Is Jaywalking Illegal in Alaska? Crossing Rules and Fines (2026)

In Alaska, what people call jaywalking is governed by a traffic regulation, 13 AAC 02.160. A pedestrian may cross outside a crosswalk only by yielding the right-of-way to all vehicles, and in a business or residence district may not cross between two adjacent intersections with operating traffic signals except in a marked crosswalk. Because the rule is a regulation adopted under Title 28, a violation is an infraction under AS 28.90.010(c): not a criminal offense, with a fine of up to $300; the court bail schedule sets $25 for this rule. For how other states handle the same question, see our guide to jaywalking laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-10. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Alaska state law: the pedestrian regulations in 13 AAC 02.150 through 02.195, the signal regulations in 13 AAC 02.010 and 02.015, the penalty and classification rules in AS 28.90.010, the statewide-application and local-ordinance rules in AS 28.01.010, the crosswalk and pedestrian definitions in 13 AAC 40.010, the bail and surcharge rules in AS 28.05.151, AS 12.55.039 and Alaska Administrative Rule 43.1, and the driver point rules in AS 28.15.221 to 28.15.261 and 2 AAC 90.310 to 90.320. Regulation text reflects the Alaska Administrative Code as published by the Alaska Legislature on 2026-10-10. It does not cover municipal ordinances, injury claims after a crash, or the law of other states.

Is jaywalking illegal in Alaska?

Alaska's pedestrian rules do not use the word jaywalking. They set several distinct rules, and they work differently. Crossing outside a crosswalk is allowed if you yield to traffic. Crossing at road level where an accessible pedestrian tunnel or overpass is provided and there is no marked crosswalk, crossing mid-block between signalized intersections in a business or residence district, crossing diagonally without a device that allows it, and crossing where a device prohibits it are flat prohibitions.

Crossing outside a crosswalk

The core rule is a duty to yield, not a ban:

"(a) A pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway, except as provided in AS 28.35.145."

The exception points to AS 28.35.145, Alaska's school bus statute, which requires drivers to yield to a person crossing to or from a stopped school bus.

A crosswalk does not need paint. Under 13 AAC 40.010, at an intersection it is the extension of the sidewalk across the road or, where there is no sidewalk, a 10-foot-wide band extending the edge of the roadway across the intersection. The same regulation defines a pedestrian as "any person afoot," including a person on skis or snowshoes.

Subsection (f) also controls the path you take: "Except as provided in (d) of this section, a pedestrian must cross a roadway at a right angle to the roadway or by the shortest route to the opposite side of the roadway."

Crossing between signals, diagonally, or where crossing is prohibited

Four subsections of 13 AAC 02.160 are outright prohibitions:

"(b) No pedestrian may cross a roadway at a point where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided and which is accessible at road level at or near the point of crossing, unless a marked crosswalk is also provided at that point."

If the overpass or tunnel is not accessible and there is no marked crosswalk, the pedestrian must yield to vehicles close enough to be a hazard.

"(c) Between adjacent intersections in a business or residence district in which traffic-control signals are in operation, no pedestrian may cross except in a marked crosswalk. (d) No pedestrian may cross a roadway intersection diagonally or otherwise than at a right angle unless authorized by an official traffic-control device."

"(e) No pedestrian may cross a roadway where an official traffic-control device specifically prohibits the crossing."

Subsection (c) applies only in a business or residence district. Outside those districts, a mid-block crossing is governed by the yield rule in subsection (a), along with any device that prohibits crossing under subsection (e).

Walk signals and red lights

Under 13 AAC 02.150(a), "Pedestrians must comply with traffic and pedestrian-control signals as provided in secs. 10 and 15 of this chapter and are subject to the applicable restrictions in this chapter."

On a don't walk signal, 13 AAC 02.015(2) provides that "no pedestrian may start to cross the roadway in the direction of this signal; a pedestrian who has partially completed his crossing on the "walk" signal shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety island while the "don't walk" signal is showing."

