Ticket Fines and Penalties in Alaska

AK Traffic Ticket Fines and Costs

AK traffic ticket fines vary by violation and location.

Check your traffic ticket for information about your fine; if you’ve misplaced your citation, our section on replacing lost traffic tickets can help you retrieve the information.

Surcharges

Like ticket fines, court costs and other surcharges vary by location. Such information might be printed on your ticket; if it’s not, you can contact your court for exact costs.

DUI Surcharges

Alaska estimates that the average cost of a first offense DUI is more than $22,000. This includes fees related to jail time, court costs, vehicle impoundment, license reinstatement, and educational requirements.

Some of these fess are one-time fees (such as court costs) and others last for years (such as SR-22 insurance).

Our section on AK DUI outlines the state’s laws and consequences, as does the Alaska Driver Manual.

Auto Insurance Rate Increase

Depending on your driving history, insurance provider, and policy, you could experience an auto insurance rate increase once it’s time to renew your policy. Contact your agent to ask about a possible increase after a violation, and then start shopping for lower car insurance rates online.

Alaska Traffic Ticket Penalties

Traffic ticket penalties don’t vary by city or county.

Alaska Point System

According to the AK DMV, the state implements a point system for the specific purpose of crash prevention. Each violation you get carries a certain number of points―from two to 10―and, after working with you via warning letters and in-person meetings, the DMV will suspend or revoke your license after you accumulate a certain number of points (see below).

AK Driver’s License Suspension, Revocation, and Cancellation

The DMV will automatically suspend or revoke a driver’s license for certain violations.

License Suspension: A license suspension is a temporary loss of your driving privilege. Once that time period is up, and you’ve completed any applicable requirements, you can apply for a duplicate license. Generally, drivers must carry proof of financial responsibility in order to get their licenses reinstated. Often, this means filing an SR-22 insurance form.

License Revocation: Usually, revocations last longer than suspensions, and involve more complex requirements. Like license suspensions, license revocations often require proof of financial responsibility for license reinstatement purposes.

The Alaska Driver Manual outlines all the ways drivers can lose their driving privileges to suspension or revocation. Some examples include:

• Owning or driving an uninsured vehicle involved in an accident.
• Violating license restrictions.
• Reckless driving.
• DUI-related violations, or refusing a chemical or breath test.
• Failure to stop and render aid.
• Habitual offenses (usually two suspensions in 24 months).
• Committing a felony with a vehicle involving assault, manslaughter, or negligent homicide.

Drivers can lose their driving privileges for accumulating too many points, too. The DMV offers chances in the forms of warning letters and meetings with driving examiners, but you’re out of options once you accumulate:

• 12 or more points in 12 months.
• 18 or more points in 24 months.

Check our AK DMV Point System section for details.

Penalties for Drivers Younger than 21

Drivers younger than 21 face administrative license revocation if caught operating a motor vehicle, watercraft, or aircraft with any level of alcohol in their systems. Revocation is anywhere from 30 days to one year, depending on the offense number.

Drivers with instruction permits or provisional licenses face penalties for violations unrelated to alcohol, too.

For example, a driver has to wait six months after a traffic violation before he can move on to a provisional license (if he currently has an instruction permit) or regular driver’s license (if he currently has a provisional license). Too, getting cited for violating any of the restrictions on instruction permits and provisional licenses carries penalties like a $200 fine and two driving record points.

For more information about penalties for young drivers, check the Alaska Driver Manual.

Penalties for Alaska Commercial Drivers

You have 30 days to notify your employer of receiving a traffic citation, and you also must notify the DMV if you got the ticket outside of Alaska.

First Offenses: Major Disqualifications

You’ll lose your CDL for one year if you commit any of the following offenses while operating a CMV or your regular passenger vehicle:

• DUI-related offenses.
• Refusing to undergo a chemical or breath test.
• Leaving the scene of an accident.
• Committing a felony involving a motor vehicle.
• Causing a fatality due to negligent driving or committing a felony.
• Drive a CMV with a suspended, revoked, canceled, or disqualified CDL.

The suspension period may be longer if you were operating a CMV placarded for transporting hazardous materials.

Second Offenses: Major Disqualifications

Your CDL becomes disqualified for life if you commit any of the above offenses a second time.

Serious Traffic Offenses

Serious offenses include:

• Driving 15 miles or more over the speed limit.
• Reckless or careless driving.
• Changing lanes in an erratic or improper manner.
• Driving too closely behind another vehicle.
• Operating a CMV without a CDL, without your CDL in your possessions, or with a CDL that doesn’t have the proper endorsements or class.

You’ll lose your CMV driving privileges for:

• 60 days if you commit two serious offenses during a three-year period.
• 120 days if you commit three serious offenses with your CMV during a three-year period.

Additional Offenses

You can lose your CDL for other offenses, like violating out-of-service orders and committing railroad-highway grade crossing violations.

Refer to the Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual for more information about all the ways you can lose your CDL.