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Alaska background check laws for employers
Alaska has no statewide ban-the-box or fair chance law for private employers, so private employers mainly follow the federal FCRA steps. Alaska does limit what the state criminal records repository and the court website release, and it requires fingerprint background checks for many health and care providers.
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Fair-chance hiring (criminal history)
- Alaska's employment discrimination law does not list criminal history as a protected trait and does not limit when private employers may ask about it (AS 18.80.220(a)).
- No Alaska statute was found that requires private employers to delay criminal history questions, do an individualized assessment, or give notices beyond the federal FCRA (AS 18.80.220).
State consumer report rules
- No Alaska consumer reporting statute was found that adds employment disclosure, consent, or copy rules beyond the federal FCRA.
How far back a report can go
- No Alaska statute was found setting a 7-year limit on reporting convictions on employment background reports beyond the federal FCRA.
- The state criminal records agency may release conviction information for any purpose but may not release nonconviction information, such as arrests that did not lead to conviction, to the general public (AS 12.62.160(b)(8)).
- A person whose records were sealed because of mistaken identity or false accusation may deny the arrest, charge, or conviction shown in those records (AS 12.62.180(d)).
- The Alaska Court System may not post on a public website records of a criminal case 60 days after all charges ended in acquittal or dismissal (AS 22.35.030).
Credit checks
- No Alaska statute was found limiting employer use of credit reports beyond the federal FCRA.
Also good to know
- Alaska requires fingerprint-based state and national criminal history checks for employees, contractors, and unsupervised volunteers of entities licensed, certified, or paid by the Department of Health or the Department of Family and Community Services to serve people in their programs (AS 47.05.300; AS 47.05.310(d)-(e)).
Common questions
Can Alaska employers run a background check?
Alaska has no statewide ban-the-box or fair chance law for private employers, so private employers mainly follow the federal FCRA steps. Alaska does limit what the state criminal records repository and the court website release, and it requires fingerprint background checks for many health and care providers.
Does Alaska have a ban-the-box law for private employers?
Alaska's employment discrimination law does not list criminal history as a protected trait and does not limit when private employers may ask about it (AS 18.80.220(a)).
How far back does a background check go in Alaska?
No Alaska statute was found setting a 7-year limit on reporting convictions on employment background reports beyond the federal FCRA.
Can Alaska employers run credit checks on applicants?
No Alaska statute was found limiting employer use of credit reports beyond the federal FCRA.
Some rules for Alaska weren't confirmed from an official source. Check with the state before relying on this page.
Sources
- AS 18.80.200-18.80.220 (official, akleg.gov)
- AS 12.62.160-12.62.180 (official)
- AS 22.35.030 (official)
- AS 47.05.300-47.05.390 (official)
This page summarizes state law in plain words, with links to the law itself. It is not legal advice, and laws change: check the linked source, and talk to a lawyer about your own policy. Federal DOT testing rules are separate and override state limits for DOT-covered jobs. Checked October 2026.