State desk
Ranks 25th of 50 on the Liberty Index, with the lowest gas tax in the country and no state income tax.
Where Alaska stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 11 Alaska outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · Alaska in red. Free to cite with attribution.
No permit required to carry a concealed handgun; permitless since 2003, with optional permits for reciprocity.
Alaska is 1 of 29 states with this rule
15 · Shall-Issue Permit6 · Restrictive: Permit Required
Alaska levies no individual income tax, so wage and salary income is untaxed at the state level. Eight states do the same.
Alaska is 1 of 8 states with this rule
1 · Capital Gains Only15 · Single Flat Rate26 · Graduated Brackets
Alaska charges 8.95 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 50 of 50, which is among the lowest in the country. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 27.35 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 8.95 cents.
Alaska is 1 of 17 states with this rule
17 · Among the Highest16 · Near the Middle
Abolished in 1957.
Alaska is 1 of 23 states with this rule
23 · Retains the death penalty4 · Retains it, executions paused
Not a right-to-work state; union-security agreements are permitted.
Alaska is 1 of 24 states with this rule
26 · Right-to-Work
State minimum wage is $14.00, above the federal $7.25 floor; adjusted annually for inflation; rising to $15.00 on July 1, 2027.
Alaska is 1 of 30 states with this rule
12 · Matches the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies5 · No State Minimum Wage Law
Voters are asked for ID that need not bear a photo, but may still vote by signing an affidavit if lacking one.
Alaska is 1 of 8 states with this rule
10 · Strict Photo ID14 · Photo ID Requested4 · Strict Non-Photo ID14 · No Document Required
No ESA, voucher, or tax-credit scholarship. Its correspondence-study allotment cannot be spent on private-school tuition and has faced legal challenges, so families cannot use public funds for private school.
Alaska is 1 of 17 states with this rule
17 · Universal / Near-Universal16 · Limited Program
NCSL lists Alaska among states recognizing, by statute or court case, that there is no duty to retreat in any place where a person is lawfully present.
Alaska is 1 of 31 states with this rule
7 · Recognized by Court Decision12 · Not Listed by NCSL
Any registered voter may request an absentee ballot by mail without giving a reason.
Alaska is 1 of 29 states with this rule
8 · All-Mail13 · Excuse Required
Alaska's unemployment rate was 4.3% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, unchanged from August. It ranks 34th lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), down from 32nd. A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 4.7%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Appointed by the governor; serving in an acting capacity.
Alaska is 1 of 5 states with this rule
43 · Elected by voters1 · Chosen by the legislature1 · Appointed by the state supreme court