Office of Administrative Hearings

Created by statute in 2004, the Office of Administrative Hearings is Alaska's independent hearing panel for most types of executive branch agency administrative hearings, as well as hearings on decisions by other governmental bodies. OAH handles more than 85 different types of cases, with disputes ranging in value from $40 to $800 million, and with roughly 1,500 new cases filed annually. (Past decisions are browsable by case type under the Decisions tab, above).

OAH's administrative law judges conduct prehearing and hearing proceedings to hear and resolve disputes. The nature and scope of these proceedings vary by case type. In most types of cases, the OAH judge prepares a proposed decision for the final executive branch decisionmaker, such as a commissioner, board, or commission. In some other cases, OAH functions as the final administrative decisionmaker. In either instance, the end product is a final agency decision that can be appealed to Superior Court.

Whether adjudicating public benefits disputes for self-represented litigants or multimillion-dollar business disputes, OAH strives to deliver high-quality adjudication services that ensure fair hearings conducted in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner.