Alaska Vital Records

United States > Alaska > Alaska Birth, Marriage and Death Records

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Introduction to Alaska Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths. A copy or extract of the original record may be purchased from the Alaska Burea of Vital Statistics or the Clerk's office where the event occurred. An overview of United States Vital Records offers additional insight into researching vital records in general. 

Death & Cemetery Indexes                   Fairbanks Cemeteries  $                     1883 - 1960 Probate                   1962 - Present SSDI

Alaska Birth, Marriage and Death Records Online

Alaska Vital Records Online 

The following online resources will be useful for locating Alaska Vital Records which consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths. Check Alaska Vital Records Online for more information about the resources listed below. Most online resources for Alaska Vital Records are indexes. After locating a person in an index always consult the original record to confirm the information in the index.

• Alaska State Archives genealogy sources - Free
• Alaska Links from fhlfavorites.info also has Favorite Links for the World - Free
• Alaska Databases from Rootsweb.org - Free
• USGenWeb.org Alaska Site - Free
• Tombstone Transcription Project for Alaskan Cemeteries - Free
• Anchorage Master Burial List - Free
• Alaska Cemeteries - Free
• Statewide Alaska Indexes from Research Guidance
• Vital Records Search and Information Directory for Alaska - Free/$
• Linkpendium Alaska Genealogy and History, including Boroughs & Census Areas- Free/$ 
• Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics manages all vital records - $
• Ancestry.com Alaska Birth, Marriage & Death Records - $ 
• Address to Order Alaska Certificates - $ 

Birth Records

1804 - 1913

Sitka was the center of government in Alaska until 1906 when Juneau became the capital. Alaska church records may be consulted for birth records prior to territorial birth registration beginning in 1913. 

1913 - Present

Territorial registration of Birth Records began in 1913 and was generally complied with by 1945. The Alaska State Bureau of Vital Statistics has a few records beginning in 1913, but most of the collection is after 1930. For the past 100 years, only those individuals listed on the birth records are allowed to order a copy due to privacy laws.

Information on Alaska Birth Records

Types of Information	1804 - 1913	1913 - present
Name of Child	x	x
Sex	x	x
Race	x	x
Parents' Names	x	x
Midwife/Doctor	x	x
Date & Place of Birth	x	x
Residence		x

Adoption

According to Alaska adoption laws, birth certificates are available to adopted adults 18 years or older. This includes the original birth certificate with changes in birth parents' names or addresses. Birth parents may receive identifying information if the adopted adult is 18 or older and has made a written request for the disclosure of the information. General information on adoption may be found at United States Adoption.

Marriage Records

1804 - 1913 

The Alaska State Bureau of Vital Statistics has a scant number of Alaska Marriage Records beginning in 1890 but most are after 1930.  Church records are a good source for marriages not found at the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics. The Western States Marriage Index has collected a few Alaska marriages between 1896 -1911. This index may be searched online at no cost. Eventually the Western States Marriage Index plans to include all marriage records for the western states.

1913 - Present

Territorial registration of Alaska Marriage Records began in January of 1913, however, most marriage records in the collection of the Alaska State Bureau of Vital Statistics are after 1930. Access to marriage and divorce records is restricted for 50 years after the date of the event to the persons named on the certificate, their legal representatives, and persons who can prove they are legally entitled.

Information on Alaska Marriage Records

Types of Information	1816 - 1912	1912 - present
Name of Bride/Groom	x	x
Date of Marriage	x	x
Location of Marriage	x	x
Presiding Official	x	x
Date of Birth		x
Place of Birth		x
Residence at Time of Marriage		x

Divorce Records

Early - 1950

Pre-1950 Alaska Divorce Records may be obtained from the Clerk of Superior Court in the judicial district where the divorce was granted.

1950 - Present

Divorce Records after 1950 may be obtained from Bureau of Vital Statistics. Alaska adheres to a 50-year privacy period after the date of the event for divorce records, only allowing access to individuals named on the certificate or their legal representatives.

Death Records

1804 - 1913

Sitka was the center of the government in Alaska until 1906 when Juneau became the capital of Alaska. Territorial registration of Death Records began in 1913 and was generally complied with by 1945. Alaska Church records are an additional source for marriages not found in the collections of the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics.

