Sitka Alaska Death Records
Death records for Sitka, Alaska are maintained by the state Health Analytics and Vital Records Section. Sitka is a unified city and borough in Southeast Alaska with one of the longest documented histories in the state, and all certified death certificate requests go through the state HAVRS office.
Sitka Overview
Sitka Death Records and the State System
Sitka City and Borough is a unified municipality in Southeast Alaska, situated on Baranof Island. All death records for Sitka residents are issued by the Health Analytics and Vital Records Section (HAVRS) at the state level. The City and Borough of Sitka at cityofsitka.com handles local government, but the Sitka Borough Clerk at 304 Lake Street, Sitka, AK 99835, phone (907) 747-3291, does not process vital records requests. All such requests go to the state.
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 publicly available. Newer records require proof of an eligible relationship to the deceased.
Sitka was the center of government in Russian America and later served as Alaska's territorial capital until 1906 when Juneau became the official capital. The borough itself was founded on November 5, 1913. This long history gives Sitka a richer set of pre-statehood records than most Alaska communities. Death records for Sitka go back to 1816, covering the Russian colonial period through the territorial era and into the modern state system.
Requesting Sitka Death Certificates
Certified death certificates for Sitka residents are ordered through the state HAVRS portal. 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 Sitka 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 costs $42. A record verification costs $2.50. VitalChek orders take 2 to 3 weeks. Mail and fax take 2 to 3 months. All submissions need a completed form, government ID copy, and payment.
Note: Submit through one method only to avoid duplicate charges.
Historical Records and Genealogy for Sitka
Sitka has among the deepest documented record collections in Alaska. The Alaska State Archives in Juneau, at 395 Whittier St., phone (907) 465-2270, holds extensive territorial records for Sitka, including Russian Orthodox Church records that predate U.S. acquisition in 1867. These church records often serve as the only source for deaths in Russian America.
The FamilySearch collections for Sitka are particularly rich. Available datasets include the 1817-1960 Alaska, Sitka, Birth, Marriage, and Death Records at FamilySearch Catalog; and the 1912-1944 Alaska, Sitka, Coroner's Records at FamilySearch Catalog. The statewide Alaska Vital Records 1816-2005 collection at MyHeritage and FamilySearch also includes Sitka records from across the full span. The Archives has digitized over 1.1 million Alaska documents through its FamilySearch partnership, with Sitka well-represented given the city's administrative role.
The Alaska State Library genealogy resources page provides additional tools. The Stratton Library in Sitka at 320 Harbor Dr., Sitka, AK 99835, phone (907) 747-1390, maintains local history materials. Cemetery records for Sitka are indexed at Find a Grave, which includes records from the Sitka National Cemetery.