Protecting a Home or a Car
AS 11.81.350 — deadly force against a burglary of an occupied dwelling, arson of one, or a carjacking
A person in possession or control of premises, or their guest or agent, may use nondeadly force they reasonably believe necessary to end a criminal trespass, and deadly force they reasonably believe necessary to end a burglary in an occupied dwelling or building.
Who handles this in Alaska: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Alaska directory.
- Nondeadly force to stop property being taken or damaged.
- Deadly force to stop arson of a dwelling or an occupied building.
- Deadly force by someone in a vehicle, or pulled from one, to stop a carjacking of it.
- Deadly force by someone outside a vehicle to stop its theft while another person, not the offender, is inside.
There is no duty to leave before using deadly force in self-defense on premises a person owns, leases or lives in.
Sources for this section (2)
- AS 11.81.350 — Justification: Use of force in defense of property and premises
- AS 11.81.335 — Justification: Use of deadly force in defense of self
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Alaska attorney.