Residency in Alaska (Metlakatla: homes, landlord, to live in)

[riceme]

We had to get the plat recorded when I moved here so I could get mail delivered to the end of my road. My place was built a long time ago but no one had ever received mail here before. I would have gotten a PO box but there are even worse problems with the postal service contractor who has the PO boxes in my area than there is with physical address delivery.

Getting a package delivered is like an international incident. I have to know when someone is sending something and call the UPS hub in town and give them directions to my place (FedEx won't come out here and USPS is a no-go). My mom once strayed from this protocol and a quilt she made me was returned stamped "no such address." She about had a stroke. My address is not on GoogleMaps or anything like that so no one can ever find it, which generally suits me fine.

I would think for people who live in the bush they have general delivery and either have to go to town to get it or it's flown in. Someone here will know for sure, though.

So I'm curious why you want an Alaska DL... are you thinking of moving here?

[Haolejohn]

I have this on my DL:

My name
Box # (PO box) physical addres (used school road since we lived next to the school)
Village name, AK

[Haolejohn]

I could have used a PO box since there is no mail delivery, but if I put a physical address on my DL I can buy guns with just my DL. Except at Fred Meyers.

[JacksSlacks]

Originally Posted by Haolejohn

I could have used a PO box since there is no mail delivery, but if I put a physical address on my DL I can buy guns with just my DL. Except at Fred Meyers.

AK state web site says no PO Boxes ---> Alaska Identification Card

..."The document must show your residence address, not a post office box or other mail cache facility. Please bring one: ..."

The DNR says use a P.O. Box for a address ---> Frequently Asked Questions about Land Sales
... "In areas without a local government an address may not be assigned to you, as no services are available. ..."

So your saying PO boxes are allowed? prove it. I welcome your news.

If not the question still stands-
What does mountain man Sam do, or a fisherman who lives near the sea not in a borough.

Anybody know what the state code actually says?

[Frostnip]

In cases where a physical address is required, but you live somewhere without street addresses, for many purposes in Alaska you can put a brief description of the physical location of your residence. I used to live in a cabin in the boonies that didn't have a street address, so I just used the highway mile marker the driveway linked up at. I have seen "addresses" that were just, like, the name of a pond and a cardinal direction. Of course this doesn't work for mail delivery, but it can be used for things like the PFD or registering to vote. And basically, if you (or your landlord) legally own a piece of land, it must have SOME kind of identifying name or number that can be used and supported with documentation.

Originally Posted by JacksSlacks

AK state web site says no PO Boxes ---> Alaska Identification Card

..."The document must show your residence address, not a post office box or other mail cache facility. Please bring one: ..."

The DNR says use a P.O. Box for a address ---> Frequently Asked Questions about Land Sales
... "In areas without a local government an address may not be assigned to you, as no services are available. ..."

So your saying PO boxes are allowed? prove it. I welcome your news.

If not the question still stands-
What does mountain man Sam do, or a fisherman who lives near the sea not in a borough.

Anybody know what the state code actually says?

I think you're misunderstanding something. You need a demonstrable physical Alaska residence to get an Alaska driver's license. It goes in the state's database when you get the license. But this is not not necessary what's PRINTED on your driver's licences - my driver's license just lists my PO box, city and zip. It is fine to use a PO box for official correspondence, you just must also have your verifiable physical location listed with the government agency.

In many rural and bush Alaska communities that don't have home mail delivery and/or don't really have street addresses, it's common accepted practice to use your PO box as your street address number. This is done because most automated forms (e.g. if you're ordering off Amazon) don't allow your street address to be left blank and don't accept PO boxes. The local authorities and post office workers all understand what it means when they see addresses listed this way.

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by JacksSlacks

AK state web site says no PO Boxes ---> Alaska Identification Card

..."The document must show your residence address, not a post office box or other mail cache facility. Please bring one: ..."

The DNR says use a P.O. Box for a address ---> Frequently Asked Questions about Land Sales
... "In areas without a local government an address may not be assigned to you, as no services are available. ..."

So your saying PO boxes are allowed? prove it. I welcome your news.

If not the question still stands-
What does mountain man Sam do, or a fisherman who lives near the sea not in a borough.

Anybody know what the state code actually says?

Considering my wife has a PO box only as do many other bush residents, it's been proven. I am not about to take a picture of her license to post on the interwebs.

When I got my DL, I had to show proof of residency. I used my power bill (which just stated, teacher housing unit 1) and my po box number. We made up a road name (there was no road, it was an ATV trail) and used our PO box for our house name. For PFD purposes, we did teacher housing unit#1 next to the school as our physical address. I had our made up road put on my DL.

Sorry if you don't understand bush Alaska, but sometimes things are different than what your google searches show.

[6.7traveler]

My driver license just has my highway contract mailbox number on it which is good for most things, except guns and some other stuff. I then pull out my voter registration card with my "physical" address even though it's just the nearest highway milepost number and that suffices.

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by JacksSlacks

If not the question still stands-
What does mountain man Sam do, or a fisherman who lives near the sea not in a borough.

Anybody know what the state code actually says?

Actually the answer has been answered. I lived in an undeveloped nonicorporated burough (Look at a map and look near the middle of the state where the Yukon and the Kuskokwim rivers meet. That big area. Here is called the Iditarod Area Alaska Teacher Placement


We all used made up physical address and used our PO boxes for everything.


If you live on the road and don't have mail service you do the same thing, but you may actually have a road to use. Instead of a made up road.

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

My driver license just has my highway contract mailbox number on it which is good for most things, except guns and some other stuff. I then pull out my voter registration card with my "physical" address even though it's just the nearest highway milepost number and that suffices.

I was told before I got one, to make sure I put my physical address so that I could buy guns when I went to town.

It's always worked, until my last trip. Once you move, we didn't have to get new DL since the info is changed in the database (we get the cardboard DL at our local DMV). Fred's wouldn't let me use my hunting license for my secondary one.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Haolejohn

Sorry if you don't understand bush Alaska, but sometimes things are different than what your google searches show.

This should be emblazoned on top of the forum or something.

It's not just the bush, though.

I don't know anyone named Mountain Man Sam (I think that guy lives in Montana), but resident "fishermen living near the sea" also have houses with roads to them and everything.

It sounds like you're thinking of buying state land and building the proverbial cabin in the woods. Most people use this land for secondary purposes and not as a primary residence. I think you can use your plot number.

Or you can just call the DMV and ask them.