Guide Requirements for Hunting in Alaska

Guides are required for the following categories of individuals, locations and species.

Nonresidents:

A nonresident who hunts brown/grizzly bear, Dall sheep, or mountain goat must be personally accompanied by an Alaska-licensed guide OR by an Alaska resident 19 years of age or older who is within the "second degree of kindred" (see definitions below).

Nonresident Aliens:

A nonresident alien must be personally accompanied by an Alaska-licensed guide to hunt ANY big game animal, including black bear, brown/grizzly bear, bison, caribou, Dall sheep, deer, elk, moose, mountain goat, muskox, wolf and wolverine.

Applying for Draw Hunts

All nonresidents hunting big game species that require an Alaska-licensed guide should check to see if their hunt requires a guide-client contract in place before or at the time of applying for draw hunts. Most hunts require a signed guide-client contract and they are identified in the Drawing Hunt Supplement with a "handshake" symbol. For these hunts, select an Alaska-licensed registered or master guide who is currently registered for all or a portion of the Guide Use Area (GUA) where you wish to hunt and for the year the permit is valid. You can find this information by contacting:

Big Game Commercial Services Board
PO Box 110806
Juneau, AK 99811
Phone: (907) 465-2543

Once you decide on a guide, finalize the guide-client contract. This guide-client contract should allow the guide to submit your draw application and provide hunting services. Guides, when applying for their client, will be sure to select Registered Guide as the Guide Type and enter their Unique Verification Code (UVC).

Nonresidents hunting with a resident relative 19 years of age or older, within the second-degree of kindred, do not need an Alaska-licensed guide, but must select "2nd Degree Kindred" as the Guide Type on the application.

All nonresidents hunting big game species that do not require a guide can select "Unguided" as the Guide Type on the application.

Definitions

Resident means: (A) a person (including an alien) who is physically present in Alaska with the intent to remain indefinitely and make a home here, has maintained that person's domicile in Alaska for the 12 consecutive months immediately preceding an application for a license, and is not claiming residency or obtaining benefits under a claim of residency in another state, territory, or country; (B) a member of the military service or U.S. Coast Guard who has been stationed in Alaska for the 12 consecutive months immediately preceding an application for a license; or (C) a dependent of a resident member of the military service or U.S. Coast Guard who has lived in Alaska for the 12 consecutive months immediately preceding an application for a license. A person who does not otherwise qualify as a resident may not qualify by virtue of an interest in an Alaska business.

Nonresident means a person who is not a resident of Alaska.

Nonresident alien means a person who is not a citizen of the United States and whose permanent place of abode is not in the United States.

"Second degree of kindred" means a father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, spouse, grandparent, grandchild, brother- or sister-in-law, son- or daughter-in-law, father- or mother-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepsister, stepbrother, stepson, or stepdaughter (5 AAC 92.990).