How to File for Divorce in Alaska

Choose Your Filing Track First

Alaska gives you two separate paths to end a marriage, and picking the wrong one wastes time and filing fees. If both spouses agree on everything — property, debts, custody, support — you file a joint Petition for Dissolution of Marriage using form DR-100 (no children) or DR-105 (with children). If even one issue is unresolved, or your spouse simply won't cooperate, you file a solo Complaint for Divorce using form DR-50 or DR-55.

The dissolution track is faster (typically 30–60 days to a decree) because it skips service of process entirely — both spouses sign under notary oath and submit the packet together. The divorce track requires formal service and a response window, which pushes the realistic timeline to 90–150 days even if your spouse eventually agrees.

Confirm Your Residency and Venue

Alaska has no durational residency requirement. You just need to be an Alaska resident — physically present in the state with intent to stay — when you file. Active-duty military personnel stationed in Alaska for at least 30 consecutive days also qualify under AS § 25.24.900.

You'll file in the Superior Court for the judicial district where your spouse lives (for a solo complaint) or where either of you lives (for a joint petition). Alaska has four judicial districts: the First (Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka), Second (Nome, Kotzebue, Utqiagvik), Third (Anchorage, Palmer, Kenai), and Fourth (Fairbanks, Bethel, Delta Junction).

Prepare Your Filing Packet

Every filing packet needs three core documents:

• Certificate of Divorce, Dissolution of Marriage, or Annulment (VS-401) — must be filled out in black ink with no cross-outs or correction fluid
• Information Sheet (DR-314)
• Your petition or complaint — DR-100/DR-105 for dissolution, DR-50/DR-55 for divorce

If you have minor children, attach the Child Custody Jurisdiction Affidavit (DR-150) and the Child Support Guidelines Affidavit (DR-305).

All petitions and complaints must be signed under oath before a notary public or Superior Court clerk. If neither is available, attach a Self-Certification (TF-835). For joint dissolutions, the petition must reach the court within 60 days of the first spouse's signature or the clerk will reject it as expired.

Submit Through TrueFiling and Pay the Fee

Under Administrative Bulletin 92, self-represented filers must use Alaska's electronic filing platform, TrueFiling, at akfile.truefiling.com, when it is available for their case type and court location. You upload your completed forms as a single PDF bundle and pay the $250 filing fee by debit or credit card. If you're exempt from e-filing (incarceration, ADA-qualifying disability, no safe computer access, or a language barrier), check the exemption box on your complaint and file on paper in person or by mail.

If you can't afford the fee, attach a Request and Order for Exemption from Payment of Fees (TF-920). The court holds your case until a judge rules on the waiver — if approved, the clerk issues your summons on the divorce track; if denied, you have 30 days to pay or the case is dismissed.

Serve Your Spouse (Divorce Track Only)

Dissolution petitioners skip this step entirely. Divorce filers have 120 days to serve the summons, complaint, and the court's standing Domestic Relations Procedural Order on the defendant. Under Civil Rule 4, you can serve by certified mail (restricted delivery, return receipt requested, addressee only) or hire a licensed private process server.

Once served, the defendant has 20 days to respond if served in-state, or 30 days if served out of state. If no response comes, you can file a Default Application (SHC-400) for a default judgment.

Get Your Decree

After the mandatory 30-day waiting period from filing, the court schedules a final hearing. For a joint dissolution, at least one spouse must attend (telephonic appearances are available via form TF-710). The judge or a Superior Court Master reviews your settlement for fairness, and once the decree is signed, your marriage is legally ended.

The Alaska Divorce Filing Process Guide walks you through each of these steps with checklists, deadline trackers, and a Civil Rule 26.1 disclosure organizer — so nothing falls through the cracks between filing day and your final decree.

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