Alaska · Debt collection rights · Updated Oct 2026

Debt collectors in Alaska: your rights

What debt collectors can and can't do in Alaska, how long they have to sue, how much of your pay and bank account is protected, collector licensing, where to complain and what to do if you are sued, in plain English from official sources.

3 yearsto sue on a written contract
$473 a week protectedwage garnishment limit
Yescollector license required
Yesstate debt collection law
20 daysto answer a debt lawsuit

Your federal rights

These federal rules apply in Alaska and every other state. Alaska's own law, below, can add more.

  • Who the federal law covers. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) covers debt collectors who collect for someone else and companies that buy debts, not usually the original creditor collecting its own debt (15 U.S.C. 1692a(6)). Some state laws also cover original creditors.
  • A validation notice. A collector must give you a validation notice, in its first message or within 5 days after it, with the amount, the creditor and how to dispute (15 U.S.C. 1692g(a); 12 CFR 1006.34).
  • Your right to dispute. If you dispute the debt in writing within the validation period (30 days after you get the notice), the collector must stop collecting until it mails you verification (15 U.S.C. 1692g(b); 12 CFR 1006.38).
  • When collectors can contact you. No calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your time, or at work if your employer doesn't allow it (15 U.S.C. 1692c(a)). More than 7 calls in 7 days about one debt is presumed to break the law (12 CFR 1006.14(b)(2)).
  • Telling a collector to stop. If you tell a collector in writing to stop contacting you, it must stop, except to tell you it is ending collection or will take a specific step such as a lawsuit (15 U.S.C. 1692c(c)).
  • What collectors can't do. No threats, obscene language, false statements (for example pretending to be a lawyer or the government, or threatening arrest) and no unfair practices such as collecting fees your contract doesn't allow (15 U.S.C. 1692d, 1692e, 1692f). A collector generally can't discuss your debt with your family, neighbors or employer (15 U.S.C. 1692c(b)).

Read how to dispute a debt or stop collector calls.

Alaska law and extra protections

State law
Alaska Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act (applies to debt collection) plus the collection agency licensing law
Law
AS 45.50.471 et seq.; AS 08.24
Extra protections
  • Collection agencies cannot use letters or forms made to look like court papers. (AS 08.24.320)
  • A collection agency cannot sue in an Alaska court for a client unless it proves it is licensed and bonded. (AS 08.24.300)
Can you sue under it?
Under the Unfair Trade Practices Act, if you lose money or property because of an unlawful practice, you can sue for three times your actual damages or $500, whichever is greater. You must sue within 2 years after you discover (or should have discovered) the loss. (AS 45.50.531(a), (f))
Official text
Read the law

Old debts in Alaska

Written contracts
3 years
Open accounts and unwritten agreements
3 years
Does a payment restart the clock?
Usually yes. The Alaska Court System says that if you make a payment on an old debt, the 3-year time limit usually starts over from the date of the payment.
Law
AS 09.10.053
Official text
Read the law

The time limit is the statute of limitations. Once it runs out, the debt is “time-barred”: a collector must not sue or threaten to sue you, but the debt still exists. Read more about time-barred debt.

Is my debt too old? Check Alaska's time limit

Every state limits how long a creditor or collector has to sue you over a debt. This is the statute of limitations. Choose your state, the type of debt and the date of your last payment to see the limit and an estimated end date. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Credit cards count as written contracts in some states and as open accounts in others. If you are not sure, try both.

Or the date you first missed a payment, if you never paid.

Alaska: 3 years for a written contractEnter the date of your last payment to see when the time limit ends.

An estimate from our state data, not legal advice. Your state's law and your account records decide the exact start date and the type of debt.