Where there is no pedestrian signal, the vehicle signal controls. Under 13 AAC 02.010(a), "unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian-control signal as provided in 13 AAC 02.015, no pedestrian facing a steady circular red or red arrow signal may enter the roadway."

Under 13 AAC 02.155(b), "No pedestrian may leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard."

Walking along the road

Under 13 AAC 02.175(a), "Where a sidewalk is provided and its use is practicable, a pedestrian may not walk upon an adjacent roadway except when crossing the roadway." Where there is neither a sidewalk nor a shoulder, the regulation says a pedestrian "shall walk as near as practicable to the outside edge of the highway and, if walking along a two-way roadway, shall walk only on the left side of the roadway." It also provides: "No pedestrian may walk on a controlled-access highway except in an emergency."

Under 13 AAC 02.175(d) and (e), no pedestrian may be on or along a roadway in a way that creates an unreasonable risk of danger to himself or interferes with the normal flow of traffic, and no pedestrian may sleep or loiter on a highway or, without a permit, obstruct free passage on it.

What drivers owe pedestrians

The pedestrian's duty to yield outside a crosswalk is separate from the driver's duties. Under 13 AAC 02.155(a), "Except as provided in sec. 195 of this chapter, when traffic-control signals are not in place or not in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian who is on a sidewalk, vehicular way or area, or who is crossing a roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger."

Other driver duties apply at signals and in specific situations:

• Walk signals and turns. At a WALK signal, "every driver must yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian" (13 AAC 02.015(1)). Drivers turning on a green light or green arrow, or turning on red after stopping, must yield to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk (13 AAC 02.010(a)(1), (a)(3)(B)).
• Vehicles stopped at crosswalks. When a vehicle is stopped at a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to let a pedestrian cross, no driver approaching from the rear may overtake and pass it (13 AAC 02.155(c)).
• Blind pedestrians. Drivers must yield to a blind pedestrian carrying a visible white cane or accompanied by a guide dog (13 AAC 02.190(a)).
• School buses. At a stopped school bus, drivers must yield to anyone crossing to or from the bus, whether or not in a marked crosswalk (AS 28.35.145(b)). That is the exception referred to in 13 AAC 02.160(a).

The court bail schedule lists $100 for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk under 13 AAC 02.155(a), $150 for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk after a green signal under 13 AAC 02.010 and for failing to yield to a blind pedestrian under 13 AAC 02.190(a), and $75 for passing a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian. Failure to stop or yield also carries 4 demerit points for a driver (2 AAC 90.310).

Jaywalking fine and penalty in Alaska

Alaska's general rule for Title 28 makes a violation of a statute a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both, where no other penalty is specifically provided (AS 28.90.010(a), (b)). The pedestrian rules on this page are regulations, though, and regulations fall under a different subsection:

"(c) Unless otherwise specified by law a person convicted of a violation of a regulation adopted under this title, or a municipal ordinance regulating vehicles or traffic when the municipal ordinance does not correspond to a provision of this title, is guilty of an infraction and is punishable by a fine not to exceed $300."

Subsection (d) spells out what an infraction means. It "is not considered a criminal offense and may not result in imprisonment," the fine is not "considered a penal or criminal punishment," a single infraction may not result in the loss of a driver's license "except as may result from the accumulation of points under AS 28.15.221 - 28.15.261," and a person cited with an infraction has no right to a jury trial or to court-appointed counsel.

The $300 figure is the statutory maximum. The Alaska Supreme Court's traffic bail forfeiture schedule (Alaska Administrative Rule 43.1, adopted under AS 28.05.151) sets the amount for this regulation: $25 for a violation of 13 AAC 02.160(a)-(f). A person can resolve the citation by paying that amount without going to court, and if the person goes to court and is convicted, "the penalty imposed for the offense may not exceed the bail amount for that offense."

The scheduled amount for failing to obey a pedestrian signal (13 AAC 02.015) and for the walking-along-the-road rules (13 AAC 02.175) is $40. An infraction with a fine or bail forfeiture of $30 or more also carries a $20 surcharge (AS 12.55.039(a)(4)). Scheduled amounts are doubled in a highway work zone or traffic safety corridor (AS 28.05.151(d)). A citation written under a city ordinance follows that city's own fine schedule.

