Alaska auto insurance
Alaska requires 50/100/25 liability — double the limits most states set. Communities not connected to the state road system can be exempt from the requirement entirely.
- Monday – Friday: 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM Pacific Time9:00 AM – 10:00 PM Eastern Time
- Saturday: 6:00 AM – 5:00 PM Pacific Time9:00 AM – 8:00 PM Eastern Time
Three reasons Alaska auto insurance works differently
- 1
The minimum is one of the highest in the United States
50/100/25 means $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 per accident and $25,000 property damage. That is twice the bodily injury floor in most of the lower 48 and it reflects what medical transport and treatment cost here. It also means a policy bought elsewhere and brought north may not meet the requirement.
- 2
Parts and repair are a freight problem before they are a labor problem
A body shop in Anchorage or Fairbanks waits on parts that travel by barge or air. Repairs take longer, which means rental reimbursement runs longer, and a rental limit written as a number of days rather than a total is worth checking. Ask what the rental limit is in days and in dollars, and ask what happens when the part is on a barge.
- 3
Moose are a comprehensive claim and they are not rare
Moose-vehicle collisions on the Seward, Parks and Glenn highways run into the hundreds every winter, and a moose is tall enough to come through the windshield rather than over the hood. Animal strikes are comprehensive, not collision, with a separate deductible. A liability-only policy pays for none of it.
Who is exempt, and why that matters even if you are not
Alaska’s mandatory insurance requirement does not reach every community: residents of areas not connected to the state road system, and some unorganized areas, can be exempt. That is a genuine statutory carve-out rather than a loophole. It also means the driver who hits you may not have been required to carry anything, which is the clearest argument there is for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy.
Winter: studs, block heaters and the single-vehicle slide
Studded tires are standard here through the winter and are permitted on a seasonal basis by region. Black ice, overflow ice and glare ice on the Glenn put single-vehicle slides into the collision bucket. A plugged-in block heater at minus 30 is not an insurance matter, but a car that will not start in a parking lot for three days and gets hit by a plow is. Say where the vehicle lives overnight.
Earthquake, ash and the vehicle
Alaska is the most seismically active state in the country, and a vehicle damaged by an earthquake — in a collapsing carport, say, or by debris — is generally looking at comprehensive rather than anything separate. Volcanic ash is the stranger one: ash ingested into an engine or scoured across paint is a real Alaska event and how it is handled depends on the policy. Ask rather than assume.
Have these ready when you call
Five minutes on the phone goes faster with the paperwork in front of you.
- Year, make, model and VIN for every vehicle
- Driver license numbers for everyone who will drive
- The exact date your current policy ends, so the new one starts without a gap
- Where each vehicle parks overnight — garage, plugged in, or outside
- Annual mileage and whether you drive the highway system in winter
- Any ticket or at-fault accident in the last three to five years
- Whether you tow a boat, snowmachine trailer or camper
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum car insurance in Alaska?
Liability of at least $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage — written 50/100/25. It is among the highest statutory minimums in the country.
Is auto insurance required everywhere in Alaska?
Not everywhere. Communities not connected to the state road system, and some unorganized areas, can be exempt from the mandatory requirement. That is also a reason to carry uninsured motorist coverage yourself.
Is hitting a moose collision or comprehensive?
Animal strikes are generally handled under comprehensive, which carries its own deductible. Given how frequent moose collisions are on the highway system, this is the coverage to think hard about before dropping.
How long will my rental car coverage actually last?
Check whether the limit is written in days or in total dollars, because Alaska repairs wait on freight. A limit that is adequate in Seattle can run out before the part arrives here.
Request your Alaska quote
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