Northwest Arctic Borough Death Records
Death records for Northwest Arctic Borough are maintained at the state level by Alaska's Health Analytics and Vital Records Section. The borough does not keep vital records locally. Whether you need a current certified death certificate or want to search historical records for communities around Kotzebue Sound, all requests go through the state vital records office. This guide covers the full process for requesting Northwest Arctic Borough death records and identifies the available historical collections.
Northwest Arctic Borough Overview
How Northwest Arctic Death Records Work
Northwest Arctic Borough was incorporated on June 2, 1986. The Borough Clerk is located at P.O. Box 1110, Kotzebue, AK 99752, phone (907) 442-3208. Like all Alaska boroughs, it does not maintain vital records. Under Alaska law, all death certificates for events within the borough are held exclusively by the Health Analytics and Vital Records Section (HAVRS). The borough clerk handles local government records but vital records are entirely a state function.
Alaska Statute AS 18.50 governs all vital records statewide. Death records remain restricted for 50 years from the date of death. Records from before 1975 are now public. Records from 1975 onward require proof that you are a close family member or legal representative. Northwest Arctic Borough's remote location means that for some communities, older death records may be fragmentary, and researchers working on pre-1930 deaths may need to consult church records and Alaska State Archives collections.
Alaska's territorial death registration system started in 1913. In some Northwest Arctic communities, registration compliance came later due to remoteness. The region has a predominantly Inupiat population, and for pre-1913 deaths, missionary and church records from organizations active in the Kotzebue Sound area are often the primary source of documentation.
Requesting Northwest Arctic Death Certificates
Certified death certificates from Northwest Arctic Borough are ordered through the state HAVRS ordering system. You can request in person at a state office, online through VitalChek, or by mail or fax using the official form. Email orders are not accepted.
The Anchorage office at 3901 Old Seward Hwy, Ste. 101, Anchorage, AK 99503, phone (907) 269-0991, is the closest state location for Northwest Arctic Borough residents. Walk-in 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 for foreign use costs $42. A record verification costs $2.50. Online orders through VitalChek take 2 to 3 weeks. Mail and fax submissions may take 2 to 3 months. All requests must include a completed application, government-issued ID copy, and payment.
Note: Submit through one method only per request to avoid duplicate charges.
Historical Death Records for Northwest Arctic Borough
Historical death records for the Northwest Arctic area are part of the territorial collections held at the Alaska State Archives in Juneau, at 395 Whittier St., phone (907) 465-2270. The Archives holds over 30,000 cubic feet of state and territorial records. Through its partnership with FamilySearch, over 1.1 million documents have been digitized, including vital statistics from throughout Alaska's territorial period.
The statewide Alaska Vital Records collection at FamilySearch (1816-2005) includes records from the Northwest Arctic region. Researchers looking for Kotzebue Sound area records should check both the general statewide collection and any specific precinct collections relevant to the Kotzebue area. The Alaska State Archives collection guides identify which record groups cover the Northwest Arctic region and in what format they are available.
The Alaska State Library genealogy resources page provides additional tools for Northwest Arctic Borough research. The State Library holds historical collections including newspapers and periodicals that may contain obituaries or death notices for Kotzebue area communities. The Alaska and Polar Periodical Index at UAF Rasmuson Library is another useful tool for locating published materials about Northwest Alaska communities.