Search for Death Records in Alaska

Free Alaska Death Records Lookup

Our comprehensive guide to the death records in the state of Alaska will help you in finding death records as well as provide you with relevant information about the deceased and the life they lived.

Death Records in Alaska -
The Ultimate Guide 2024

The state of Alaska began recording vital information including births, marriages, and deaths in 1913. The Bureau of Vital Statistics has put together a comprehensive collection of church records in a bid to create delayed birth certificates for individuals who did not have any official record at birth. The bureau will also conduct searches pertaining to death records to help in making this information available to relevant parties.

Alaska Death Databases

1804 – 1913
Before 1906, when Juneau became Alaska’s capital, Sitka was the State’s center. After this shift in the government center, territorial death records registration commenced in 1913, compiled with those recorded by the year 1945. If death records are unavailable in the collections, church records are a great alternative.

1913 – Present
The Bureau of Vital Statistics in the state of Alaska has very few records of deaths in the period spanning 1890 to the early 1930s. There are a lot more records after this. Access to these death records remains restricted to legal representatives and family members for up to 50 years after the deceased’s death.

From the U.S. Social Security Death Index, you can obtain death records for individuals who were receiving Social Security benefits and their deaths got reported to the government. This index features recent data from 1962 to date. However, the Social Security Administration can provide additional records dating back to 1936.

What Are Death Records?

Death records are documents (that are official) that contain any relevant information about a person who has died and are kept on file. If you are conducting genealogical research, these records can be extremely beneficial because they contain the majority of the information that you would need to learn more about your ancestors. The majority of death records are held by the state in which the deceased lived or died, but they are not held by the state in which the deceased was buried. When a relative who lived in San Francisco died and was buried in Lexington, the death records for that relative would be found in Alaska rather than Kentucky. Cemeteries and churches, as well as state governments, are the custodians of death records, and this is true for both. In addition to the deceased’s full name and date of birth, death records can provide you with information about the deceased’s death spot and place, among other things.

Alaska State Archives

The Alaska State Archives contain records that document and outline the functions of both the territorial and State government. While these records were not specifically created for genealogical research, these archives hold numerous records with information such as:

How to Request information from the Archives

In order to access information from the State Archives, you will need to provide the following information about the deceased:

Use the Research Inquiry form to ask any questions upon presenting the above information.

Are Alaska Death Records Open to the Public?

In Alaska, the only death records that are publicly available are those pertaining deaths that occurred at least half a century before the current year (50 years).

How to Find Alaska Death Records

The most reliable site to get a hold of Alaska death records is Archives.com As soon as you register for a user account, the platform gives you complete access to the death records in the state of Alaska. Below are the easy steps to get you going:

Step 1: Visit Archives.com and navigate to the sign in page. Here, you will need to provide both the password and email address you used at signup stage. In case you have not registered for a user account, simply click on the link that’s on the bottom of the page and create one.

Step 2: Navigate through the buttons across the very top of the user page. Hit the “Search” button, which loads the Alaska state death records page.

Step 3: On the page’s left hand side, there are a couple of buttons that you will see. There are a couple of options available for choice. Check on ‘Vital Records’, then the ‘Death’ button just below it. This way, the site filters out all other records and leaves you with only death records.

Step 4: Key in as much information about the deceased as possible. For a basic genealogical search, use your ancestor’s last name. If you would like the platform to provide you with records that only match the exact name that you keyed in, be sure to hit on the ‘Exact’ icon. In case you would like to perform a search on other records with the same name you provided, skip this step. For more precision, the site allows you to add in the deceased maiden and/or middle name.

Step 5: In the ‘Location’ box, key in Alaska ’. You will notice that the site will provide a match as soon as you start typing. Here, the site provides you with various options, including adding a birth or death date, as well as adjusting the selected dates. This is quite helpful especially in an instant when you are not quite certain of the date. Be sure to search through all collections. However, if you are certain where the given record is, look through the specific collections. Once you are done, hit the ‘Search Now’ blue button.

Step 6: The site will provide you with an array of records; browse through until you get the person whose records you are interested in. Some information that will be available in the records include birth date, death date, death location as well as burial location. From the ‘collection’ section, you can get information about what archive has that information.

Step 7: Select the deceased’s name to see the available death record online. Usually, you will obtain their name as well as maiden name in case they were married. You can also get information regarding their burial; were they cremated or buried, and is there any available bio? Get to learn more about the deceased by clicking on the ‘view story’ button. From the story, you can get to find out when they were born, when they died, if they were married, whether their spouse is living or dead, the spouse’s name, any listed family members and so much more.

Step 8: To take a look at all the available records that are related to the individual, scroll down to the very bottom of the page. Click on any available record for more information. At Archives.com you may find a list of all telephone directories showing the individual’s marriage records or previous address.

Alternative Sources for Alaska Death Information

While Archives.com is a great platform to search death records in Alaska, there are tons of other sites that you might want to check out. One such platform is the U.S. Social Security Administration. Not only does the Social Security Administration send SS payments to Americans, but it also responsible for keeping track of death records. Many death records only include the individual’s name and date of death. However, this record also show all death benefits that the US Social Security Administration could have sent to the deceased’s beneficiaries.

Another platform you can check is the U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index. This site provides you with information on all claims that were filed from 1936 to 2007. As time elapses, this site will include more recently filed claims. To get access to this database, you will need to have a user account at Ancestry.com. The database features over 50 Mil names. It has information on the applicant’s name, their parents’ names, as well as any beneficiaries listed.

Another source of death records data in Alaska would be cemeteries, seeing as they usually have information that I accessible to the public. You can either call the cemetery or visit physically to ask about their records.

A resourceful option you could consider is the Find A Grave website; it claims that it is the largest database of gravesites in the globe. One simple click can provide you with information on anyone who shares your last name. Website is usually updated by volunteers who often upload headstones information as well as photos of the headstones. Through this platform, you can verify that the information you had previously acquired on your own actually matches this new official information.

Obituaries are yet another source of death record information in Alaska. Local papers in the state will always have a section where loved ones write the deceased’s obituaries. These provide more detailed information including their former work place, their hobbies, and interests. They also provide information on the individual’s spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, and siblings. At Newspapers.com you will get a free trial, allowing you to go through obituaries in hundreds of newspapers until you come across a match. You can also visit the Alaska state local newspapers’ websites for a hold of the same.

City and county courthouses in the state of Alaska, can also come in handy in provision of the death records you seek. The state has probate records that date back to way before the 20th century. These early records will provide you with information regarding the deceased’s name, what assets they had, and where these possessions went to after their death. This way, you can get a hold of the individuals’ beneficiaries and other loved ones. Modern records will provide you with a date and place of death.

City directories can provide you with useful information on the deceased’s address especially if you are not sure when they died. Before invention of phonebooks, it was directories that helped people locate other people. Unlike phonebooks which only have information about a person’s address and name, directories often include the spouse name as well as occupation. In the case where a family’s head died and their spouse wanted to remain listed, the directory would simply name the spouse as a widower or widow, or update their records to note that the household’s head was deceased. Most libraries in Alaska have city directories available.

Another source of death records information is Tax records; these date all the way back to the 18th century. They have information on the individuals who worked in the state. Records from these era will often feature the individual’s name. The records after their passing will indicate the individual as deceased. Modern day records will simply omit your name from the tax-payers’ list showing. In Alaska, tax records are available in the state’s courthouses and libraries.

Our guide also recommends getting death record information from churches that your ancestors may have attended. Family bibles are also a great source of such information and past generations used them in keeping track of their families. These family bibles feature exact dates on when individuals got married, had kids and died. From church records, you can get almost similar information.

What Information Do You Need to Run a Death Records Search?

