Aleutians East Borough Death Records
Death records for Aleutians East Borough are held at the state level by Alaska's Health Analytics and Vital Records Section (HAVRS). The borough itself does not maintain vital records. If you need to find a death certificate or search historical records from this part of the Aleutian chain, this guide walks you through every available source, from the state office in Juneau to digitized collections spanning back to 1913.
Aleutians East Borough Overview
How Aleutians East Borough Death Records Work
Aleutians East Borough was created on October 23, 1987, but like all Alaska boroughs, it does not keep vital records. That responsibility belongs entirely to the state. The Health Analytics and Vital Records Section collects and maintains all death certificates filed in Alaska, including those from deaths that occurred in Aleutians East Borough. The borough clerk's office handles property taxes, deeds, and local government records, but vital records are outside its scope.
This setup applies across Alaska. Boroughs and census areas do not issue or store death certificates. Every request goes through HAVRS, which operates offices in both Juneau and Anchorage. For researchers or family members who need a certified copy of an Aleutians East death certificate, the process starts at the state level, not at a local courthouse.
Death records in Alaska become public after 50 years. That means records from before the mid-1970s can now be viewed by anyone. Records from 1975 onward are restricted to eligible requesters, which generally means close family members, legal representatives, or people with a documented need.
Requesting an Aleutians East Death Certificate
Certified copies of death certificates from Aleutians East Borough are ordered through the Alaska HAVRS vital records portal. There are four ways to submit a request: walk-in at either state office, online through VitalChek, or by mail or fax using the official request form. Email orders are not accepted.
The Juneau office is the main location. It sits at 5441 Commercial Blvd., Juneau, AK 99801, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Their phone number is (907) 465-3391. The Anchorage office at 3901 Old Seward Hwy, Ste. 101 serves the same hours and can be reached at (907) 269-0991. Mail requests go to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. Fax orders go to (907) 465-3618.
The first certified copy costs $30. Each extra copy ordered at the same time runs $25. For records needed for use abroad, a death apostille costs $42 and includes one certificate. If you only need to verify that a record exists, a vital record verification match costs $2.50. Walk-in visits to either office may allow same-day service. Online orders through VitalChek typically take 2 to 3 weeks for standard requests and 3 to 4 weeks for expedited orders. Mail or fax submissions can take 2 to 3 months.
Note: Submit your request through only one method to avoid duplicate charges and processing delays.
Historical Aleutians East Death Records
For older records, the most valuable collections are the Aleutian Islands death records digitized through the Alaska State Archives and FamilySearch partnership. The Aleutian Islands, Death Certificates (1913-1944) collection is available through the FamilySearch Catalog and covers deaths registered during the territorial period across the entire Aleutian Islands precinct. This collection documents the people who lived and worked along the chain during the early fishing industry era and through World War II.
The Alaska State Archives in Juneau is the official repository for these records. The Archives holds more than 30,000 cubic feet of state and territorial records. Working with FamilySearch, the Archives has scanned roughly 1.1 million documents, including vital statistics from the territorial period. Researchers interested in Aleutians East genealogy should check the Alaska State Archives collection guides to find what is available for the Aleutian Islands region.
The Archives is located at 395 Whittier St, Juneau, AK 99811-0571. Phone: (907) 465-2270. Staff can help identify which record groups cover the Aleutian Islands precinct. Visiting in person or contacting the Archives directly is the best approach for obscure or fragmentary records from this region.
Beyond the core death certificate collection, FamilySearch also holds the Aleutian Islands, Marriage Records (1913-1953) and the Aleutian Islands, Marriage License Docket (1925-1953). These companion collections can help fill in family group sheets and confirm identities when searching for a specific individual. The Alaska Vital Records guide at FamilySearch covers how to search these collections and what years are available online versus on microfilm.
Aleutians East Records at FamilySearch and State Library
FamilySearch is a strong starting point for historical Aleutians East research. The site provides free access to the digitized Aleutian Islands death records collection, and the catalog describes each collection in detail. Researchers can also find supplementary materials from the Alaska State Library genealogy resources page. The State Library holds non-government collections that complement the Archives, including historical newspapers and periodicals that may contain obituaries or death notices from Aleutian communities.
A broader statewide collection, Alaska Vital Records 1816-2005, is available at FamilySearch and includes records from across the state, not just the Aleutians. For the period before statehood in 1959, records from the Aleutian Islands precinct fall under territorial registrar records, which are now part of the Alaska State Archives holdings.
Note: Many vital records filed before 1930 were not consistently registered, so gaps in the pre-1930 record set are common throughout Alaska, including Aleutians East Borough.
Alaska Privacy Law and Access Rules
Alaska Statutes Title 18, Chapter 50 governs vital records access across the state. Under AS 18.50, death records are restricted for 50 years from the date of the event. After that period, they become public records. This means death records from before 1975 are now publicly available. Anyone can request them without proof of relationship.
For deaths recorded after 1975, access is limited. Eligible requesters include the spouse named on the certificate, parents, children, siblings of the decedent, legal guardians, attorneys with supporting documentation, and certain government agencies. Each request must include a completed application form, a copy of a valid government-issued ID, and the appropriate fee. Acceptable ID forms include a driver's license, state ID, passport, military ID, or a tribal or BIA card.
The 50-year rule applies equally to all deaths registered in Alaska, regardless of the borough or census area where the death occurred. Researchers studying events in Aleutians East Borough from before 1975 can request records without meeting the eligibility criteria that apply to recent records.
HAVRS State Resources for Aleutians East
The state's vital records ordering page is the main portal for current death certificate requests from Aleutians East Borough. It links to downloadable request forms, explains eligibility, and connects to the VitalChek online ordering system.
For historical research, the Alaska State Archives website provides finding aids, collection descriptions, and guidance for researchers. The Archives partners with FamilySearch to digitize and index territorial records, including the Aleutian Islands death certificate collection. Staff are available by phone at (907) 465-2270 during business hours.
Nearby Boroughs
Aleutians East Borough sits near several other Alaska boroughs and census areas. All boroughs handle death records the same way, routing everything through the state HAVRS office.