Timeline: 12 Months Before You Leave Alaska

12 to 10 months out: decide

• Talk through whether to leave with your household.
• Shortlist destinations and visit, ideally in their hardest season.
• Compare costs: Alaska and pages like Alaska vs. Washington.
• Start a job search or confirm remote work.
• Check passports for everyone if you might drive through Canada.

9 to 7 months out: plan the money and the home

• Build a first-year budget, including new taxes and losing the PFD.
• Decide whether to sell, rent out or keep your Alaska home.
• Read the PFD residency rules and our PFD guide.
• Start sorting: what to sell, give away or ship.

6 to 4 months out: choose your route

• Pick a combination: ferry, road or sea (full guide).
• Request written quotes and verify movers with the FMCSA search.
• Check AMHS schedules if you're taking the ferry.
• Plan firearms (border guide) and pets (pet guide).
• Decide whether to ship, drive or sell each vehicle.

3 to 2 months out: book and sell

• Book movers or containers and vehicle shipping.
• Book ferry space or plan your Alaska Highway drive.
• Sell big items; schedule utilities shut-off and new service.
• Request school and medical records.
• Schedule vet visits for travel paperwork.

The last month

• File a USPS change of address.
• Pack a first-week box for the gap before your goods arrive.
• Confirm dates in writing with every mover and carrier.
• Prepare your vehicle for the road, and check Alaska 511, Yukon 511 and DriveBC.
• Say your goodbyes. Plan a visit back.

Before month 12: the decision work

A timeline only helps once the decision is real. If you're still weighing it, start with Should I leave Alaska? and its worksheet, and the pros and cons. Two facts are worth having in front of you from the start:

• The PFD. The 2026 dividend was $1,200 per eligible person ($1,000 plus a $200 energy relief payment), per the Alaska Department of Revenue. A family of four that all qualify would give up $4,800 at that amount. Future amounts will differ.
• Taxes. Alaska has no individual income tax or statewide sales tax. Check your destination's tax agency, linked from each of our state guides.

Where the PFD fits in the calendar

The application period has traditionally run January 1 to March 31, with payments in the fall, and eligibility depends on a full qualifying year of residency plus your intent to remain at the time you apply (PFD Division). That's why the month you leave matters. Read the rules for your situation, and if it's close, ask the PFD Division in writing before you choose a moving date. Never apply if you no longer meet the rules; penalties apply.

Picking the season

Summer is the busiest moving season, when movers, ferry vehicle space and containers book up, and when the Alaska Highway is easiest to drive. Winter moves can have more scheduling flexibility, but the drive through Canada means short days and real cold. In late December, Anchorage gets about 5½ hours of daylight and Fairbanks under 4, per the NOAA solar calculator. If you're driving in winter, read driving the ALCAN and check Alaska 511, Yukon 511 and DriveBC before every leg.

Work, healthcare and records along the way

• Months 12–9: line up work or remote approval, and check whether your professional license transfers.
• Months 9–6: schedule any procedures you'd rather finish with your current doctors, and look into health coverage in the new state (health insurance when leaving Alaska).
• Months 3–1: request medical, dental, vet and school records; refill prescriptions for the trip.
• After arrival: new-resident deadlines for a driver's license and vehicle registration are often 30 days. Washington, Oregon, Florida and Idaho all list 30 days for the license on their official sites; see your state guide.

Leave time for people

The logistics expand to fill every week if you let them. Block time in the last two months for goodbyes, and budget for flights back: the BTS average fare data shows real fares from Alaska airports. Many people say the move felt easier once they had a date for their first trip home.

A money checklist for the year

Moving out of Alaska is usually the most expensive move a household makes, and the costs arrive at different times. Spread them across the year so nothing lands at once:

• Early: build a savings cushion for deposits, a gap between paychecks, and the first months of new bills. Our first-year budget walks through each line.
• Middle: collect written estimates for movers, containers, vehicle shipping or the drive, and compare them in the Cost Estimator. Verify every mover on the FMCSA search.
• Late: close or move Alaska accounts, cancel local services, and keep receipts; some moving costs matter for taxes, especially for military moves.
• After: expect a first tax return in your new state if it has an income tax, and a smaller fall without the PFD.

Selling instead of shipping is often worth it for big, cheap-to-replace items; keep things that are expensive or irreplaceable. Our Move Roadmap turns these steps into dated tasks.

Questions to ask yourself before you book

1. Is my household agreed on the destination and the date?
2. Have I checked how my move date affects the PFD?
3. Do I have work, or enough savings to cover the gap?
4. Will I sell, rent out or keep my home?
5. Are pets and firearms planned for the route I chose?
6. When is my first trip back?

After you arrive

Follow the first 90 days and change of address checklist, and get your license and registration sorted on your new state's schedule.