Selling firewood in Alaska: cords, delivery tickets and labels

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It follows chapter 45.75 of the Alaska Statutes, the Alaska Administrative Code chapter on measurement standards, both published by the Alaska Legislature, and the home page of the Measurement Standards and Commercial Vehicle Compliance section of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

The cord defined

In the Alaska Statutes, chapter 45.75 is the weights and measures law. Section 45.75.390 gives the definitions for the chapter. It says the cord, when used for wood intended as fuel, means the amount of wood contained in a space of 128 cubic feet when the wood is ranked and well stowed.

Method of sale in the statute

Section 45.75.190 of the same chapter covers the method of sale of commodities. It says commodities not in liquid form may be sold only by weight, by measure of length or area, or by count, except as the chapter otherwise provides, and counting is allowed only if it gives accurate information on the quantity. The exemptions it lists include commodities sold for immediate consumption on the premises, vegetables sold by the head or bunch, commodities in package form where a general consumer usage states the quantity another way, loose solid materials such as earth, soil, gravel and crushed stone sold by cubic measure, and unprocessed fertilizer sold by cubic measure. It lets the director adopt reasonable regulations so that amounts sold are determined by good commercial practice and are accurate and informative. The section does not name firewood.

The national handbook by reference

The Alaska Administrative Code is where the firewood rule comes in. Chapter 17 AAC 90 sets the measurement standards regulations. Section 17 AAC 90.616, titled method of sale, commodities, says commodities kept, offered or exposed for sale must conform to the Uniform Regulation for the Method of Sale of Commodities in NIST Handbook 130, 2018 Edition, dated November 2017, adopted by reference, except as the chapter otherwise provides. Section 17 AAC 90.617 does the same for the Uniform Packaging and Labeling Regulation. The handbook's firewood section is section 2.4 in the 2026 edition: sale by the cord, fractions of a cord or the cubic meter, no use of terms such as face cord, rack, pile or truckload, and a delivery ticket for non-packaged wood. See NIST Handbook 130 (2026). The Alaska text names the 2018 edition, so this page does not claim that the 2026 wording applies in Alaska.

Offences

In the statutes, section 45.75.380 lists acts for which a person commits a violation. Among them are selling or offering less than the quantity represented of a commodity, thing or service, and keeping, advertising or selling a commodity in a condition or manner contrary to law or regulation. The section sends the penalty to AS 12.55.035(b)(7), a section this page did not read, so no amount is given here.

Who runs it

The Measurement Standards and Commercial Vehicle Compliance home page of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities describes the section's job as ensuring accurate trade measurements. It lists the measurement standards regulations, 17 AAC Chapter 90, among its publications.

For the model rule and other places, see the firewood sale rules overview. The movement rules for wood across states are on the moving wood and firewood page.