Can cities set their own rules?

AS 28.01.010(a) provides: "The provisions of this title and the regulations adopted under this title are applicable within all municipalities of the state. A municipality may not enact an ordinance that is inconsistent with the provisions of this title..." Subsection (b) adds that, notwithstanding (a), "a municipality may enact necessary ordinances to meet specific local requirements," and AS 28.05.151(a) has each municipality set its own fine schedule for municipal traffic offenses, so a city citation can carry a different amount than the state schedule. Under AS 28.90.010(c), a municipal traffic ordinance that does not correspond to a provision of Title 28 is also an infraction with a fine of up to $300. City and borough ordinances are outside the scope of this page.

Can police stop you for jaywalking in Alaska?

The pedestrian regulations, 13 AAC 02.150 through 02.195, contain no provision limiting police stops for pedestrian infractions. For how other states treat pedestrian stops, see our jaywalking laws by state guide.

If a pedestrian is hit by a car

Who had the right-of-way under 13 AAC 02.155 and 02.160 can come up after a collision. For how fault, insurance and filing deadlines work in a crash claim, see Alaska car accident laws. Electric scooter riders follow a different set of rules, covered in Alaska e-scooter laws.

Related pages

• Jaywalking laws by state
• Alaska car accident laws
• Alaska e-scooter laws

This article provides general legal information about Alaska law, not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Alaska.

Last updated: 2026-10-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is jaywalking illegal in Alaska?

Crossing outside a crosswalk is allowed if you yield to all vehicles (13 AAC 02.160(a)). In a business or residence district you may not cross between adjacent signalized intersections except in a marked crosswalk (13 AAC 02.160(c)), and diagonal crossing is barred unless a traffic-control device authorizes it (13 AAC 02.160(d)).

What is the fine for jaywalking in Alaska?

The Alaska Court System bail schedule (Administrative Rule 43.1) sets $25 for crossing at other than a crosswalk under 13 AAC 02.160, payable without a court appearance, and a court conviction may not exceed that amount. Failing to obey a pedestrian signal is $40. The statutory maximum for violating a traffic regulation is $300 (AS 28.90.010(c)), and amounts are doubled in a highway work zone or traffic safety corridor. A city citation follows the city's own fine schedule.

Can you go to jail for jaywalking in Alaska?

No jail can result from an infraction. AS 28.90.010(d) says an infraction is not considered a criminal offense and may not result in imprisonment.

Can you lose your driver's license for jaywalking in Alaska?

AS 28.90.010(d) says a single infraction may not result in the loss of a driver's license except as may result from the accumulation of points under AS 28.15.221 to 28.15.261. Those points are assigned for violations of traffic laws, which AS 28.15.261 defines as statutes, regulations, and municipal ordinances governing the driving or movement of vehicles, and the point regulations apply to operators of motor vehicles (2 AAC 90.320(a)).

Which side of the road should I walk on in Alaska?

Use a sidewalk where one is provided and practicable. Where there is no sidewalk or shoulder, 13 AAC 02.175 says to walk as near as practicable to the outside edge and, on a two-way roadway, only on the left side.

Can I walk on the highway in Alaska?

Not on a controlled-access highway. 13 AAC 02.175 says no pedestrian may walk on a controlled-access highway except in an emergency.

Do drivers have to stop for pedestrians in Alaska?

When traffic-control signals are not in place or not in operation, 13 AAC 02.155(a) requires a driver to yield to a pedestrian on a sidewalk, or crossing within a crosswalk on the driver's half of the roadway or approaching closely from the opposite half. At a WALK signal every driver must yield to the pedestrian (13 AAC 02.015), drivers turning on green or on red must yield to pedestrians lawfully in the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk (13 AAC 02.010), and drivers must yield to anyone crossing to or from a stopped school bus (AS 28.35.145(b)).