Kodiak Island Borough Death Records
Death records for Kodiak Island Borough are kept by the Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records Section, not by the borough. All certified death certificates must be requested through the state vital records office. This page explains how to request a Kodiak Island death certificate, what historical collections exist for the area, and where to find genealogical resources specific to Kodiak Island Borough, including precinct records that date back to 1925.
Kodiak Island Borough Overview
How Kodiak Island Death Records Work
Kodiak Island Borough was incorporated on September 24, 1963. The borough government is located at 710 Mill Bay Road, Kodiak, AK 99615-6398, phone (907) 486-9300. Like all Alaska boroughs, it does not hold vital records. Under Alaska law, all death certificates for events that occurred in Kodiak Island Borough are maintained at the state level by the Health Analytics and Vital Records Section (HAVRS). The borough clerk handles municipal records and administration, but vital statistics are entirely outside the borough's scope.
Alaska Statute AS 18.50 governs all vital records in the state. Deaths, marriages, and divorces become public records 50 years after the event date, while birth records remain restricted for 100 years. This means death records from before 1975 are now available to any researcher. Records from 1975 onward require proof of an eligible relationship, such as being a spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the deceased, or having a documented legal interest.
Death record registration in Alaska began in 1913 under the territorial government, with general compliance reached by around 1930. Kodiak Island has an even longer documented history because of Russian Orthodox Church records that predate territorial registration. These church records, some dating to the Russian America period, are now held at the Alaska State Archives and are an important resource for researchers working on pre-1913 deaths in the Kodiak area.
Requesting a Kodiak Island Death Certificate
Certified death certificates from Kodiak Island Borough are ordered through the state HAVRS ordering portal. You can submit in person at either state office, online through VitalChek, or by mail or fax using the official request form. Email orders are not accepted.
The Anchorage office at 3901 Old Seward Hwy, Ste. 101, Anchorage, AK 99503 is the closest state location for Kodiak residents. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., phone (907) 269-0991. The Juneau office at 5441 Commercial Blvd., Juneau, AK 99801 serves the same hours at (907) 465-3391, fax (907) 465-3618. Mail requests go to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675.
Fees are standardized across Alaska. The first certified copy costs $30, and each additional copy ordered simultaneously is $25. A death apostille for foreign use costs $42. A record verification costs $2.50. Standard online orders through VitalChek process in 2 to 3 weeks. Mail and fax submissions take 2 to 3 months. All requests must include a completed form, government-issued photo ID, and payment. Incomplete applications are returned without processing.
Note: Use only one submission method per request to prevent duplicate charges and processing delays.
Historical Kodiak Island Death Record Collections
Kodiak Island Borough has notable historical death record collections available through FamilySearch. The Alaska, Kodiak Precinct, Death Records (1927-1959) covers deaths recorded in the Kodiak area during the territorial period. The Alaska, Karluk, Death Records (1925-1949) documents deaths in Karluk, a Native village on the western side of Kodiak Island historically known for its salmon fishery. These collections are available through the FamilySearch Catalog as part of the digitization partnership with the Alaska State Archives.
The Alaska State Archives at 395 Whittier St., Juneau, AK 99811-0571, phone (907) 465-2270, holds extensive territorial records for the Kodiak area. These include Russian Orthodox Church records from the Russian America period, which predate any government registration system. For researchers with Alutiiq or Russian heritage in the Kodiak area, these church records can be the only source of death information for the 19th century. The Archives collection guides identify which Kodiak Island record groups are available and in what format.
The broader statewide collections at FamilySearch, including Alaska Vital Records 1816-2005, capture Kodiak Island records within the wider territorial registration system. The Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch covers deaths reported from 1962 onward and is a useful starting point for more recent Kodiak deaths before ordering a certified certificate.
Kodiak Island Genealogy Research Resources
The Kodiak Island Borough Government website at kodiakak.us provides local government information and contacts that can help researchers navigate borough records unrelated to vital statistics. For probate matters, which often accompany death research, the borough's administrative offices can direct researchers to the appropriate court records system.
The Alaska State Library genealogy resources page covers statewide tools that apply to Kodiak Island research. Cemetery records for the Kodiak area are indexed at Find a Grave and BillionGraves, which can confirm death dates and burial locations. The U.S. Social Security Death Index, accessible through FamilySearch, covers Kodiak Island deaths reported from 1962 to the present and includes over 93 million records nationally.
For research on Kodiak's commercial fishing community and its associated deaths, the National Archives in Seattle holds federal records for Alaska including some district-level materials. Their address is 6125 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-7999, phone (206) 336-5115, email seattle.archives@nara.gov.
Cities in Kodiak Island Borough
Death records for Kodiak Island Borough residents are filed with the state HAVRS office, regardless of city or community.