Petersburg Borough Death Records
Death records for Petersburg Borough are maintained by Alaska's Health Analytics and Vital Records Section, the state agency responsible for all certified vital records. Petersburg Borough does not hold death records locally. If you need a certified copy of a death certificate for someone who lived or died in Petersburg, or want to research historical records from this Southeast Alaska community, this guide covers the full process and available resources.
Petersburg Borough Overview
How Petersburg Borough Death Records Work
Petersburg Borough was established in 1910 as a unified city and borough government in Southeast Alaska. Like all Alaska boroughs, it does not maintain vital records. All death certificates for events in Petersburg Borough are held at the state level by the Health Analytics and Vital Records Section (HAVRS). Petersburg's borough government handles local municipal services but refers all vital records requests directly to the state.
Under Alaska Statute AS 18.50, death records are restricted for 50 years after the date of death. Records from before 1975 are now public. Records from 1975 onward require proof of an eligible relationship. Petersburg has a well-documented history due to its Scandinavian fishing heritage and early establishment as a commercial fishing hub. Records from the early 20th century are generally well-preserved in the state and territorial archives.
Statewide death registration began in 1913. Petersburg, founded in 1897, has records that predate the formal territorial registration system in the form of precinct records and church registers. The Alaska State Archives holds territorial records for the Petersburg area that complement the formal death registration system.
Requesting Petersburg Death Certificates
Certified death certificates for Petersburg Borough are ordered through the state HAVRS vital records system. You can submit in person at either state office, online through VitalChek, or by mail or fax using the official form. Email orders are not accepted.
The Juneau office at 5441 Commercial Blvd., Juneau, AK 99801, phone (907) 465-3391, fax (907) 465-3618, is the closest state location to Petersburg. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Anchorage office at 3901 Old Seward Hwy, Ste. 101, Anchorage, AK 99503, phone (907) 269-0991, 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 ordered at the same time run $25 each. An apostille for foreign use costs $42. A record verification costs $2.50. VitalChek orders take 2 to 3 weeks standard. Mail and fax submissions take 2 to 3 months. Every request needs a completed form, government-issued ID copy, and payment.
Note: Use one submission method per request to avoid duplicate charges and delays.
Historical Petersburg Death Record Collections
The Alaska State Archives and FamilySearch partnership has digitized key records from the Petersburg area. While the primary digitized collections are the Petersburg Marriage License Docket (1917-1959) and Petersburg Marriage Licenses (1905-1959), these companion vital records help researchers confirm family relationships when working with death records. The Alaska State Archives collection guides identify what additional Petersburg records are available in the Archives' holdings.
The Archives at 395 Whittier St., Juneau, AK 99811-0571, phone (907) 465-2270, is the official repository for all territorial-era records. Researchers looking for death records from Petersburg before statehood in 1959 should contact the Archives directly to find out what specific records exist for the Petersburg precinct. The Archives' Vital Statistics by Name index, available as a downloadable spreadsheet, can help identify individuals in the statewide collection.
The statewide Alaska Vital Records collections at FamilySearch (1816-2005 and 1818-1963 at Ancestry) include Petersburg records within the broader territorial registration system. Cemetery records for Petersburg are indexed at Find a Grave and BillionGraves. The Alaska State Library also provides genealogical resources for Southeast Alaska research.