Alaska Daycare Weapon Storage Requirements

Form CC103 Is Part of Your Application

Every home daycare applicant must file Form CC103 (Firearms and Ammunition Storage Form) as part of the initial licensing packet submitted to the CCPO. The form requires you to disclose the presence of all weapons on the premises — not just firearms. Bows, crossbows, and other weapons must also be disclosed.

This applies even if you personally don't own firearms. If anyone in the household owns weapons stored on the property, those must be declared. The CCPO's concern is children's access, not ownership.

You file CC103 with your initial application. Keep the disclosure current; if the weapons on the premises change, ask the CCPO whether an updated CC103 is required.

The Lock-and-Key Standard

Alaska's storage requirements for firearms in licensed child care homes are specific:

• All firearms must be unloaded
• Firearms must be stored inside a securely locked gun safe, cabinet, or closet that is completely inaccessible to children
• Under no circumstances may firearms be left visible or unsecured during care hours — or any other time

The CCPO inspector will verify firearm storage during the pre-licensing inspection and during unannounced monitoring visits. "Locked" means locked — not on a high shelf, not behind a closed-but-unlocked bedroom door, not in a truck's glove compartment in the driveway.

A standard gun safe with a keyed or combination lock meets the requirement. Trigger locks alone do not — the firearm itself must be inside a locked container.

Ammunition Must Be Stored Separately

This is the rule that catches the most providers off guard. Ammunition cannot be stored in the same container as the firearms. It must be placed in a separate locked container or cabinet using a different key or combination lock than the firearm safe.

The logic is layered security: even if a child somehow accesses one locked container, they cannot access both the weapon and its ammunition.

In practice, this means:

• Gun safe with its own key or combination → firearms (unloaded)
• Separate locked cabinet or box with a different key or combination → ammunition

Storing ammo in the same gun safe, even in a separate compartment within the safe, does not meet the requirement if both are accessed by the same key or code.

Alaska's Firearm Culture and the CCPO's Approach

Alaska has one of the highest rates of residential firearm ownership in the United States. The CCPO is well aware of this and doesn't treat firearm ownership as a barrier to licensing. The regulations are designed to coexist with responsible gun ownership — they don't require you to remove firearms from the premises or stop hunting.

What they do require is deliberate, verified security during every hour that children could be present. Inspectors are trained to check storage compliance without judgment about ownership — they're verifying access prevention, not lifestyle choices.

Commercial Child Care Centers Are Different

It's worth noting that the rules differ between facility types. In commercial child care centers (13+ children in a non-residential facility), firearms and ammunition are entirely prohibited on the premises. Home daycare providers don't face this total ban — but the storage requirements are strict and consistently enforced.

If you're deciding between a child care home license (up to 8 children) and a center license, this is one of several regulatory differences worth factoring into your decision.

The Alaska Home Daycare License guide covers Form CC103 alongside the full application packet checklist, including room-by-room inspection preparation for every standard the CCPO verifies.

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