Alaska Military Power of Attorney for a Child During Deployment

The Military Exception Under AS 13.26.066

Alaska's parental power of attorney — Form PG-701 — has a special provision for military parents. While the standard term limit is one year, a military parent or guardian on active duty may use a longer term: the maximum is one year or the length of active-duty service plus 30 days, whichever is longer.

This matters for families at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Fort Wainwright, Eielson Air Force Base, and Coast Guard stations across Alaska. A deployment can easily run longer than 12 months, and a lapse in PG-701 authority mid-deployment leaves the caregiver unable to consent to medical treatment or handle school issues.

How to Execute PG-701 Before Deployment

The process is the same as for civilian parents, with the term being the key difference:

1. Download Form PG-701 from the Alaska Court System website
2. Name the caregiver — the grandparent, relative, or family friend who will care for the child
3. Check the general delegation option to grant full school enrollment, medical consent, and daily care authority
4. Set the term to your active-duty start date through estimated end date plus 30 days. Military parents should indicate their active duty dates as shown on their orders
5. Both parent and caregiver sign before a notary. Base legal offices typically provide notary services at no cost. Alaska also recognizes Remote Online Notarization (RON) under HB 124

What the Caregiver Gets

Under the general delegation option, the caregiver can handle everything from school enrollment and IEP meetings to routine medical and dental consent, immunizations, and prescription management. The statutory exclusions still apply — PG-701 cannot delegate consent to marriage, adoption, abortion, or termination of parental rights.

Practical Considerations for Military Families

Execute before you leave. Once you are deployed, arranging dual notarization becomes far more complicated. Many installations offer pre-deployment legal readiness briefings where PG-701 can be completed.

The non-deploying parent's rights. If both parents have legal authority, the non-deploying parent retains their full parental rights regardless of PG-701. The non-deploying parent can also revoke the power of attorney at any time under AS 13.26.066(b).

Keep copies accessible. The caregiver needs the original, plus copies for the child's school, pediatrician, dentist, and any other institution that may need to verify authority. Store a digital scan somewhere the caregiver can retrieve it.

Renewal after return. PG-701 authority ends at the term date or 30 days after active duty ends. If the care arrangement continues, a new PG-701 must be executed.

For a complete walkthrough of PG-701 execution, school enrollment, and medical consent delegation — including worksheets and tracking tools — see the School and Medical Consent for Grandparents and Relatives in Alaska guide.

See more Alaska guides →