Alaska Age of Consent Laws: Statutes, Penalties and Reporting

Alaska's criminal statutes on sexual abuse of a minor (AS 11.41.434 to 11.41.440) protect persons under 16 through tiered age and age-difference rules, and since July 1, 2026 they also protect persons 16 and 17 where the offender is 17 or older and at least six years older (AS 11.41.436(a)(1)(A)(ii) and 11.41.438(a)(2)). Separate provisions protect every person under 18 from a parent or guardian, and from an adult household member with authority or an adult in a position of authority who is at least two years older.

To report a concern: if a child is in immediate danger, call 911. For Alaska, the Office of Children's Services page says: "The fastest and easiest way to report child abuse is to call the OCS reporting hotline at 907-269-6510 or 800-478-4444." The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-422-4453, call or text) can help you figure out where and how to report. Online exploitation can be reported to the NCMEC CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678.

Information last verified on 2026-09-29. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer. It is legal-reference information, not legal advice.

This page covers Alaska's state criminal statutes that protect minors from sexual abuse and exploitation, as in force for offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026. Federal law and other states are summarized on the age of consent laws by state hub. Each cite links to the Alaska Legislature's official website.

This page describes the main age-based sexual offense statutes. Other Alaska statutes, such as those on sexual assault (AS 11.41.410 to 11.41.427) and incest (AS 11.41.450), also protect minors, and one of them can apply even where none of the offenses described here does.

A note on sources. HB 239 (chapter 9, SLA 2026) rewrote several of these sections effective July 1, 2026, but the online Alaska Statutes compilation still showed the earlier text when it was opened on 2026-09-29. The amended wording below was read from the enrolled text of HB 239, together with the unchanged sections of Title 11.

How Alaska law protects minors by age

Alaska organizes these offenses into four degrees of "sexual abuse of a minor." The degree depends on whether the conduct is sexual penetration or sexual contact, the ages of both persons, any required age difference, and the offender's relationship to the child. HB 239 states that the amended subsections "apply to offenses committed on or after the effective date," which is July 1, 2026; earlier conduct is governed by the law in force at the time.

Under 13

Under AS 11.41.434(a)(1), an offender "16 years of age or older" who engages in sexual penetration with a person under 13, or who aids, induces, causes or encourages a person under 13 to engage in sexual penetration with another person, commits sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree. AS 11.41.436(a)(2) makes the same conduct involving sexual contact second-degree abuse. These provisions have no age-difference condition.

Where the offender is under 16, the statutes reach conduct with a person under 13 who is "at least three years younger than the offender." Penetration is second-degree abuse under AS 11.41.436(a)(7), and contact is fourth-degree abuse under AS 11.41.440(a)(1).

Ages 13 to 15

AS 11.41.436(a)(1)(A)(i) makes it second-degree abuse for an offender "17 years of age or older" to engage in sexual penetration with a person who is "13, 14, or 15 years of age and at least four years younger than the offender." AS 11.41.436(a)(1)(B) covers an offender who aids, induces, causes or encourages such a person to engage in sexual penetration with another person. AS 11.41.438(a)(1) sets the parallel sexual contact offense as third-degree abuse.

Ages 16 and 17

HB 239 added a tier for this age group. AS 11.41.436(a)(1)(A)(ii) now makes it second-degree abuse for an offender 17 or older to engage in sexual penetration with a person who is "16 or 17 years of age and at least six years younger than the offender." AS 11.41.438(a)(2) makes sexual contact with a person in the same age and age-difference range third-degree abuse.

This tier has no authority or household element. Persons 16 and 17 are also protected by the parent, guardian, household and position-of-authority provisions described below, and by several of the related offenses listed later on this page.

Encouraging a child's involvement in sexual conduct

AS 11.41.436(a)(4) makes it second-degree abuse for an offender 16 or older to aid, induce, cause or encourage a person under 16 to engage in conduct described in AS 11.41.455(a)(2) to (6) or (8). Those paragraphs list the forms of sexual conduct named in the unlawful exploitation of a minor statute.

Summary table

Age-difference provisions

Alaska's age differences are elements of the offenses. The 13-to-15 tier requires a person "at least four years younger than the offender," the 16-and-17 tier requires a person "at least six years younger than the offender," and the tier for offenders under 16 requires a person under 13 who is "at least three years younger." Because each difference is written into the offense definition, it is part of what that tier requires; the parent, guardian, household and authority provisions apply on their own terms.