1913 - Present

The Death Record collection at the Alaska State Bureau of Vital Statistics contains a few records beginning in 1890 but the greater part of the collection is after 1930. Access to death records is restricted to family members and legal representatives for 50 years after the date of death.

The U.S. Social Security Death Index contains information on persons receiving Social Security whose deaths were reported to the government. The index contains data from 1962 to the present, however, the Social Security Administration also has additional records dating to 1936.

Information in Alaska Death Records

Types of Information	before - 1913	1913 - present
Name of Deceased	x	x
Date of Death	x	x
Place of Death	x	x
Date of Birth/Age	x	x
Place of Birth		x
Place of Burial		x
Parents' Names/Maiden		x
Occupation of Deceased		x
Marital Status		x

Alaska Native Population

Native Tribes of Alaska  include:

• Athabaskan
• Tlingit
• Haida
• Eskimos: Inuit and Yupik

Substitute Records

Delayed Birth records were created by the Bureau of Vital Statistics from borrowed microfilms of original Russian Church records.  Request for genealogical inquires of this collection are refused. However films of birth, marriages and deaths recorded by the Russian Greek Orthodox Catholic Church from 1816 to 1936 and LDS member records from 1885 to 1951 are available at the Family History Library and may be borrowed and viewed at a local Family History Center.  These church records are the best source of Alaska Births, Marriages, and Deaths prior to 1950.

• Alaska Census Records  Early Census were taken and survive for parts of Alaska.
• Alaska Cemetery Records
• Church Records For the pre-1913 time period.
• Alaska History
• Military Records  Enlistment, service and  pension records.
• Newspapers Records Obituary, birth and marriage announcements, and death notices. 
• Alaska Periodicals

Tips

• Information given on a birth, marriage or death certificate is given by an informant. Learn the relationship of the informant to the person or persons on the certificate to help determine the accuracy of the record.

• If you are unable to locate vital records recorded by government entities, search for church records of christening, marriage, burial or death.  A family Bible may have been used to record births, marriages and deaths.

• Privacy laws restrict access to the records of living individuals. Copies of some vital records recorded in the last 100 years may be unavailable to anone except to the individual or a direct relative.

• Search for Vital Records in the Family History Library Catalog  by using the Place Search  an then choosing Vital Records. Search Alaska to locate records filed by the State and then search the name of the county to locate records kept by that county.   

Archives, Libraries and Societies

Statewide archives, libraries, historical and genealogical societies of Alaska have collections that can be of great value in Alaska research.   Individual counties usually have historical and genealogical societies as well. Contact the Alaska Archives, Societies and Libraries for specific information on availability of records and how to access their collections online, in person or through a local agent that will search the records for a fee.

Important Dates & Governmental Jurisdictions:

• 1799-1861 Russian American Company
• 1861-1867 Russian Imperial Administration
• 1868-1877 U.S. War Department -Customs
• 1877-1884 U.S. Treasury Dept.
• 1884-1912 U.S. District Status
• 1912-1959 U.S. Territorial Status
• 1943 Military Personnel stationed in Alaska.

After statehood, on Jaunuary 3, 1959, twenty-seven civil jurisdictions were created: fourteen divisions called municipalities and boroughs and another thirteen Alaska Native Claims Settlement Acto Corporations (ANCSA) There are now 16 organized boroughs and 11 unorganized boroughs and census areas:

Alaska's 16 Organized Boroughs

Municipality of Anchorage
Bristol Bay Borough
Denali Borough
Fairbanks North Star Borough
Haines Borough
City and Borough of Juneau
Kenai Peninsula Borough
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Kodiak Island Borough
Lake and Peninsula Borough
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
North Slope Borough
Northwest Artic Borough
City and Borough of Sitka
City and Borough of Yakutat

Alaska's Unorganized Boroughs and Census Areas

Aleutians West
Bethel
Dillingham
Nome
Prince of Wales - Outer Ketchikan
Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon
Southest Fairbanks
Valdez-Cordova
Wade Hampton
Wrangell-Petersburg
Yukon-Koyukuk

References

"Interview with Stephanie Walden, Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics." Telephone interview. 18 Aug. 2009.

"Alaska." Red book American state, county & town sources. Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004. 35-44. Print.

http://laws.adoption.com/statutes/alaska-laws.html

http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/bvs/default.htm