Alaska residents have until this Monday, March 31 at 11:59 p.m. (local time) to submit your applications for the 2025 Permanent Fund Dividend. Online applications must be completed by midnight, while applications submitted by mail must be postmarked no later than the deadline. The official pfd.alaska.gov platform offers details and access to the digital form.
Although March 31 coincides with the Seward’s Day holiday, the program offices will exceptionally open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 4 p.m. to receive in-person applications. Officials reiterated that applicants must meet strict criteria: uninterrupted residence during 2023, absence of current criminal convictions and a limit of 180 days outside the state, except for authorized exceptions.
Stimulus check in Alaska: Apply NOW for the Permanent Fund Dividend
In recent years, the PFD fund has distributed stimulus checks that have ranged from $1,000 to $3,284, reflecting Alaska’s oil revenues and government spending that have fluctuated year over year. Defense groups ask to return to the original formula, which in 2024 would have generated checks of $2,400. However, legislators prioritize investment in infrastructure and education, arguing for long-term fiscal stability.
As of Friday the 28th, more than 564,000 people had applied, according to the Department of Revenue. In 2023, checks were distributed to 624,489 residents, at a cost of more than $1 billion. This year’s exact amount will be defined in May, when the Legislature approves the state budget. Since 2017, the value has been negotiated politically, without following the legal formula in force until 2016.
The payment will combine earnings from Alaska’s Permanent Fund, created in 1976, with oil revenues. Although an energy bonus of $298 was included in 2023, no additional help is planned this year. Last year’s base dividend was $1,403, but analysts anticipate fluctuations due to legislative disputes and changes in state revenues.
The final number of beneficiaries and the individual amount will be announced in September. Experts point out that the increase in requests — along with the reduction in oil funds — could put downward pressure on the payment. Currently, 40% of the fund’s profits go to public services, an adjustment implemented in 2018 to sustain state finances.
Alaskan officials urge citizens to verify requirements before applying and secure residency documentation. Those facing exclusions can appeal until December 31. The process, which takes up to eight weeks to confirm eligibility, has incorporated an anti-fraud system with biometric verification since 2022 to avoid duplicate applications.
