Domestic Violence
AS 18.65.530 — an officer arrests on probable cause of domestic violence within the previous 12 hours
A crime involving domestic violence is one of a list of crimes, or an attempt, committed by one household member against another: a crime against the person, burglary, criminal trespass, arson, criminal mischief, terrorist threatening, violating a protective order, and certain harassment among them.
Who handles this in Alaska: Alaska Court System Self-Help Center and Alaska Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Alaska directory.
Household members include current and former spouses, and adults or minors who live together or have lived together, among others the law lists.
The arrest. A peace officer, with or without a warrant, arrests a person the officer has probable cause to believe committed domestic violence within the previous 12 hours, in the officer's presence or not. When more than one person complains of the same incident, the officer works out who was the principal physical aggressor, and the others need not be arrested.
- An assault that is a crime involving domestic violence, committed where a child is physically present or within hearing, is assault in the presence of a child, a class A misdemeanor.
- Anyone but the victim who knowingly interferes with someone reporting a domestic violence crime to law enforcement commits a class A misdemeanor.
Sources for this section (4)
- AS 18.66.990 — Definitions
- AS 18.65.530 — Mandatory arrest for crimes involving domestic violence, violation of protective orders, and violation of conditions of release
- AS 11.41.240 — Assault in the presence of a child
- AS 11.56.745 — Interfering with a report of a crime involving domestic violence
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Alaska attorney.