Ketchikan Death Records
Death records for Ketchikan are maintained by Alaska's Health Analytics and Vital Records Section at the state level. Ketchikan is the largest city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, and all certified death certificate requests must go through the state HAVRS office rather than any local agency.
Ketchikan Overview
Ketchikan Death Records and the State System
Ketchikan is the seat and largest city of Ketchikan Gateway Borough, located in Southeast Alaska at the southern end of the Alexander Archipelago. All death records for Ketchikan residents are held by the Health Analytics and Vital Records Section (HAVRS) at the state level. The Ketchikan Gateway Borough at kgbak.us handles local government but does not store or issue death certificates.
Alaska Statute AS 18.50 governs all vital records statewide. Death records are restricted for 50 years from the date of death. Records from before 1975 are now open to any researcher. Records from 1975 onward require proof of an eligible relationship to the deceased. Ketchikan has a documented history stretching back to the early 19th century, meaning historical collections are available for genealogical research far beyond the 50-year restriction window.
Ketchikan's position as a major Southeast Alaska port and fishing center gave it a robust administrative infrastructure from early in its recorded history. Death records for the Ketchikan area date to 1813, covering the period of Russian and then American territorial administration through to the present state system.
Requesting Ketchikan Death Certificates
Certified death certificates for Ketchikan residents are ordered through the state HAVRS system. Requests can be submitted in person at a state office, online through VitalChek, or by mail or fax. Email is not accepted.
The Anchorage office at 3901 Old Seward Hwy, Ste. 101, Anchorage, AK 99503, phone (907) 269-0991, is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Juneau office at 5441 Commercial Blvd., Juneau, AK 99801, phone (907) 465-3391, fax (907) 465-3618, is the closest state walk-in location to Ketchikan and is open the same hours. Mail requests go to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675.
The first certified copy costs $30. Additional copies at the same time cost $25 each. An apostille for international use costs $42. A verification costs $2.50. VitalChek orders take 2 to 3 weeks. Mail and fax take 2 to 3 months. All requests need a completed form, a government ID copy, and payment.
Note: Submit through one method only to avoid duplicate charges.
Historical Records and Genealogy for Ketchikan
Historical death records for Ketchikan are among the oldest in Alaska. The Alaska State Archives in Juneau, at 395 Whittier St., phone (907) 465-2270, holds territorial records for the Ketchikan area. The FamilySearch Catalog includes the 1813-1957 Alaska, Ketchikan, Death Records collection, which gives researchers access to over a century of documented deaths in the area.
The statewide Alaska Vital Records 1816-2005 collection at FamilySearch includes Ketchikan records from across the full span of territorial and early statehood history. The Archives has digitized over 1.1 million Alaska documents in partnership with FamilySearch, and Ketchikan's long administrative history means it is well represented in these collections.
The Ketchikan Public Library at 1320 First Avenue, Ketchikan, AK 99901, phone (907) 225-0270, maintains local history materials and can assist with genealogical research. Cemetery records for Ketchikan are indexed at Find a Grave. The Alaska State Library genealogy resources page provides additional statewide research tools. The Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch covers deaths from 1962 to present.