Rule 5.1.Filing and Service by Facsimile Transmission and Electronic Mail.

Last amended July 1, 2021 · Last verified July 6, 2026

In one sentenceRule 5.1 lets parties file and serve documents by fax or e-mail once a presiding judge has authorized it generally or the assigned judge has consented in writing for a specific case, and sets consent, timing, and page-limit rules for using fax or e-mail instead of traditional service.

Full Text of Rule 5.1

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c)

(a) Filing by Facsimile Transmission and Electronic Mail.

(1) A party may file documents by fax or electronic mail as permitted by administrative order of the presiding judge or with prior written consent of the judge assigned to the case. Unless the court orders that the original document be filed, a party filing a document by fax or electronic mail shall retain the original and shall produce it for inspection upon request of another party to the action or as ordered by the court.

(2) An administrative order permitting documents to be filed by fax or electronic mail may set limits on the size of electronic documents that can be accepted, the format of the documents, the frequency with which a party may file documents, and may establish other particular requirements and limitations.

(3) Documents filed by fax or electronic mail that are received by the court before 4:30 p.m. on a day that the court is open for regular business are deemed to have been filed on that business day; documents filed by fax or electronic mail that are received by the court after 4:30 p.m. are deemed to have been filed on the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or a judicial holiday listed in Administrative Rule 16.

(b) Filing Foreign Domestic Violence Protective Orders by Facsimile Transmission. Notwithstanding any general administrative orders concerning fax filings issued under (a) of this rule, a court shall accept faxed certified copies of domestic violence protective orders issued by other states, tribes, or territories if (1) the order is faxed by the issuing court, and (2) the facsimile contains a certification that the faxed order is a true and correct copy of the original order on file with the issuing court.

(1) Application of this Rule. This rule governs the service of documents by fax or electronic mail. It applies only to documents that may be served under Civil Rule 5(b). It does not apply to documents that must be served under Civil Rule 4. It applies to service by parties and by the court except as provided by Civil Rule 5.3.

(2) Method of Service. Service by fax is made by successfully transmitting the document to the facsimile machine telephone number of a person who has consented to be served in this manner. Service by electronic mail is made by successfully sending an electronic file to an electronic mail address of a person who has consented to be served in this manner. Additional service by mail is not required; however, a copy of the document must be mailed to the person upon request.

(3) Consent to Service. A person who is willing to accept service by fax or electronic mail in an action shall so indicate beneath the signature in the person's initial filing or by serving and filing a separate notice of consent. A party may revoke consent by serving and filing a separate notice that consent has been revoked.

(4) Page Limit. A person may serve by fax a total of 25 pages per recipient per day unless the parties have agreed to a different page limit. Cover sheets and separators do not count toward the page limit.

(5) When Service is Complete. Service by electronic mail is complete upon receipt in the party’s electronic mail account. Service by fax is complete upon receipt of the entire document by the receiving party's facsimile machine. Service that occurs in whole or in part after 4:30 p.m. shall be deemed to have occurred at the opening of business on the next day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday, or a judicial holiday listed in Administrative Rule 16.

(6) Proof of Service. If service is made by fax or electronic mail, proof of service must be made in accordance with Civil Rule 5(f), including the date and time of the transmission.

End

Amendment History

(Adopted by SCO 1307 effective January 15, 1998; amended by SCO 1695 effective March 1, 2009; by SCO 1766 effective October 14, 2011; and by SCO 1970 effective July 1, 2021)

Notes

Note: Presiding judges’ fax filing orders are available on the court system’s website at: http://www. courts.alaska.gov /jord/index.htm#trial. Copies may also be obtained from the office of the court rules attorney, 820 W. 4th Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501, (907) 264-8231.

Plain-English Summary

Filing by fax or e-mail isn't automatic in Alaska — it depends on an administrative order from the presiding judge or the written consent of the judge assigned to a case, and that order can set its own limits on document size, format, and how often a party may file. A document received before 4:30 p.m. on a business day counts as filed that day; anything later counts as filed the next business day the court is open. One exception applies regardless of any general order: a foreign domestic violence protective order may always be filed by fax.

Serving another party by fax or e-mail is a separate question from filing, and it only works with that party's consent, given either beneath a signature on a filing or through a separate notice (and revocable the same way). A person may fax up to 25 pages per recipient per day, e-mail service is complete once it lands in the recipient's inbox, fax service is complete once the whole document reaches the recipient's machine, and proof of service must show the date and time of transmission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I file documents by fax or e-mail in any Alaska case?

Only if the presiding judge has issued an administrative order permitting it or the judge assigned to your case has consented in writing — except for a foreign domestic violence protective order, which may always be filed by fax.

Does the other side have to accept service by fax or e-mail?

No. Fax or e-mail service only works if that person has consented to it, either by noting it beneath the signature on their own filing or by serving and filing a separate notice of consent, and that consent can be revoked.

When is fax or e-mail service considered complete?

E-mail service is complete once it’s received in the recipient’s e-mail account; fax service is complete once the receiving machine has the entire document; either way, service after 4:30 p.m. counts as received at the opening of the next business day.

Source & verification. The rule text, Amendment History, and Notes are reproduced verbatim from the official Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure (Alaska R. Civ. P. 5.1). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Alaska (Alaska Const. art. IV, § 15). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 6, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: fax filing Alaska courtemail service Alaska civil casee-filing Alaskaconsent to electronic serviceAlaska R. Civ. P. 5.1