Valdez Death Records
Death records for Valdez are maintained by Alaska's Health Analytics and Vital Records Section at the state level. Valdez is a city in Chugach Census Area on Prince William Sound, and all requests for certified death certificates must go through the state HAVRS office.
Valdez Overview
Valdez Death Records and the State System
Valdez is a city in Chugach Census Area, situated at the head of Port Valdez on Prince William Sound in Southcentral Alaska. All death records for Valdez residents are held by the Health Analytics and Vital Records Section (HAVRS) at the state level. The City of Valdez at ci.valdez.ak.us provides local government information but does not store or issue death certificates. Chugach Census Area has no borough-level government, so vital records management falls entirely 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. Records from 1975 onward require proof of an eligible relationship to the deceased. Valdez was originally founded during the Klondike Gold Rush era as a supply port, then relocated after the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, which largely destroyed the original townsite.
Statewide registration in Alaska began in 1913, and Valdez was among the established communities integrated into that system from the start. The original Valdez has a documented history from the late 19th century, with records from both the pre-1964 townsite and the modern relocated city held in the territorial and state archives. Researchers tracing families should note the disruption caused by the 1964 earthquake and relocation when working with mid-20th century records.
Requesting Valdez Death Certificates
Certified death certificates for Valdez 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 the most accessible state walk-in location for Valdez residents. Hours are 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 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 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 Valdez
Historical death records for Valdez are held at the Alaska State Archives in Juneau, at 395 Whittier St., phone (907) 465-2270. The FamilySearch wiki entry for Chugach Census Area describes available record groups for the Valdez area. The statewide Alaska Vital Records 1816-2005 collection at FamilySearch includes records from the Valdez area across the territorial and early statehood period. The Archives has digitized over 1.1 million Alaska documents through its FamilySearch partnership.
The Alaska State Library genealogy resources page provides statewide tools applicable to Chugach Census Area research. Cemetery records for Valdez are indexed at Find a Grave and BillionGraves. The Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch covers deaths from 1962 to present. Researchers tracing Valdez families should be aware that the 1964 earthquake destroyed much of the original townsite, which may affect the survival of some local records held outside the state archives.
The Valdez Museum and Historical Archive at 217 Egan Drive, Valdez, AK 99686, phone (907) 835-2764, holds materials related to the original and modern Valdez including historical photographs and local history documents. This collection may provide supplementary genealogical context for families with ties to both the pre- and post-1964 Valdez.