Positions of trust and authority

AS 11.41.434(a)(2) and 11.41.436(a)(3) protect every person under 18 from a "natural parent, stepparent, adopted parent, or legal guardian" who is 18 or older. Penetration is first-degree abuse and contact is second-degree abuse. These provisions have no age-difference condition.

As amended by HB 239, AS 11.41.434(a)(3) and 11.41.436(a)(5) cover an offender 18 or older who engages in sexual penetration or contact with a person "under 18 years of age and at least two years younger than the offender," where the person lives in the same household and the offender "has authority over the victim," or where "the offender occupies a position of authority in relation to the victim." Before July 1, 2026 these subsections reached only persons under 16, and separate provisions (AS 11.41.436(a)(6) and 11.41.440(a)(2)) covered persons 16 or 17 with a three-year difference where the offender occupied a position of authority. HB 239 repealed those two provisions.

AS 11.41.470(6) defines "position of authority" as an employer, youth leader, scout leader, coach, teacher, counselor, school administrator, religious leader, doctor, nurse, psychologist, guardian ad litem, babysitter, police officer, correctional employee, juvenile facility staff, staff member of a treatment institution, or juvenile or adult probation officer "other than when the officer or staff member is exercising custodial control over a minor," or "a person in a substantially similar position." AS 11.41.470(4) defines "legal guardian" to include foster parents and certain agency and facility staff responsible for a minor in state custody.

Related offenses with a minor-age element

Several other Alaska offenses protect minors. HB 239 widened the age coverage of several of them, effective July 1, 2026.

• Enticement of a minor (AS 11.41.452). An offender 18 or older who knowingly communicates to entice, solicit or encourage sexual conduct commits this offense where the other person is under 16, or is "16 or 17 years of age and at least six years younger than the offender," or where the offender believes so. It is a class B felony, or a class A felony if the offender was required to register as a sex offender or child kidnapper.
• Unlawful exploitation of a minor (AS 11.41.455). It covers producing material or a live performance depicting a "child under 18 years of age" in sexual conduct, and a parent, guardian or custodian who permits it. It is a class A felony, or an unclassified felony with a prior conviction or where the minor is under 13.
• Indecent exposure (AS 11.41.458, 11.41.460). First degree is a class B felony if it occurs within the observation of a person under 18. Second degree before a person under 18 is a class A misdemeanor.
• Solicitation or production of an indecent picture of a minor (AS 11.61.124). An offender 18 or older who solicits or produces such a picture commits this offense where the person is "16 or 17 years of age and at least six years younger than the offender" or "under 16 years of age and at least four years younger than the offender." The grade is set in AS 11.61.124(f).
• Indecent viewing or production of a picture (AS 11.61.123). Knowingly producing a picture of the private exposure of a minor is a class B felony, and knowingly viewing the private exposure of a minor is a class C felony.
• Distribution of indecent material to minors (AS 11.61.128). An offender 18 or older commits this offense by distributing material harmful to minors to a child under 18 and at least two years younger. It is a class C felony, or a class B felony if the offender was required to register as a sex offender or child kidnapper.
• Child sexual abuse material (AS 11.61.125, 11.61.127) and generated material (AS 11.61.121, 11.61.122). These cover material depicting a child under 18. AS 11.61.122, added by HB 239, covers obscene material that "by manipulation, creation, or modification" appears to depict a child under 18 in sexual conduct, "regardless of whether an actual child was used."
• Endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree (AS 11.51.100(a)(2), (3)). Since July 1, 2026, this covers a parent, guardian or other person legally charged with the care of a child under 18 who leaves the child with a person, other than a parent, guardian or lawful custodian, known to be registered or required to register as a sex offender or charged with a listed sexual offense, or with a person known to have had sexual contact with a child who then engages in sexual contact with the child. It is a class C felony in those circumstances.
• Sending an explicit image of a minor (AS 11.61.116). Since July 1, 2026, this covers distributing, with intent to annoy or humiliate, an explicit image of a person taken when that person was under 18.
• Sex trafficking in the first degree (AS 11.66.110(a)(2)). Inducing or causing a person under 20 to engage in prostitution, as other than a patron, is an unclassified felony.
• Patron of a victim of sex trafficking (AS 11.66.137(a)(2)). Soliciting a commercial sexual act from a person under 18 is a class B felony. The statute has no age-difference element.

