Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend: Eligibility & How to Receive Your Check

Get a Dividend Payment in Alaska

Nearly everyone who lives in Alaska gets a yearly check. It's reimbursement for allowing the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to flow through the state. Alaskans are given dividend payments from the Permanent Fund. The fund was set up in 1980, and the payout is often more than $1,000. (The payout in 2007 was $1,654.) Anyone can get a dividend check, if they follow a few simple rules from Alaska's Permanent Fund Dividend Division.

Step 1

Move to Alaska. You'll have to be a resident for an entire calendar year before you can apply for a dividend.

Step 2

Stay in Alaska. You have to do more than have a permanent address there. You are only allowed to be out of the state for up to 180 days a year. (There are a few exceptions to this rule.)

Step 3

Apply for a dividend. You must do this every year, and you must do it on time. You must apply between January 1st, and March 31st.

Step 4

Complete a dividend application. If this is the first year you apply, you'll also need to complete an adult supplemental schedule, and include your certified birth certificate or passport. (You will get these back).

Step 5

Check online. You can apply for a dividend online, and you can check the status of your check online.

Step 6

Wait for your check. Checks are usually mailed in November, but people who get their applications in early could get a check in October.

Tip

You must apply for a dividend every year.

Warning

You are not eligible for a dividend if you are convicted of a felony.

Things You'll Need

• A home in Alaska

• Dividend application

• Certified birth certificate

• Passport (optional)

• Bank