Greetings everyone.
My family and I will be traveling to AK this summer for a 2 week trip celebrating our 20 year anniversary. We will be traveling armed and while I've open carried and conceal carried in many states, I do have some questions for AK:
1. I know that places that have posted "No Guns" carries the force of law but what is the penalty for violating (I'm not talking about open carrying into these places)?
2. We plan to take a glacier cruise, and it looks like there isn't a law against carry on board but question #1 comes into play.
3. We also plan to take a train ride out of Talkeetna for the day, so what should I be watching for?
If you can point out the AK code for the penalty for #1, that would be appreciated.
Thanks for your time!
First off, no metal detectors to board the train or the glacier cruises. The glacier cruises are not like "cruise ships". They are smaller boats. The best are the catamarans, btw. Much smoother in the water. So as long as you aren't OC on the boat or the train, no one will even bother you. I carry 100% and have done so on both. Depending on the time of year, it might still be cold enough you guys to wear light jackets. *** Last time I was in Talkeetna it was 50 degs and all the tourists were bundled up like it was winter. FYI.
The Alaska code on signs is, well, difficult to pinpoint. Handgunlaw says that signs carry the force of law, but there really isn't a code that backs that up specifically. At best, you could point to Sec 11.61.220 (a)(1)(B):
(a) A person commits the crime of misconduct involving weapons in the fifth degree if the person
(1) is 21 years of age or older and knowingly possesses a deadly weapon, other than an ordinary pocket knife or a defensive weapon,
...
(B) that is concealed on the person within the residence of another person unless the person has first obtained the express permission of an adult residing there to bring a concealed deadly weapon within the residence;
According to the above, if that is the statute used, "Misconduct involving weapons in the fifth degree is a class B misdemeanor." But that's residential.
The section that calls out the signage is in the section about obtaining permits, which aren't required. 13 AAC 30.110. But it doesn't really set any kind of penalty. Also notice that it does say "to the extent allowed by law" in that section. The best I can find is under 18.655.755
Sec. 18.65.755. Places where permittee may not possess a concealed handgun.
(a) A permittee may not possess a concealed handgun
(1) [Repealed, Sec. 7 ch 62 SLA 2003].
(2) anywhere a person is prohibited from possessing a handgun under state or federal law.
(b) [Repealed, Sec. 20 ch 1 SLA 1998].
(c) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, a person who violates this section is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
So best guess, class B misdemeanor. Class B misdemeanors are less serious crimes, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000. (Alaska Stat. §§ 12.55.035, 12.55.135.)
Given culture in AK, I doubt anyone would care unless you were making a major ass of yourself, but you might be kicked off the train at the next stop if you are found out (which could put you in the middle of nowhere, seriously) or you might be asked to disarm on the boat. Though I kind of doubt that too. As long as you CC on the boat and train and don't act like an idiot, no worries.
Side note, if you are coming in summer, depending on when, bring mosquito repellent. Serious mosquito repellent. Go to the store and laugh hysterically at the repellents you see then turn around and walk out. Head to a sporting goods store and look for Repel 100. It's the highest concentration of DEET you can find. Nothing less than 50%. If you want to walk away without a million bites, use 50% or higher. Up here, the natural stuff seems to draw them in rather than keep them at bay. If you're not directly near a water source, which is hard to do up here, you might get away with Repel 40. BUT, and this is a big one, DEET concentrations that high will eat plastics. So don't spray it on your fancy sunglasses or watches or cameras. It'll leave it speckled for life if you do. Also, again depending on your time of year, break-up can be really muddy. If you're hear early in the summer (april-may), bring a set of shoes that you can get muddy and wet. Later summer is not too bad. We've had a really mild winter and right now there is no snow on the ground around me. So it shouldn't be too bad. Rainy season hits us around late June and can be wet at times all the way til Sept-Oct.
***ETA: Definitely wear a jacket on the glacier cruise if you plan to be outside at all. It might be warm when you launch, but it gets really cold out in open water and even more so when you're near the glaciers. Also depends on if you launch from Whittier or Seward. The Whittier boats are larger, but the Seward boats get you closer to the action.