Can You Order Death Records Certificate?

It will cost you $10 to order an original death certificate and $8 for each additional copy requested at the time of issuing the original copy. If there is no record found, or if no copy is made to the death certificate, the law in Alaska requires $10 as the search fee. If any amount is made to exceed the required $10 search fee, these money is refundable. In case you used your credit card’s ‘Express Service’ fee, both the $10 search fee and express service fee are non-refundable. The only credit you can get is any amount paid in excess of the combined express service and search fee.

The state of Alaska accepts checks, money orders and cash, paid out to the Alaska Department of Health, but payers are advised not to send cash via mail. In case you can free up some time, you can pay the County Recorder or Clerk a visit to remit the payment. Most of the offices that you can request or order death certificates from operate on the regular business hours, and requests made can be processed during the same day. This means that you can walk in to the office in the morning and have your certificate processed by the end of the same day.

Should I Hire a Finder to Conduct the Death Records Search?

This is all dependent on your personal preference. Most people think that in conducting their searches, they will most definitely need a finder. They see the process as one that is highly time consuming. However, this is not always the case. Modern resources have made it possible for people to find this information from the comfort of their homes. In case you still feel the need to hire a professional, there is nothing wrong with that. A genealogist is a specialist who comes in handy in helping you learn about your ancestors and family history. The average fee charged by most is $2500. In case they will need to travel, the cost will go up a notch higher. The beauty of working with these hired professionals is that at times they have memberships that you don’t, allowing them to access sites that you cannot.

Alaska Death Records FAQs

What is an Official Death Certificate?

An official death certificate refers to a death certificate that is issued directly by the Alaska state government or any similar organization. This documents contains information such as the individual’s name, physical address, date of birth, and date of death. Other certificates also indicate the number of children and any next of kin. In case the certificate is issued by the corner, it usually contains the cause of death of the deceased. Information on the certificate is usually given by the family members and doctor or coroner who pronounces the member dead.

Who Can Request Alaska Death Certificates?

In the state of Alaska, there are restrictions that seek to limit the individuals who can place a request for the deceased official death certificate. The people allowed include the deceased’s spouse, children, siblings, parents or guardians. Other allowed parties are courts and other legal representatives. Legal custodians and guardians are also allowed, as well as individuals who have legal authorization by any of the family members aforementioned.

What does the Cause of Death refer to?

Simply put, the cause of death is the incident or condition that lead to the deceased’s death. Most present-day death certificates have this information indicated. Sometimes, the cause is specific such as ‘Heart Attack’ or generic such as ‘Homicide’ or ‘Accidental Death’. You can also see several lines indicating several related things that led to the individual’s death. For instance, the cause of death could be ‘Heart Attack’, but the primary cause of death could be kidney failure or diabetes.

How Long Does it Take to Find Alaska Death Records?

The amount of time is all dependent on the specific or type of records you are looking for. The average time is about ten weeks, but it could be longer if the records you seek are not in any databases available. If you are looking for a death certificate, you could use an expedited option that is faster, but you would need to pay a fee for these services. Other types of death records, for instance those found in churches or courthouses, can be found within hours after you have begun your search.

What happens in the case of a fetal death?

For deaths in the womb, only the parents of a stillborn child are eligible to request a copy of the “Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth.” A copy of a “Fetal Death Certificate” is only available to the parents of a deceased fetus.

Conclusion

Alaska is extremely particular about the accuracy of its tax and voting records, and this is reflected in the state’s tax and voting records. As a result, they strive to keep a comprehensive death record up to date. Following the death of a person in New York, tax collectors contact family members or next of kin to collect any unpaid state taxes that may be owed to the state. In the event of a probate proceeding, these death records will be extremely useful because your family members or next of kin will not have any difficulties in obtaining any legal information. With our comprehensive guide to Alaska death record searches, you’ll be able to locate any type of record that you might require quickly and easily.

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