In Alaska, public records are available to residents. The state's laws define a public record as a document or a piece of information in the public domain, which indicates that it is not confidential. Though there can be some restriction on viewing this information, as determined by Alaska laws, in most cases, individuals who have a reason to access this information can do so. This information comes from local, county or state courts, and federal public records information may also be available to individuals in Alaska through the Alaska courts, as they relate to the state.

Gaining Access to Alaska Public Records

Statute 4021.150 of Alaskan law states that all court documents and records are state records and therefore are public domain. This indicates that anything that occurs in a court of law in the state is accessible to the public as necessary. There are no residency rights to accessing this information, which means you do not have to live in, work in or be in the state in order to gain access to this information. In most cases, any individual can request public records in Alaska. There is no requirement that you state why you wish to access them or any type of justification you need to provide.

In addition to this, it is important to note that applicable court rules require that individuals or others who wish to use public records in litigation must request those records in accordance to all applicable court rules. If necessary, full litigation disclosure must be made in a court of law if it falls under the statute requirements listed on APRA.

Alaska Public Records Available

Most types of public records are available to the general public in Alaska. This includes:

·         Birth certificates

·         Death certificates

·         Marriage records

·         Divorce records

·         All court records – for all cases and hearings occurring in the state

·         Property ownership records

·         Tax records

There are some restrictions to access of Alaska public records. In some cases, a judge may seal access to these records. This is commonly done in situations for minors, including legal hearings regarding adoptions, custody and juvenile delinquency. In addition, a judge may rule that any court case to be sealed. This is generally done rarely and only when a requirement requires special sensitivity, including medical information, vital statistics and public health records. This falls under Alaska statutes 40.25.120 of the APRA.

In Alaska, public records are accessible through the agency that creates them. Some may require a fee to be paid for accessing the information. When an individual makes a request for information, the agency must respond within a reasonable amount of time, but it may not be immediately. The following are some of the most commonly sought after public records in Alaska.

·         The State of Alaska Department of Law includes information for accessing Attorney General information.

·         The Alaska State Legislature provides information regarding all state laws and activities. 

·         To access all courts in the state, gather information from the Alaska Court System. You can access or request all court public records here.

In addition, individuals can visit local county records offices to access Alaska public records such as births, deaths, property exchanges and other county information.

 

 

• Alaska Census 2000 Highlights

• Alaska Department of Revenue

• Alaska Mapstats from FedStats

• Alaska QuickLinks

• Alaska State & County QuickFacts

• Alaska Vital Records