Set aside after suspended imposition of sentence (AS 12.55.085(e)) in Alaska: which records can be cleared
Each way to clear a record in Alaska, what it covers, the exclusions and the effect.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.
Short answer
In Alaska it is called set aside: Alaska has no general law to expunge criminal records.
- Main remedy
- Set aside after suspended imposition of sentence (AS 12.55.085(e))
- What it covers
- Convictions where the judge gave you a suspended imposition of sentence (SIS) at sentencing and you completed probation.
- Ways to clear a record
- 4
Ways to clear a record in Alaska
Set aside; dismissal after suspended entry of judgment; removal from the court's public website — Alaska has no general law to expunge criminal records. A set aside means the court sets aside your conviction after you complete probation, but the case stays on your criminal record. Some dismissed and acquitted cases are taken off the court system's public website.
Alaska has 4 ways to clear a record. Each covers different records and has its own waiting period.
Set aside after suspended imposition of sentence (AS 12.55.085(e))
Convictions where the judge gave you a suspended imposition of sentence (SIS) at sentencing and you completed probation
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Conviction with suspended imposition of sentence | No waiting period When probation ends without a sentence being imposed, the court discharges you, usually 30 days after probation ends, and at that time it considers whether to set aside the conviction and give you a certificate. | Discharge from probation |
- Not eligible
- An SIS cannot be given for offenses under AS 11.41.100-11.41.220, 11.41.260-11.41.320, 11.41.360-11.41.370, 11.41.410-11.41.530, 11.46.400, 11.61.125-11.61.128 or 11.66.110-11.66.135 (including homicide, first- to third-degree assault, stalking, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual offenses, robbery, extortion, coercion, first-degree arson, child pornography and sex trafficking), when a firearm was used, or for some people with prior convictions. From July 1, 2026, possession or distribution of generated (AI-made) obscene child sexual abuse material is also excluded for offenses on or after that date. The set aside is only available if you got an SIS at sentencing.
- Limits
- A set-aside conviction still counts as a prior conviction when a court later decides whether you can get another SIS or a suspended entry of judgment. After a set aside, the case is taken off the court system's public CourtView index if every other charge in that case was dismissed, acquitted or also set aside.
Law: AS 12.55.085; AS 12.55.085(f); AS 11.61.121-11.61.122; AS 12.55.085(f)(3), 12.55.078(f)(4); Alaska Administrative Rule 40(a)(13)
Source: Official text
Dismissal after suspended entry of judgment (AS 12.55.078)
Cases where, with the prosecutor's consent, the court deferred judgment and put you on probation instead of entering a conviction
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Suspended entry of judgment | 1 year When you finish probation successfully, the court dismisses the case at the end of probation or any time after one year. You are then not convicted of a crime. | Date probation was first imposed |
- Not eligible
- Not available for serious violent and sexual offenses listed in AS 12.55.078(f), when a firearm was used, for domestic violence crimes, for some people with prior convictions, or (usually) if you already had a suspended entry of judgment; from July 1, 2026 also generated child sexual abuse material offenses
- Limits
- Usually only one suspended entry of judgment.
Law: AS 12.55.078; AS 11.61.121-11.61.122; AS 12.55.078(f)(3)
Source: Official text
Removal of acquitted and dismissed cases from the court's public website (AS 22.35.030)
Criminal cases where you were acquitted of all charges, all charges were dismissed (not as part of a plea deal in another case), some acquitted and the rest dismissed, or dismissed after a suspended entry of judgment
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Acquittal or dismissal | No waiting period The court system may not publish the case on its public website once 60 days have passed. | Date of acquittal or dismissal |
- Not eligible
- Charges dismissed as part of a plea agreement in another case
Law: AS 22.35.030
Source: Official text
Sealing for mistaken identity or false accusation (AS 12.62.180)
Criminal justice information that, beyond a reasonable doubt, resulted from mistaken identity or a false accusation
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Mistaken identity or false accusation | No waiting period You can send a written request at any time. | Any time |
Law: AS 12.62.180
Source: Official text
Marijuana relief in Alaska
If you were convicted only of possessing less than one ounce of marijuana and were 21 or older, the court system leaves that case off its public CourtView website. Starting January 1, 2027, criminal justice agencies such as the Department of Public Safety may not release the record of such a case if you ask them not to; from January 1, 2028 the request is no longer required.
