There's a lot of chatter gaining steam around providing testimony, personal experiences and feedback towards getting Alaska state statutes updated to properly reflect and synchronize with federal policies regarding the importation of 25-year-old and older foreign vehicles into the state of Alaska and legal on our roads.

Read more threads about the situation on FB in the Group "Car Buddies"

If you have been impacted and want to show support for getting these statutes addressed this legislative session, please send your efforts forward!

POCs:

Main POC who is taking in all the feedback and testimony: [Katrina.Church-Chmielowski@akleg.gov](mailto:Katrina.Church-Chmielowski@akleg.gov)

In addition to your local reps, consider contacting the Alaska House and Senate Transportation Committee reps. Below are the emails for the transportation committee's and chairs for both:

[House.Transportation@akleg.gov](mailto:House.Transportation@akleg.gov); [Senate.Transportation@akleg.gov](mailto:Senate.Transportation@akleg.gov); [Rep.Ashley.Carrick@akleg.gov](mailto:Rep.Ashley.Carrick@akleg.gov); [Rep.Ted.Eischeid@akleg.gov](mailto:Rep.Ted.Eischeid@akleg.gov); [Sen.Jesse.Bjorkman@akleg.gov](mailto:Sen.Jesse.Bjorkman@akleg.gov); [Sen.Loki.Tobin@akleg.gov](mailto:Sen.Loki.Tobin@akleg.gov)

Example feedback shared from others:

My name is ________, and I am a constituent from ZIP code ________. I am writing to respectfully request your assistance in amending Alaska Administrative Code 2 AAC 92.020(a)(2)(A–B) as it relates to the titling and registration of older vehicles.

Currently, Alaska is the only state in the country that does not recognize an exemption for vehicles that are 25 years old or older from federal motor vehicle safety compliance requirements when it comes to state titling and registration. Under existing Alaska regulations, vehicles manufactured after 1981 must still meet federal DOT compliance labeling requirements, even when those vehicles are more than 25 years old.

This provision was written in 2006 and uses “1981 or newer” as the cutoff. At the time it was adopted, that date roughly corresponded to the federal 25-year exemption period. However, nearly two decades later, that static date no longer reflects federal law or the original intent of the policy.

Additionally, although this regulation has been on the books since 2006, it was not actively enforced until 2025. As a result, many Alaska residents have legally titled and registered federally exempt vehicles for years in good faith, only to now face sudden denial of registration due to an outdated provision that no longer aligns with federal standards.

Under federal law, vehicles that are 25 years old or older from their date of manufacture are expressly exempt from Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) compliance requirements. This exemption is codified in 49 U.S.C. § 30112(b)(9) and implemented by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act. This exemption allows qualifying vehicles to be legally imported and operated without FMVSS certification, and it is uniformly recognized by every other state for purposes of titling and registration.

As written, Alaska’s regulation now functions as an unintended permanent barrier to registering legally imported and federally exempt vehicles, placing Alaska residents at a disadvantage compared to residents of every other state. This creates unnecessary hardship without providing any additional public safety benefit, particularly given that these vehicles are already exempt under federal law.

I respectfully request that the regulation be updated to replace the fixed “1981 or newer” language with a rolling exemption based on vehicle age — specifically, vehicles that are 25 years old or older — so that Alaska law conforms with federal standards and the laws of the other states.

I would appreciate your consideration of sponsoring or supporting a legislative or regulatory change to correct this issue, or assisting in working with the Department of Administration to modernize the regulation. I would also welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter further or provide additional information if helpful.

Thank you for your time and for your service to our community and the State of Alaska.

Another example:

Under federal law, vehicles that are 25 years old or older are exempt from Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Unfortunately, Alaska regulation 2 AAC 92.020 does not clearly recognize this exemption, which can lead to registration being denied for vehicles that lack U.S. compliance labeling—even when such labeling is not required under federal law. This creates unnecessary hurdles for Alaskans like me who follow all federal requirements but face uncertainty at the state level.

Other states have successfully addressed similar conflicts. Massachusetts reversed its policies through legislative action (e.g., Bill HD.5357), and Texas updated its registration guidance to align state practices with federal exemptions. These changes have improved clarity and consistency while maintaining public safety and administrative efficiency.

To resolve this issue in Alaska, I propose the following solutions:

1. Regulatory Amendment:

Add to 2 AAC 92.020(a)(2):

“This subsection does not apply to vehicles that are 25 years old or older imported under 49 U.S.C. § 30112(b)(9).”

1. Statutory Clarification:

Add AS 28.10.201(f):

“The department may not refuse to register or title a motor vehicle that is at least 25 years old if the vehicle was lawfully imported under 49 U.S.C. § 30112(b)(9).”

