Learn about driving restrictions and specific initiatives aimed at keeping Alaska’s elderly drivers and highways safe.
While the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) enforces a plethora of laws and regulations that apply to drivers of all ages and stages, the state imposes certain unique requirements and limits on senior drivers.
The Alaska state standards are discussed in further detail below, but many of them concentrate on recognizing and dealing with elderly drivers who may have become risky. Alaska, in particular:
Renewal: Drivers 69 and older must renew in person every five years.
Eyesight test: Required during in-person renewal unless you have a certified statement from a qualified physician or optometrist declaring that your vision meets or exceeds the department’s criteria of 20/40 vision in each eye or both eyes combined.
Reexamination: If the DMV has reasonable grounds to think that a licensed driver is incompetent or otherwise unqualified to drive, it may issue a written notice ordering him or her to take an examination within 10 days.
Road test: Required only if a law enforcement officer, a physician, or a family member reports signs of driving impairment.
Alaska does not impose special requirements or limits for senior drivers. However, the DMV may refuse a license if it believes, based on medical evidence, that a person is unable to drive safely due to a physical or mental handicap.
The DMV may impose limitations on specific mechanical control devices necessary on a motor vehicle that are appropriate to an individual’s driving ability, as well as other restrictions that it deems reasonable to ensure the person can drive safely.
The most prevalent limitation for senior drivers is the need for corrective lenses or glasses.
Other frequent conditions that the DMV may place on elderly drivers in Alaska include:
Drivers are recommended to notify the DMV of any medical issues that cause them to lose consciousness. Other DMVs, law enforcement personnel, family members, and anyone else with intimate knowledge of the motorist may also report risky driving to the DMV. The information’s source is not kept private.
Complaints concerning dangerous driving are handled differently around the state. Those who want to report a risky driver can go to their nearest DMV office or phone 907-269-5551. The Department of Public Safety will next assess all provided material and may re-examine the driver.
The Providence Hospital Therapy Unit in Anchorage provides driver rehabilitation services to Alaska residents who have experienced a major illness or accident that has affected their driving ability, such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or strokes. Call 907-212-6300 or visit the Providence Disabled Driver’s Program for further information.
For information on how to reinstate a license that has been suspended or revoked, see the Alaska DMV’s Reinstatement website or call one of the state’s DMV offices.
If a certified physician, physician’s assistant, nurse practitioner, podiatrist, or chiropractor verifies the condition, a disabled person parking permit may be granted.
Placards and license plates are also offered to people who:
The following steps must be taken in order to receive a disability placard or plate:
Alaska citizens 65 and above are eligible to register one car free of registration fees and motor vehicle registration tax. This exemption only applies to resident-owned passenger cars, mobile homes, vans, pick-up trucks, motorbikes, and non-commercial trailers.