Penalties

Grades appear in the offense sections, and sentencing ranges are set in AS 12.55.125 and fines in AS 12.55.035 (Title 12). HB 239 amended AS 12.55.125(i) but left the ranges below unchanged. Presumptive ranges depend on prior felony convictions and other factors stated in AS 12.55.125.

Because the 16-and-17 contact tier in AS 11.41.438(a)(2) requires a person at least six years younger, those offenses fall under the AS 12.55.125(i) sentencing provision in AS 11.41.438(c). AS 12.55.125 also sets higher ranges for second and third felony convictions and for offenses involving a firearm, a dangerous instrument or serious physical injury; the statute text controls.

Under AS 12.10.010(a)(3), prosecution for felony sexual abuse of a minor "may be commenced at any time."

Sex offender registration

AS 12.63.100(7) defines "sex offense" for registration to include AS 11.41.410 to 11.41.438, which covers first-, second- and third-degree sexual abuse of a minor. It also lists AS 11.41.450 to 11.41.458 (including enticement and unlawful exploitation of a minor), AS 11.61.121 and 11.61.122, and AS 11.61.125 to 11.61.128. HB 239 repealed the former listing of AS 11.41.440(a)(2) along with that subsection, so fourth-degree abuse under AS 11.41.440(a)(1), where the offender is under 16, is not listed.

Under AS 12.63.020, the duty to register lasts for life after one "aggravated sex offense," a term that includes first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, or after two or more sex offenses. Otherwise it ends 15 years after unconditional discharge from a single sex offense that is not aggravated. For registration, "conviction" means a conviction of an adult or of a juvenile charged as an adult (AS 12.63.100(3)).

Recent changes

HB 239 (SCS CSHB 239(FIN)) became chapter 9, SLA 2026, on June 18, 2026, according to its bill status page, and most of it took effect July 1, 2026. For offenses committed on or after that date, it:

• added the six-year-difference tier protecting persons 16 and 17 (AS 11.41.436(a)(1)(A)(ii), 11.41.438(a)(2));
• extended the household and position-of-authority provisions in AS 11.41.434(a)(3) and 11.41.436(a)(5) to persons under 18 who are at least two years younger than the offender, and repealed AS 11.41.436(a)(6) and 11.41.440(a)(2);
• raised the age thresholds from 16 to 18 in the indecent exposure, indecent material, and explicit image statutes, and extended enticement and indecent-picture offenses to persons 16 and 17 who are at least six years younger than the offender;
• created the offenses of distribution and possession of generated obscene child sexual abuse material (AS 11.61.121, 11.61.122);
• amended AS 11.66.100(c), which limits prosecution for prostitution under AS 11.66.100(a)(1), to add a person who "was, at the time of the offense, 17 years of age or younger." The amended subsection keeps its paragraphs on evidence from a report to law enforcement and on cooperation, and the statute text controls how they apply.

HB 101, titled "Crimes Against Minors; Age Consent to 18," showed a status of "(S) JUD" dated 05/19/2025 on its bill status page when checked.

Where to report

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. Alaska's Office of Children's Services lists its reporting hotline as 907-269-6510 or 800-478-4444, and its page states: "If you suspect child sexual abuse, you must report it to BOTH the Office of Children's Services and Law Enforcement." The national Childhelp hotline and the NCMEC CyberTipline are listed in the box near the top of this page.

Disclaimer

This page is general legal information about Alaska criminal statutes as verified on 2026-09-29. It is not legal advice. Statutes change, summaries simplify, and the statute text controls. Anyone with a specific situation should consult a lawyer licensed in Alaska.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the online Alaska Statutes text differ from this page?

HB 239 amended AS 11.41.434, 11.41.436 and 11.41.438 and repealed AS 11.41.436(a)(6) and 11.41.440(a)(2) effective July 1, 2026. When checked on 2026-09-29, the Legislature's online statutes compilation still showed the earlier text. The enrolled bill on akleg.gov shows the amended wording.

Does the law differ when the adult is a parent, guardian or authority figure?

Yes. A natural parent, stepparent, adopted parent or legal guardian 18 or older is covered for any person under 18. Since July 1, 2026, an offender 18 or older who holds a position of authority, or who lives in the same household and has authority over the person, is covered where the person is under 18 and at least two years younger.

What counts as a position of authority?

AS 11.41.470(6) lists roles including employer, youth leader, scout leader, coach, teacher, counselor, school administrator, religious leader, doctor, nurse, psychologist, guardian ad litem, babysitter, police officer and correctional or juvenile facility staff, plus a person in a substantially similar position.