personal property without a court case](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/affidavit.htm); [Alaska Court System form P-110, Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent](https://public.courts.alaska.gov/web/forms/docs/p-110.pdf); [Alaska Court System: Small estates](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/small-estates.htm), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedWhere the paperwork goes Handed to the bank or other holder. Nothing is filed with the court; the successor gives a copy to each person or business holding the property."a copy of the Affidavit to any person or business who has personal property owned by the person who died" Sources: [Alaska Court System: Collecting personal property without a court case](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/affidavit.htm); [Alaska Court System form P-110, Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent](https://public.courts.alaska.gov/web/forms/docs/p-110.pdf); [Alaska Court System: Small estates](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/small-estates.htm), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedOfficial form Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent (P-110). The court system's statewide form, revised 4/17, with a notary or clerk block. Source: [Alaska Court System form P-110, Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent](https://public.courts.alaska.gov/web/forms/docs/p-110.pdf), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedSimplified court procedure Small estate closed by sworn statement (P-350): A small estate is opened as an informal probate; if the estate after liens and debts is no more than the family allowance, exempt property and the costs of probate, funeral and last illness, the personal representative closes it with form P-350, a sworn statement. Sources: [Alaska Court System: Collecting personal property without a court case](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/affidavit.htm); [Alaska Court System form P-110, Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent](https://public.courts.alaska.gov/web/forms/docs/p-110.pdf); [Alaska Court System: Small estates](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/small-estates.htm), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedWorth knowing Vehicles get a separate, higher cap: Alaska-registered vehicles up to $100,000 total after debts and liens, in addition to $50,000 of other personal property. Sources: [Alaska Court System: Collecting personal property without a court case](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/affidavit.htm); [Alaska Court System form P-110, Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent](https://public.courts.alaska.gov/web/forms/docs/p-110.pdf); [Alaska Court System: Small estates](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/small-estates.htm), checked November 2026

## The will at probate

How the will had to be signed matters when it's offered to the court.

- #### ConfirmedWitnesses the will needed Two witnesses, who sign within a reasonable time after watching the person sign."Signed by two witnesses within a reasonable time after they watch the person sign the Will." Sources: [Wills (Alaska Court System Self-Help Services)](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/wills.htm); [Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Alaska (Nolo, updated September 2025)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/alaska-make-will-31784.html), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedSelf-proving affidavit Allowed. The will-maker and both witnesses sign sworn statements in a self-proving affidavit, which is notarized."The affidavit and the will must be notarized." Sources: [Wills (Alaska Court System Self-Help Services)](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/wills.htm); [Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Alaska (Nolo, updated September 2025)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/alaska-make-will-31784.html), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedIf the will is handwritten A will not signed by two witnesses may still be valid as a holographic will; the page doesn't list the requirements."may still be valid as a holographic Will." Sources: [Wills (Alaska Court System Self-Help Services)](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/wills.htm); [Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Alaska (Nolo, updated September 2025)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/alaska-make-will-31784.html), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedA witness who inherits The court's page says a witness can be related to the person making the will or get a gift under it."A person can act as a witness even if they are related to the person making the Will." Sources: [Wills (Alaska Court System Self-Help Services)](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/wills.htm); [Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Alaska (Nolo, updated September 2025)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/alaska-make-will-31784.html), checked November 2026

## Want us to handle it?

We order certified records, pick up and deliver documents, get the small estate affidavit signed and notarized, and file papers near where the estate is, in any state. We are not lawyers.

**Price:** Quote-based, from $199 per job plus government and court fees at cost. Starting rates. Your exact price is quoted after we confirm a local notary/runner, before you pay.

[Ask for estate paperwork help](/notary/estate-paperwork-help-out-of-state#request)

## Documents to gather

- Recent bills, loan and credit card statements
- Pension, Social Security and benefit letters
- Safe deposit box location and keys
- Certified death certificates
- The original will and any codicils
- Deeds and mortgage statements
- Vehicle titles and registrations
- Recent bank, brokerage and retirement statements
- Life insurance policies and annuities
- The last few years of tax returns
- The official small estate form: Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent (P-110)

## Who to notify

Pension or employer, Social Security (if the funeral home hasn't), Banks and credit unions, Brokerage and retirement accounts, Life insurance companies, Utilities and phone, Landlord or mortgage servicer, Credit card companies. Send a short letter with a copy of the death certificate, and keep a log of who you told and when.

## Documents needed abroad

- #### ConfirmedA death certificate needed abroad Apostilles for this state's documents come from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Authentications. $5 per certificate (check, money order or credit card). Vital records: Official certified copies of vital records are authenticated. Source: [Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Authentications](https://ltgov.alaska.gov/services/authentications/), checked November 2026

## Where to ask

An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation. Official pages for Alaska:

- [Alaska Court System: Collecting personal property without a court case](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/affidavit.htm)
- [Alaska Court System form P-110, Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent](https://public.courts.alaska.gov/web/forms/docs/p-110.pdf)
- [Alaska Court System: Small estates](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/small-estates.htm)
- [Wills (Alaska Court System Self-Help Services)](https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/probate/wills.htm)

Alaska kit

## Alaska Executor and Estate Kit

This checklist as printable Word and PDF files: a start-here guide, the first 30 days, the small estate route with its official links, a documents and accounts tracker, plain notification letters (bank, utilities, Social Security), and an Excel estate ledger for assets, debts, payments and distributions.

[Get the kit, $25](/toolkits/ak-executor-kit)

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation. Facts checked November 2026.

## Common questions

**Is there a small estate route in Alaska?**

On the official pages we read: Personal property other than vehicles worth $50,000 or less after debts and liens; vehicles registered in the state have their own $100,000 cap. Owning real estate rules the affidavit out unless it passed automatically (tenancy by the entirety or a transfer on death deed). Handed to the bank or other holder. Nothing is filed with the court; the successor gives a copy to each person or business holding the property.

**How soon after the death can the Alaska small estate paperwork be used?**

30 days. At least 30 days after the death.

**Does the small estate paperwork in Alaska need a notary?**

Signed before a notary. Signed under oath before a notary or a court clerk; court locations notarize for free.

**Is there an official Alaska form?**

Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent (P-110). The court system's statewide form, revised 4/17, with a notary or clerk block. Link: https://public.courts.alaska.gov/web/forms/docs/p-110.pdf

**How many witnesses did a will in Alaska need?**

Two witnesses, who sign within a reasonable time after watching the person sign.

**What about a self-proving affidavit in Alaska?**

Allowed. The will-maker and both witnesses sign sworn statements in a self-proving affidavit, which is notarized.

**Who answers questions about an estate in Alaska?**

An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation. The official pages behind this checklist: Alaska Court System: Collecting personal property without a court case. Remember the 30-day wait before the small estate route.

Related: [Executor guide by state](/notary/executor-guide-by-state) · [Small estate affidavit details](/notary/small-estate-affidavit-alaska) · [Will signing requirements](/notary/will-signing-requirements-alaska) · [Apostille steps](/notary/apostille-alaska) · [Estate paperwork help](/notary/estate-paperwork-help-out-of-state)

## Family far from the estate?

[See estate paperwork help](/notary/estate-paperwork-help-out-of-state)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)