Alaska R. App. P. 502 (2026)

Rule 502. Time—Computation and Extension. (a) Computation. In computing any period of time prescribed or allowed by these rules, by order of court, or by any applicable statute, the day of the act, event, or default from which the designated period of time begins to run is not to be included. The last day of the period is to be included, unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, in which event the period runs until the end of the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. When the period of time prescribed or allowed is less than seven days, not counting any period added for mailing under subsection (c) of this rule, intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and holidays shall be excluded in the computation. A half holiday shall be considered as other days and not as a holiday. (b) Extensions of Time. When by these rules or by a notice given thereunder or by order of the appellate court an act is required or allowed to be done at or within a specified time, the appellate court may in its discretion, either on motion of a party, showing good cause, or sua sponte: (1) Extend the time period, either before or after its expiration or (2) Validate an act done after the expiration of the time period. Motions to extend a time period, or to validate an act done after the expiration of the time period, must comply with Rule 503. Time periods specified in the Appellate Rules, including time periods for doing an act or filing a document in the trial court, may be extended only by the appellate courts and not by the trial court. In a matter requesting review of or appealing a criminal conviction or sentence, this rule does not authorize an appellate court, or the superior court acting as an intermediate appellate court, to validate the filing of a notice of appeal, petition for review, or petition for hearing more than 60 days after the expiration of the time specified in the rule or statute or in the last extension of time previously granted. (c) Additional Time After Service or Distribution by Mail. Whenever a party has the right or is required to act within a prescribed number of days after the service or distribution of a document, and the document is served or distributed by mail, three calendar days shall be added to the prescribed period. However, no additional time shall be added if a court order specifies a particular calendar date by which an act must occur. (SCO 439 effective November 15, 1980; amended by SCO 554 effective April 4, 1983; by SCO 1153 effective July 15, 1994; by SCO 1155 effective July 15, 1994; by SCO 1341 effective September 10, 1998; by SCO 1524 effective October 15, 2005; by SCO 1639 effective October 15, 2007; by SCO 1681 effective January 1, 2009; by SCO 1694 effective October 15, 2009; by SCO 1875 effective July 1, 2016; by SCO 1884 effective August 1, 2016 and by SCO 1875 effective March 9, 2021; and by SCO 1995 rescinded SCO 1875 effective November 29, 2022) Note to SCO 1341: Appellate Rule 502(b) was amended by § 10, ch. 95 SLA 1998 to prohibit the court from allowing an appeal or request for review of a criminal conviction or

sentence to be filed more than 60 days after the expiration of the time specified in the rule or statute or in the last extension of time previously granted. Section 1 of this order is adopted for the sole reason that the legislature has mandated the amendment. Note: Ch. 77 SLA 2002 (HB157), Section 2, adds new Chapter 26 to Title 6 of the Alaska Statutes, concerning providers of fiduciary services. According to Section 9 of the Act, AS 06.26.760(b)(2) has the effect of amending Appellate Rule 502 by postponing the deadlines set in the Alaska Rules of Appellate Procedure for the filing of documents by a trust company when the Department of Community and Economic Development has taken possession of the trust company. Note: SCO 1875 and SCO 1875 (Amended) are rescinded by SCO 1995. SCO 1875 (Amended) provided the following: Civil Rule 6(a), Criminal Rule 40(a), and Appellate Rule 502(a) are amended on a temporary basis as follows: Any filing that is due on a day that the court is closed for either a full day or a partial day will be considered timely filed if it is filed by close of business on the next regular business day. Any day the court is closed for a full weekday or partial weekday will be considered a “legal holiday” for the purposes of time computation. Court closures will be announced on the Alaska Court System website at http://courts.alaska.gov/. During a transition period until January 1, 2023, any filing that is due on a Friday in December 2022 will be deemed timely filed if filed by the close of business on the next regular business day. Also, those Fridays are deemed a “legal holiday” for the purposes of time computation. of Documents. (a) Filing with the Court. Documents may be filed in the appellate courts either (1) by delivering them to the office of the clerk of the appellate courts in Anchorage; or (2) by mailing them to: Clerk of the Appellate Courts, 303 K Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99501; or (3) by electronic mail as permitted by administrative order of the chief justice or chief judge of the court concerned. If a document is filed by mailing, and if the date of mailing is shown by a postmark affixed by the United States Postal Service or by other proof from the Postal Service, the date of filing will be deemed to be the date of mailing. If the document is mailed but it is postmarked by any other means (such as a private postage meter, the internet, or a Postal Service self-service kiosk), the document will be deemed filed on the date of its receipt by the clerk’s office. (b) Distribution of Documents by the Court. An appellate court may use electronic mail to distribute notices, orders, and other documents as permitted by administrative order of the chief justice or chief judge of the court concerned. (SCO 1884 effective August 1, 2016; amended by SCO 1876 effective October 15, 2016)