Alaska penny rounding law
No law. HB 281 (symmetric nearest-nickel rounding) cleared House State Affairs in May 2026 but stalled in Finance when the 34th Legislature ended.
Short answer. Alaska has no law on cash rounding, so there is no state rule for or against it. A store may round as its own policy. Rounding down is simply a discount, and symmetric nearest-nickel rounding is the method HB 281 would have written into law.
Alaska cash rounding calculator
Enter a cash total, or item prices plus your sales tax rate. The result updates as you type.
Alaska law and bills
HB 281, “An Act relating to rounding cash transactions to the nearest five cents,” was introduced by Rep. Dan Saddler on January 26, 2026, with Reps. Himschoot and Carrick later joining as cosponsors. It would have set symmetric rounding of cash totals: 1, 2, 6 and 7 cents down, 3, 4, 8 and 9 cents up. The sponsor’s stated aim was to stop businesses from rounding only in their own favor.
House State Affairs heard the bill on April 30, 2026 and moved it out of committee on May 12, and it was referred to House Finance on May 13. It went no further before the second session of the 34th Legislature ended in May 2026, so it did not become law. A new bill would have to be filed in the 35th Legislature, which convenes in January 2027.
We found no Alaska agency guidance on rounding.
Can a Alaska store round cash totals?
Yes, as store policy. With no statute, nothing requires or forbids rounding, and we found no Alaska law requiring businesses to accept cash. Rounding a cash total down is a voluntary discount. Rounding every total up is riskier: Alaska’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act (AS 45.50.471) bars deceptive practices, so a store that rounds should tell customers before they pay and round both ways.
Federal law
There is no federal rounding rule in force either. The Common Cents Act (H.R. 10167) passed Congress on September 28, 2026, but as of October 31, 2026 we found no record of it being signed. If enacted, it would let sellers in Alaska round cash totals symmetrically to the nearest 5¢ without requiring anyone to round, keep pennies legal tender, and protect sellers that follow its method from conflicting state or local rules. Federal status of the penny.
Your options as a customer
- Pay by card, debit, EBT or app. Those payments are charged the exact amount; rounding only ever touches cash.
- Pay with exact change. Pennies are still legal tender (31 U.S.C. § 5103). The Federal Reserve notes, though, that no federal law makes a private business accept cash or coins. We found no Alaska law that changes that, so a store sets its own payment policy. Federal Reserve FAQ.
- Check the receipt. It should show the exact total and a separate rounding line, so you can see which way it went.
- Report a problem. If a store rounds every cash total up without telling customers, contact the Alaska Department of Law, Consumer Protection Unit (907-269-5200; toll-free outside Anchorage 1-888-576-2529). See also is it legal for a store to round up?
Sales tax
Alaska has no statewide sales tax, but many boroughs and cities levy their own local sales taxes, at rates that vary by community. Where a local tax applies, compute it on the actual price, then round only the cash total. More on sales tax and cash rounding.
SNAP, EBT and card payments
SNAP and WIC benefits are paid electronically, so the EBT part of any purchase in Alaska is always charged to the exact cent. Federal rules require stores to treat SNAP shoppers the same as other customers, so a store that rounds the cash part of a split payment should use the same rule for everyone. SNAP/EBT, cards and refunds.
Stores and local news in Alaska
When HB 281 was filed in January 2026, the manager of a Juneau grocery told the Juneau Independent the store had not yet seen a noticeable penny shortage. Alaska has no statewide rule, so practice varies from store to store.