Law: AS 11.71.060 or a similar local law; Alaska Administrative Rule 40(a)(15); AS 12.62.160(f), added by ch. 9 SLA 2026, HB 239
Records from when you were under 18
The court must seal its juvenile delinquency records within 30 days after you turn 18 (or after the court releases jurisdiction), except traffic offenses. If you were waived into adult court as a minor under AS 47.12.100, you can petition the superior court to seal those records 5 years after you complete the sentence; cases automatically filed in adult court under AS 47.12.030 can be sealed only in limited situations.
Law: AS 47.12.300
What you can say afterwards
A set aside or pardon does not erase the record. Only information sealed for mistaken identity or false accusation may be denied: you may deny the existence of that information and of the arrest, charge, conviction or sentence it shows. After a suspended entry of judgment is dismissed, you are not convicted of a crime.
Law: AS 12.62.180(d); AS 12.55.078(d)
Pardons in Alaska
- Who decides
- Governor of Alaska (applications go through the Alaska Board of Parole)
- How
- Download the clemency application and waivers from the Board of Parole and mail or email them (clemency@alaska.gov). There are no fees. A pardon is official forgiveness but does not expunge or remove the record.
Law: Alaska Const. art. III, § 21
In nearby states
- Arizona: Set aside, sealing (record sealing), expungement (marijuana only)
- Hawaii: Expungement (expungement order and certificate)
- California: Dismissal (often called expungement), arrest record sealing, automatic record relief
- New Mexico: Expungement
Steps to clear a record in Alaska
See what is on your record
Find out exactly what your record shows: every arrest, charge and outcome. Alaska Court System Self-Help: After Sentencing (suspended imposition of sentence).
See if enough time has passed
Each kind of case has its own waiting period. Waiting periods.
File with the court
You file the request in the court that handled the case. How to file.
Get help
Legal aid can help for free: Alaska Legal Services Corporation.
Where to get free help in Alaska
Questions about clearing a record in Alaska
What does Alaska call expungement?
Set aside; dismissal after suspended entry of judgment; removal from the court's public website. Alaska has no general law to expunge criminal records. A set aside means the court sets aside your conviction after you complete probation, but the case stays on your criminal record. Some dismissed and acquitted cases are taken off the court system's public website.
Can convictions be cleared in Alaska?
Set aside after suspended imposition of sentence: Convictions where the judge gave you a suspended imposition of sentence (SIS) at sentencing and you completed probation. Dismissal after suspended entry of judgment: Cases where, with the prosecutor's consent, the court deferred judgment and put you on probation instead of entering a conviction. Removal of acquitted and dismissed cases from the court's public website: Criminal cases where you were acquitted of all charges, all charges were dismissed (not as part of a plea deal in another case), some acquitted and the rest dismissed, or dismissed after a suspended entry of judgment. Sealing for mistaken identity or false accusation: Criminal justice information that, beyond a reasonable doubt, resulted from mistaken identity or a false accusation.
What about marijuana convictions in Alaska?
If you were convicted only of possessing less than one ounce of marijuana and were 21 or older, the court system leaves that case off its public CourtView website. Starting January 1, 2027, criminal justice agencies such as the Department of Public Safety may not release the record of such a case if you ask them not to; from January 1, 2028 the request is no longer required.
Are juvenile records sealed in Alaska?
The court must seal its juvenile delinquency records within 30 days after you turn 18 (or after the court releases jurisdiction), except traffic offenses. If you were waived into adult court as a minor under AS 47.12.100, you can petition the superior court to seal those records 5 years after you complete the sentence; cases automatically filed in adult court under AS 47.12.030 can be sealed only in limited situations.
What can I say after my record is cleared in Alaska?
A set aside or pardon does not erase the record. Only information sealed for mistaken identity or false accusation may be denied: you may deny the existence of that information and of the arrest, charge, conviction or sentence it shows. After a suspended entry of judgment is dismissed, you are not convicted of a crime.