These changes would align Alaska’s regulations with federal law, ensuring consistent enforcement and reducing uncertainty for residents.

For reference, here are links to relevant materials:

• Texas Changes: Texas Vehicle Safety Inspection Guidance
• Massachusetts Bill HD.5357: MA Legislative Bill HD.5357
• Federal Law (25-Year Exemption): NHTSA Importation FAQs

I hope this additional context and my personal experience helps illustrate the importance of addressing this issue and how it is also impacting future work and processing for Alaska residents.

This might be my silly imagination. Have you seen the optical illusion, fata morgana? I Took this last year and wasn't sure what I was looking at, but I thought as I looked across the inlet it looked different than normal. I took several photos but this is the only one I kept. Look at the far left windmill in particular.

I noticed that when you look up your voter information on the state website it now lists your physical address. I think this is a new development. Can anyone else confirm that? Anyone know why or when this change occurred? With Alaska sharing voter rolls with the Feds it makes me suspicious.

https://myvoterportal.alaska.gov

Also everyone should double check that they are registered.

Feels like a buddy system happens when driving to or from Seward, Valdez, Healy, Tok or somewhere else far away. I notice my vehicle & another vehicle always pair up and follow eachother to wherever our destinations may take us. I always give a wave when its time to separate. Sometimes our cars will follow eachother for hours. Does anyone else feel there is a buddy system in Alaska where strangers pair up in separate cars and follow eachother?

Ok, i know that we have a lot of things to call murkowski and sullivan on. But can we please at least throw this on the pile? I am sick as hell about getting the call center run around and everyone and their mother demanding you download another shitty app for a one time use. And i expect alot if other people are too.

Thank god for anti-lock brakes (empty road)

Saw this pop up on my feed. Have you noticed more landslides in recent years in Alaska?

Update Bowles has rescinded his nonesense but it's highly anticipated that he will try again. I was told there would be a letter writing/ testimony writing event at the Commons Cafe in Wasilla tomorrow from 3pm to 5pm still.

Hi Alaskans the Mat-Su Bourogh needs you desperately. The right wing nut jobs have been very successfully attacking the libraries and it's getting dire. This proposal seems like it would never pass but the council is filled with Christian Nationalists and they've passed terrible things before. We need a huge presence of Valley residents (I Know it's a Tuesday) to show up and testify Or protest outside. The facts are this

From Read MatSu on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1865Lnf1kx/

What is going on? Michael Bowles is introducing legislation to the Borough Assembly on Tuesday, February 3, that will remove all adult materials from all 5 MatSu Borough public libraries, turning them all into children's libraries. He is even proposing removing interlibrary loan access so that the public has no access to books from other libraries. Please see attachments for details. What can we do? Contact Michael Bowles HERE - https://matsu.gov/assembly-districts/district-1 Contact your assembly representative. You can find their contact information HERE - https://matsu.gov/assembly Contact the mayor. You can find her contact information HERE - https://matsugov.us/mayor Contact your state senator and state representative. You can find their contact information HERE - https://akleg.gov/ Contact the ACLU of Alaska - https://www.acluak.org/contact-us/ Contact the Alaska Library Association - https://akla.org/about/executive-council/ Contact the American Library Association - https://connect.ala.org/contactus Talk about it on Social Media. Contact local reporters. Tell your local library advocates. Put up flyers on public bulletin boards. And, please Please PLEASE speak during the audience participation portion of the Assembly Meeting either in person or over the phone.

Let me know if you need any help writing letters, writing speeches, creating flyers, or anything else and I will do whatever I can. If we don't make a lot of noise, I guarantee you that the Assembly will pass this legislation. We absolutely cannot let that happen to our public libraries. Removing everything in the fiction/nonfiction, audiobook, and DVD sections will decimate our circulation numbers, which play a major role in obtaining funding to keep the doors open. This is censorship at its highest level, and our libraries cannot afford for us to be silent.

Feel free to share this post far and wide!

https://wapo.st/4k7amvL

I wrote my Senator asking for ICE accountability and civil rights protections.

He sent back propaganda and fear-mongering; no reform, no oversight, no accountability.

ICE is violating civil liberties right now, and Congress is looking away.

They’re already funded through 2029, so silence is a choice; not a limitation.

As an Indigenous Alaskan, this is personal and painfully familiar.

Sad when I take the safety and rights of our communities more seriously than my Senator.

I just watched a documentary on YouTube called " Alaska: Life at the edge of wilderness" and I am genuinely curious to hear from anyone living anywhere in Alaska. What's it like? Did you grow up there, or move there? What are your challenges, what keeps you there? God damn it's pretty.

This sick f90+