Wage garnishment and bank accounts in Alaska

Wage limit
Alaska protects a dollar amount of your weekly net (take-home) pay. The statute says $350 a week, but the amount in effect by regulation is $473 a week (8 AAC 95.030(d)). The federal limit also applies; you keep whichever protects more. If you are not paid weekly, semi-monthly or monthly, up to $1,890 a month in cash and liquid assets is protected instead.
Head of household
If your earnings alone support your household, you can sign a sworn affidavit to raise the protected amount: then only your weekly take-home pay above $743 can be taken (statute $550), or up to $2,970 a month in cash and liquid assets is protected (statute $2,200). (AS 09.38.050(b); 8 AAC 95.030(e))
Bank account
Only for people without regular weekly, semi-monthly or monthly pay: cash and liquid assets (including deposits) up to $1,890 a month (statute $1,400, raised by 8 AAC 95.030(d)(2)). (AS 09.38.030(b))
Law
AS 09.38.030; AS 09.38.050(b); AS 09.38.115; 8 AAC 95.030

Federal benefits such as Social Security, SSI and VA benefits that were directly deposited are protected in your bank account up to two months' worth (31 CFR 212.6). A creditor usually needs a court judgment before it can garnish your wages or bank account.

Property you can keep in Alaska

Amounts in effect by regulation (8 AAC 95.030; a further inflation increase was proposed in July 2026): home up to $72,900 (statute $54,000, AS 09.38.010); one vehicle up to $4,050 if it is worth $27,000 or less (statute $3,000/$20,000, AS 09.38.020(e)); household goods and similar items up to $4,050 (statute $3,000, AS 09.38.020(a)).

Collector licensing in Alaska

License required
Yes
Who licenses
Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (collection agency and operator licenses under AS 08.24.090)

If you are sued in Alaska

Time to answer
District or superior court debt case: file an Answer within 20 days after you are served with the Complaint. Count every day. If the last day falls on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or holiday, it is due the next day the court is open (courts close at noon on Fridays) (Alaska Court System).
If you don't answer
If you don't answer in time, the creditor can ask for a default judgment against you.
Court self-help
Alaska court self-help (official)

Don't ignore court papers. Read what to do if a debt collector sues you.

Where to complain in Alaska

Free help in Alaska

Good to know in Alaska

  • Alaska's limit for suing on a contract debt is only 3 years (AS 09.10.053).
  • Alaska's exemption amounts can change on October 1 of each even-numbered year if inflation has risen 10% or more (AS 09.38.115).

Changes in 2024–2026

July 2026: the Department of Labor and Workforce Development proposed raising all Alaska Exemptions Act dollar amounts (8 AAC 95.030) for inflation. The amounts on this page are the ones now in 8 AAC 95.030.

Free letters to send a collector

Dispute a debt and ask for proof (validation letter)

Within 30 days of the collector's validation notice.

Tell a collector to stop or limit contact

Stop all contact, writing only, or no calls at work.

Questions about debt collection in Alaska

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Alaska?

3 years for written contracts and 3 years for open accounts and unwritten agreements (AS 09.10.053).

Does paying on an old debt restart the clock in Alaska?

Usually yes. The Alaska Court System says that if you make a payment on an old debt, the 3-year time limit usually starts over from the date of the payment.

How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Alaska?

Alaska protects a dollar amount of your weekly net (take-home) pay. The statute says $350 a week, but the amount in effect by regulation is $473 a week (8 AAC 95.030(d)). The federal limit also applies; you keep whichever protects more. If you are not paid weekly, semi-monthly or monthly, up to $1,890 a month in cash and liquid assets is protected instead.

How much money in a bank account is protected in Alaska?

Only for people without regular weekly, semi-monthly or monthly pay: cash and liquid assets (including deposits) up to $1,890 a month (statute $1,400, raised by 8 AAC 95.030(d)(2)). (AS 09.38.030(b))

Do debt collectors need a license in Alaska?

Yes. Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (collection agency and operator licenses under AS 08.24.090)

Does Alaska have its own debt collection law?

Yes: the Alaska Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act (applies to debt collection) plus the collection agency licensing law (AS 45.50.471 et seq.; AS 08.24).

How long do I have to answer a debt lawsuit in Alaska?

District or superior court debt case: file an Answer within 20 days after you are served with the Complaint. Count every day. If the last day falls on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or holiday, it is due the next day the court is open (courts close at noon on Fridays) (Alaska Court System).

Where can I complain about a debt collector in Alaska?

Alaska Attorney General, Consumer Protection Unit: https://law.alaska.gov/department/civil/consumer/cp_complaint.html · 907-269-5200; toll-free outside Anchorage 1-888-576-2529

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources

Other states