Alaska Power of Attorney for a Child: Revocation, Expiration, and Renewal

The One-Year Limit

Form PG-701 — Alaska's parental power of attorney for a minor child under AS 13.26.066 — has a hard expiration. For non-military parents, the maximum term is one year. The form lapses on the end date you specified or after one year from the start date, whichever comes first.

There is no grace period and no automatic renewal. When PG-701 expires, your authority to consent to medical treatment, enroll the child in school, or access education records ends immediately.

For a military parent on active duty, the PG-701 may exceed one year, but the maximum is one year or the active-duty term plus 30 days, whichever is longer.

How Expiration Catches Families Off Guard

The most common problem is not the expiration itself but the surprise. A grandparent signs PG-701 when a child first arrives, puts it in a folder, and does not look at it again until a school registrar or clinic asks for a current copy a year later. By then the form has lapsed, and the caregiver has no valid authority.

The fix is simple: set a calendar reminder 60 days before the expiration date. That gives you time to coordinate with the parent for a new PG-701 before the old one runs out.

Renewal Is a New Form

There is no "renewal" process for PG-701 — you execute an entirely new form. The parent fills out a fresh PG-701, both parties sign before a notary, and the new term begins. The old form becomes void once it expires regardless.

If the parent is in a different state, they can execute PG-701 before a notary in their jurisdiction. Alaska accepts out-of-state notarization as long as it complies with the notary laws of the state where it was performed. Remote Online Notarization (RON) is also an option under Alaska's HB 124 framework.

Parent Revocation

Under AS 13.26.066(b), a parent may revoke the power of attorney at any time, for any reason, without going to court. The statute does not require written notice as a condition of effectiveness, though written notice to the caregiver and affected institutions (school, clinic) is strongly advisable.

Once revoked, the caregiver's authority ends immediately. The caregiver must return the child to parental custody as soon as reasonably possible.

A key wrinkle: either parent can revoke. If one parent executed PG-701 and the other parent later decides to revoke it, the revocation is valid under AS 13.26.066(b). This can happen in contested family situations.

What Happens After Revocation or Expiration

Without a valid PG-701 or court order, you have no legal authority to consent to medical care, access school records, or make decisions for the child. Schools and clinics that had your PG-701 on file should be notified of the change.

If the parent will not sign a new PG-701 but the child is still in your care, consult Alaska Legal Services Corporation (1-888-478-2572) about whether guardianship or a civil custody case may fit. If a parent is alive and no court order terminates or suspends that parent's custody rights, the court can appoint a guardian only if it finds those rights have been suspended by circumstances; a refusal to sign PG-701 alone is not enough.

The School and Medical Consent for Grandparents and Relatives in Alaska guide includes an expiration tracker worksheet and step-by-step instructions for coordinating renewal.

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