(a) Except as provided in (b) of this section, a person engaged in one or more of the following activities in the state is in the business of mining and shall obtain a mining license:
- (1) a person owning and operating a mining property;
- (2) a person owning a mining property and receiving lease or royalty payments based on production from the property;
- (3) a person leasing a mining property from another person and operating the property;
- (4) a person possessing a mineral interest, whether an economic or a production interest, in a producing property, including royalty, working or operating interests, net profits, overriding royalties, carried interests, and production payments;
- (5) a person who is temporarily exempt from taxation under AS 43.65.010(a).
(b) The following persons are not in the business of mining and are not required to obtain a mining license:
- (1) a person whose mining activities are restricted to the holding of property for exploration to locate and delineate mineral deposits or for future development;
- (2) a person who holds mineral interests described in (a)(4) of this section in undeveloped and non-producing properties;
- (3) repealed 2/20/2022.
- (c) A mining license must be obtained for each mining operation conducted in this state. A person owning several mining properties that constitute a single mining operation may apply for one license.
- (d) repealed 7/8/2020.
(Eff. 8/9/86, Register 99; am 7/8/2020, Register 235; am 2/20/2022, Register 241)
Authority: AS 43.05.080, AS 43.65.010