Military Licensing for Service Members and Spouses

State of Alaska SOA / Commerce DCCED / Corporations, Business, &amp Professional Licensing CBPL / Professional Licensing / Military Licensing

Military Licensing

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Federal Servicemember Civil Relief Act (SCRA): Portability of Professional Licenses for Service Members and Their Spouses

The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) includes a provision that requires U.S. jurisdictions to allow service members and their spouses to easily transition their existing professional licenses to the new jurisdiction when they relocate due to military orders, if the individual meets the requirements set in federal law (provided below).

The department is working to align Alaska statutes with the requirements of the SCRA which can only happen if the Alaska Legislature passes Governor Dunleavy’s House Bill 158 or Senate Bill 145. In the meantime, Alaska is complying with the federal law.

Effective March 23, 2025, the SCRA laws were updated to shift the requirements for a license under SCRA. To qualify for a professional license under these updated requirements, you must:

• Be a service member or service member spouse;
• Be relocating to Alaska because the service member received military orders to Alaska;
• Be in good standing in all U.S. jurisdictions where you hold or have ever held a license;
• Have read and understand the Alaska laws governing the practice of the license you’re applying for;
• Certify you will comply with all requirements of Alaska law governing the license you’re applying for; and
• Submit to the authority of the licensing authority in the new jurisdiction for the purposes of standards of practice, discipline, and fulfillment of any continuing education requirements. This means, you must submit the following:

1. An application and the required fees associated – The application is only available online using the division’s application portal, MY LICENSE, which is accessed via the state’s myAlaska system. A valid credit card payment is required to apply online. Use the following link to set up your account and initiate your application:

NOTE: We can also accept a standard application, so if you have already applied, do not submit another application. Simply notify us that an application has already been submitted by emailing MilitaryLicense@Alaska.Gov.

Apply for a License Under SCRA

2. A copy of the current military orders to Alaska.

1. If you are a service member spouse, a copy of your marriage license.

2. Notarized Affidavit for Permanent Professional License under SCRA form (#08-4969).

5. Primary source licensure verifications from all U.S. jurisdictions where you hold or have ever held a license – If those jurisdictions offer primary source verifications on their website, our office will retrieve those. If not, you will need to contact the licensing authority in those jurisdictions to request they send us verifications directly via email or mail. If you are a nurse license applicant and the jurisdictions you are and have been licensed in utilize Nursys licensure verification system, we can retrieve that ourselves.

NOTE: All supporting documents listed above can be uploaded through the MY LICENSE account once you submit your application and fees, or you may submit supporting documents via email, although we do not recommend emailing documentation that contains confidential information, such as your social security number.

Once a permanent license is issued under SCRA, you must comply with all Alaska laws and you will need to meet Alaska’s continuing education, renewal, and prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) requirements, as applicable for your profession.

If you have questions on the licensure process under SCRA, email MilitaryLicense@Alaska.Gov.

Alaska Temporary Military Licensing

Active duty military personnel with Alaska orders and spouses of active duty military personnel with Alaska orders may request temporary licensure in accordance with AS 08.01.063 - AS 08.01.064. Temporary licenses are available for most license types under the Alaska Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing and are valid for 180 days. You can see a list of all professional programs licensed by the division here.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, temporary license applications will be issued within 30 days of receipt of a complete qualifying application. (A complete qualifying application includes all required supporting documents, including those required from a third party, so submit requests to those third parties as far in advance as possible.)

The application is only available online using the division’s application portal, MY LICENSE, which is accessed via the state’s myAlaska system. A valid credit card payment is required to apply online. Use the following link to set up your account and initiate your application:

Apply for Temporary Military License

If you will need a license more than 180 days and you do not qualify for a permanent license under the SCRA laws noted above, be sure to begin the permanent application process quickly after applying for the temporary military license. One-time extensions of the temporary military licenses are available but not guaranteed. See below for more information on extensions.

Temporary Military License Extensions

Existing temporary military licenses issued under AS 08.01.063 or AS 08.01.064 may be extended for an additional 180-day period. To avoid periods of unlicensed practice, extensions must be requested in advance and approved prior to the expiration of the original temporary license. Allow up to three weeks for processing.

To request an extension, submit the Request for Extension - Temporary Military License form (#08-4832) and required $100 temporary license fee.

• Request for Extension - Temporary Military License #08-4832, Rev. 03/26/2024.

Military Education, Training, Service Credit and Exemptions

AS 08.01.064 requires the department or applicable board to accept military education, training, and service for some or all of the qualifications otherwise required of an applicant for a license or certificate within the division, notwithstanding another provision of law.

Military personnel are encouraged to submit documentation of military training, skills, and experience along with an application for licensure. Upon determination of equivalency, relevant military experience will be credited for licensing requirements and educational credit will be granted for appropriate training. Military personnel may request this determination of equivalency online using the MY LICENSE portal.

Alaska law also allows licensed members of the military who are deployed to combat zones, danger pay posts, or hazardous duty areas to defer licensing requirements. There is a section within the online application where military personnel who meet this requirement may request this exemption. Before submitting the application, read the authorizing statutes of these licensing programs (see links below) and for the profession in which you plan to work to ensure familiarity with Alaska law.

• Request for Exemption from Professional Licensing Requirements for Military Personnel #08-4581, Rev. 04/11/2024.

Military Family Life Counselors

Currently, Department of Defense contracts prefer Military Family Life Counselors hold a license in the state in which services are delivered. The State of Alaska is committed to processing these licenses quickly.

To request expedited review of your application as a professional counselor, social worker, or other qualifying license type, email your request to MilitaryLicense@Alaska.Gov and copy your employment agency contact. Agencies working under the MFLC contract should email the names and license types of applicants to this address.

Statutes and Regulations

Alaska Statutes are passed by the legislature. Regulations (also called the Alaska Administrative Code or "AAC") are rules adopted by the department or board, as applicable, to implement, interpret, and make specific the statutes. Both statutes and regulations have the force of law.

There are centralized licensing statutes and regulations that apply to all of the division’s professional licensing programs (unless otherwise specified in the program’s specific statutes and regulations). There are also statutes and regulations specific to each licensing program.

Licensees are responsible for knowledge of all statutes and regulations pertaining to their profession.

• Centralized Licensing Statutes: AS 08.01-08.03
  • Temporary Military licenses are authorized by AS 08.01.063 and AS 08.01.064.
  • Active duty military service waiver is authorized by AS 08.01.100.
• Centralized Licensing Regulations: 12 AAC 02
• Statutes and Regulations specific to licensing programs – go to the Professional Licensing Programs list, select the relevant program, and then from there, find the statutes and regulations specific to the program (either available in the menu or on the program’s homepage).

Contact Information

Questions related to the SCRA implementation in Alaska and/or the temporary military license, email MilitaryLicense@Alaska.Gov.

Questions about specific licensing programs, full license applications (separate from licenses issued pursuant to SCRA), and scope of practice should be directed to the relevant professional program. You can find a list of all of the division’s professional licensing programs here: www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing.