U.S. STATE · DRIVER LICENSE
Alaska Driver License Photo Requirements
Find out whether you need to make a photo, where the state takes it, and what is known about online renewal and photo upload.
Sources reviewed: October 14, 2026
Do you need to make a photo?
Do not prepare a separate photo unless the state agency or your transaction instructions specifically ask for one. The agency procedure below describes where a photo is captured and what is known about remote renewal.
This page covers a driver license. It does not automatically apply to learner permits, state identification cards, commercial endorsements, or every exception.
Photo law and requirements
Alaska Stat. § 28.15.111(a) requires the driver license to display the licensee’s photograph and says the license must be marked “valid without photograph” if photo-taking facilities are unavailable. Alaska Admin. Code 2 AAC 90.485 sets full-face photo specifications and requires the department to maintain the digital image. For federally compliant credentials, 2 AAC 90.610 expressly requires an in-person renewal photo taken by the department. These provisions do not establish that every non-federally-compliant remote renewal requires a new photo. The photo-specific statutes and rules were reviewed; the broader licensing-rule audit remains incomplete.
Where the photo is taken
The Alaska driver manual says the picture is taken after licensing requirements are completed.
Online renewal, photo reuse, and upload
Eligible online renewals are available, but the reviewed renewal guidance does not explain whether the old portrait is reused or how to update it.
New photo upload: Only treat upload as allowed when the linked official instructions explicitly say so.
Scope and limitations
This entry reports the issuing agency’s current public procedure. It does not by itself establish the full legal rule for every permit, state ID, exception, or transaction.
Official laws, rules, and agency sources
Check your exact application
Renewal eligibility and photo handling can depend on your record and transaction.
Open the interactive photo checker