Alaska Public Records: How to Perform an Alaska Public Records Search

Alaska Public Records are, as the name suggests, publicly available records containing certain relevant data about persons in Alaska. 

These records are primarily managed by traditional government agencies and official institutions but are available to the public as per certain state laws.

In Alaska, these records can be obtained by the general public under certain conditions and provisions of the Alaska Public Records Act (APRA). 

This article discusses these provisions as well as the steps that can be taken to obtain some of the most commonly requested public records in Alaska.

How to Perform an Alaska Public Records Search:

If you want to obtain copies of public records in Alaska, you have the following methods to so at your disposal:

Public Records Alaska: Court Records

Most Alaska Court records bordering on all types of cases can be obtained by enlisting the help of the clerk of the court where the case was heard. 

They can also be found in online court record databases, depending on the court in question. 

These court documents are filed under certain titles, from TF-311 FBKS to TF-311 PA for case files heard at Trial Courts in Fairbanks and Palmer respectively and just TF-311 for those at other locations in Alaska.

Along with these primary designations, requesters may need to provide the name, and docket number under which the case was filed and then pay the applicable processing/copy fees. 

The charge goes from $10 for original plain and certified copies of the required court document(and an additional $3 for extras) to $15 for Exemplified or Authenticated copies of the same. 

Audio recordings of cases are also available for $20 per CD while requests that require extra research close out at an additional $15.

Public Records Alaska: Alaska Criminal Records

The past and present criminal activities recorded on account of persons living in Alaska are well-documented in Alaska criminal records. 

These Alaska public records are held in the custody of the Department of Public Safety, with the Criminal Records and Identification Bureau as chief custodian. 

They are available to be viewed by the general public as per the Alaska Code of Criminal Procedure.

Public requests for criminal records are attended to by this bureau via name-based or fingerprint-based background checks. 

For a name-based check, requesters are required to fill out and submit a request form(along with the applicable fees—usually $20/person) to the Criminal Records and Identification Bureau, via mail or in person.

The application parcel will then be delivered to the address listed below, self-addressed and duly stamped, with the alternative being a drop-off at the nearest walk-in center.

ATTN: Criminal Records and Identification Bureau
5700 East Tudor Road
Anchorage, AL 99507
Phone: (907) 269-5767
Fax: (907) 269-5091

Public Records Alaska: Vital Records

Vital Records are Alaska public records that take account of the births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and other civil-related events that are recorded in the state. 

The Health Analytics and Vital Records unit of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (ADHSS) sees the maintenance of vital records and any request for access to them.

They most often require requesters to provide certain information related to the filing of these events, as you'll find out below. 

Below is a brief description of how to find these vital records, starting with birth/death records. 

Public Records in Alaska: Birth/Death Records

Persons interested in obtaining their birth records must relay their inquiries to the Public Health division of the ADHSS. 

There, they'll be required to first download and then submit a birth certificate request form and fill it out with certain information. 

This information includes their name and that of their father, their mother's maiden name, the place and time the birth was recorded, and other relevant information as specified in the request form.

The request form will later be enclosed in a sealed envelope containing a $30 payment(in money order or cheque) and a copy of a government-issued ID to be sent in person or by mail to the following address.

Alaska Vital Records Office
5441 Commercial Blvd
P.O Box 110675
Juneau, AK
Phone: (907) 465-3391

Death record requests typically follow the route described above. For birth record requests, the registrants, their parents/legal guardians, and their legal representatives are the only people authorized to obtain the record/birth certificate. 

Likewise, death record requests can only be entertained on behalf of family members of the record holders(the dead person) or a recognized legal representative. 

Public Records in Alaska: Marriage/Divorce Records

Alaska marriage records, 50 years or older, are available to members of the public upon submitting an official request at the Alaska Health Analytics & Vital Records division of the ADHSS. 

This division responds to mailed requests for marriage records after the requesters must have provided certain information related to the date and time the marriage took place. 

They also charge a small fee for the request and require that it be sent along with the request application to the following address. 

Department of Health and Social Services
Bureau of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 110675
Juneau, AK 99811-0675.

Inquiries about Divorce records can also be delivered by mail to the Alaska Health Analytics & Vital Records division of the ADHSS, via the same address listed above. 

The application request forms are to be submitted along with a valid photo ID and the applicable processing fees, with a response period of four weeks to keep in mind.