A practical operator brief for retail marijuana stores covering the photo ID rule at the sale, camera coverage at every point of sale, floor plan approval, daily Metrc reconciliation, and local government control.
Reviewed November 12, 2026. The store count is a tally of the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office public license search on November 12, 2026. The renewal and inspection figures come from staff memos in the Marijuana Control Board’s September 2026 meeting packet. All three are license or activity counts, not a count of storefronts open on a given day.
Retail Marijuana Store licenses with the status Active-Operating in AMCO’s public license search, tallied November 12, 2026. Five more were listed as active and pending inspection.
View source472licenses in the 2026 to 2027 renewal cycleTotal marijuana licenses of all types up for renewal, from AMCO’s licensing statistics memo to the board dated August 27, 2026.
View source65licensed premises inspections over the summerInspections of marijuana licensed premises reported in AMCO’s enforcement memo dated August 26, 2026, which covers June 13 through August 21.
View sourceRegulatory note: The Marijuana Control Board is rewriting parts of 3 AAC 306 under Administrative Order 360. Drafts on access by people under 21, inventory tracking, and quantity limits were on the board’s September 22, 2026 agenda, so recheck the current text before finalizing a layout.
A retail marijuana store must refuse the sale to anyone who doesn’t produce valid photo identification showing they’re 21 or older, and anyone who checks a consumer’s ID needs a marijuana handler permit. The regulations don’t mention ordering kiosks. A kiosk ID scan can assist, but the check stays with permitted staff.
3 AAC 306.350 and 3 AAC 306.700The video system must cover each point-of-sale area, with cameras placed to identify any individual inside the licensed premises. Recordings must be kept for at least 40 days. Place a kiosk where an existing camera already gives that view, or plan a new one.
3 AAC 306.720A licensee may not alter the functional floor plan without first getting the director’s written approval, on a board form with a drawing of the change. Ask AMCO whether a new kiosk or counter position counts as a functional change before installation.
3 AAC 306.705(c)A retail store must reconcile each transaction from its point-of-sale system and current inventory to its marijuana inventory tracking system at the close of business each day. Alaska’s tracking system is Metrc, so kiosk orders need to land in the same POS record your team reconciles.
3 AAC 306.330(c)Official updates for background check costs, draft rule changes, and proposed regulations. Last checked November 12, 2026.
Alaska AMCO
AMCO’s homepage notice says the FBI fingerprint processing fee increased on October 1, 2026, which raises the combined state and national criminal history record check fee per submission.
Why it matters: Use the new fee when budgeting a new license, transfer, or ownership change that needs fingerprints.
Read official sourceMarijuana Control Board
An initial draft on the board’s special meeting agenda would repeal the concentrate and combined THC limits in 3 AAC 306.355 and keep the one ounce per person per day limit on usable marijuana. It’s a discussion draft, not an adopted rule.
Why it matters: Keep today’s three limits in your POS and kiosk cart rules, and watch for a public comment notice.
Read official sourceMarijuana Control Board
A staff memo for the same meeting describes a project to remove restrictions on retail operating hours and allow accompanied people under 21 on licensed premises and in restricted access areas. The board had not adopted it as of that agenda.
Why it matters: Don’t change entry or ID procedures yet. Track this project because it would affect who can stand at a kiosk.
Read official sourceAlaska AMCO
The notice proposes amending 3 AAC 306.560(1) and (2) to clarify that potency levels per serving and per package for edible marijuana products are tested for total THC. Written comments closed October 20, 2026.
Why it matters: Ask your edible suppliers how labels and menu data will show total THC if the change is adopted.
Read official sourceHas the local government prohibited retail marijuana stores, or set its own time, place, and manner rules for the site?
Which permitted employee views each consumer’s photo ID before the sale, and where does that happen relative to the kiosk?
Does a camera cover the kiosk as a point-of-sale area, with recordings kept at least 40 days?
Does adding the kiosk alter the functional floor plan, so the director’s written approval is needed first?
How do kiosk orders reach the POS record that staff reconcile to Metrc at close each day?
The cash recycler is optional. Cash acceptance, change return, and reconciliation depend on the selected hardware and software configuration. Confirm those options and the staff handoff before finalizing a rollout.
Alaska’s marijuana regulations (3 AAC 306) don’t mention ordering kiosks, vending machines, or self-service ordering. What they do require is that the store refuse a sale to anyone who doesn’t produce valid photo ID showing age 21 or older, that ID checkers hold a marijuana handler permit, and that areas where product is stocked or dispensed for sale are restricted access areas. Plan the kiosk as an ordering step inside a staff-run sale, and confirm the layout with AMCO.
Dispensify plans and deploys the physical checkout layer. The licensee is responsible for Metrc reporting, which runs through its selected POS, inventory platform, or third-party integrator.
The rule lists an unexpired, unaltered passport, a driver’s license, instruction permit, or ID card from a U.S. state or territory, the District of Columbia, or a Canadian province or territory, a federal or state agency ID card, and qualifying tribal ID cards. A January 2026 AMCO advisory says the board accepted the Alaska DMV Mobile ID as proof of age, that stores aren’t required to accept it, and that out-of-state IDs still need to be physically verified.
A retail store may not sell any one person, per day, more than one ounce of usable marijuana, more than seven grams of marijuana concentrate for inhalation, or more than 5,600 milligrams of THC in combined sales of marijuana and marijuana products. A draft before the board in September 2026 would change these limits, so confirm the current rule when you set cart limits.
Unless local law prohibits it, a store may serve consumers through a walk-up or drive-through exterior window after the board approves an operating plan showing the window area and its video coverage. The store may accept internet or telephone orders, which must be paid for and picked up in person by the consumer who placed them, and staff must physically view and inspect the consumer’s photo ID before completing a window sale.
Under AS 17.38.210, a local government may prohibit retail marijuana stores by ordinance or voter initiative, and may set rules on the time, place, manner, and number of marijuana establishments. AMCO says it doesn’t keep a complete list of local ordinances, so contact the community directly before committing to a site.
Last reviewed . This guide summarizes publicly available sources, and rules and figures can change after that date. Dispensify provides technology planning and deployment support, not legal or licensing advice. Confirm current requirements with the Alaska Marijuana Control Board and Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, your advisors, and the applicable local authority.
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