Kodiak Birth Records

Kodiak birth records are filed and held by the State of Alaska, not by the city or the borough. Anyone born in Kodiak gets their birth on file with the Health Analytics and Vital Records Section in Juneau. To search for or order a Kodiak birth record, you go through the state. Kodiak has no walk-in vital records office. Mail, fax, and online orders are the main ways to get a copy here. The search tool below helps you start a quick lookup for Kodiak birth records and other public records tied to the area.

About Kodiak Birth Records

Kodiak sits on Kodiak Island, off the south coast of Alaska. The town is the largest in the Kodiak Island Borough and home to the Coast Guard, a big fishing fleet, and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. The city has a long Russian and Alutiiq past. None of that local history changes how you get a birth record. Each Kodiak birth record is sent to the state office in Juneau and held there as part of one central system.

The state runs all of Alaska's birth records. There is no city clerk or borough clerk in Kodiak that can issue a birth certificate. The Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records Section, often called HAVRS, holds every birth filed in the state since 1913. Most births in Kodiak after 1945 are on file. A few older Kodiak birth records may be in church books or mission files. To learn more about how the system works, see the Alaska Department of Health vital records page.

Kodiak is far from Juneau and Anchorage. Most local people use the mail or VitalChek option. The city has no walk-in vital records office. The closest in-person office is in Anchorage, which is reached by plane or by ferry and a long road trip. For most Kodiak residents, mail is the main way to get a birth record. The state has set up the system so that no one is left out.

Note: Kodiak births that took place before 1925 are now public, and anyone may order a copy of those older Kodiak birth records.

How to Order Kodiak Birth Records

You have four ways to get a Kodiak birth record. The fastest is online. The cheapest is by mail. Walk-in is not an option in Kodiak itself, but you can fly to Anchorage if you need same-day service. Each method works, but the cost and the wait can vary.

Online orders go through VitalChek. This is the only online service the state has approved for Alaska vital records. You fill out the form, upload your photo ID, and pay with a credit or debit card. There is an extra fee on top of the $30 state fee. The order ships in two to three weeks. Use the VitalChek Alaska page to start an online order for a Kodiak birth record.

Mail orders cost less but take longer. Print the state birth record form, fill it in, sign it, and send it with a copy of your photo ID and a check or money order. Make checks payable to the Alaska Vital Records Office. Mail your packet to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. The state takes two to three months to fill mail orders. Fax orders go to (907) 465-3618 and follow the same time frame. The full how-to is on the Alaska Department of Health vital records orders page.

You can also fly to the Anchorage walk-in office at 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101. The phone is (907) 269-0991. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Juneau main office is at 5441 Commercial Boulevard. Both can issue a Kodiak birth record the same day if you bring your photo ID and the fee. Pick one method per request to avoid double charges.

Who Can Order Kodiak Birth Records

Alaska is a closed-record state. That means a recent Kodiak birth record is not open to the public. Only certain people can order a certified copy. The state checks your ID for every order. The list of those who may order is set in state law under Alaska Statute 18.50.

You can order a copy of a Kodiak birth record if you fall into one of these groups:

• The person named on the record, age 14 or older with a school or photo ID
• A parent listed on the certificate
• A legal guardian with court papers
• A third party with a notarized letter from the person named on the record
• An attorney or government agency with a letter on letterhead

Friends and other family may order an heirloom Kodiak birth certificate as a gift, but only for someone who would also qualify on their own. The state form has more on who counts as eligible. For records older than 100 years, anyone may order a copy. Those older Kodiak birth records can be found through the Alaska record dates page.

Every order must include a clear copy of a valid photo ID. Driver's license, state ID, passport, military ID, Tribal or BIA card with photo, or a school ID for minors all count. Expired IDs are OK if they have not been expired for more than one year. Sign your name under the copied ID.

Historical Kodiak Birth Records

Older Kodiak birth records hold a lot of value for family history. Kodiak has one of the oldest Russian Orthodox parishes in Alaska. Many old births were noted in parish books before 1913. After Alaska became a U.S. territory in 1912, the state began to file births. Most Kodiak births after 1945 are on file with the state.

The Alaska State Archives in Juneau is the best place to start a search for old Kodiak birth records. The archives has vital statistics from 1816 to 1998. FamilySearch worked with the archives to scan more than 1.1 million pages of vital records. Many of those scans are free to view. You can read more on the Alaska State Archives genealogy page.

The Kodiak Island Borough births are listed in the FamilySearch index. You can search by name in the free Alaska vital statistics index. The index covers births, marriages, and deaths from 1816 to the early 1900s. For more help with old Kodiak birth records and Russian church books, see the FamilySearch Alaska vital records wiki.

Note: Under Alaska Statute 18.50, all Alaska birth records become public 100 years after the date of birth.

Kodiak Local Resources

While the city of Kodiak does not issue birth records, the city hall, the borough clerk, and the state court office can help with related papers. The Kodiak Island Borough seat is in the city of Kodiak. The Kodiak Court House on Marine Way handles court files, name changes, and adoption cases that may tie into a birth record. For a name change on a Kodiak birth record, you must file a court petition first and then send the order to HAVRS in Juneau.

The Kodiak Public Library and the Baranov Museum hold local history files that can help with old family work. These local sources may not give you a certified Kodiak birth record, but they can help fill in gaps for births that took place before the state began to file them. For free indexes, see the Kodiak Island Borough birth records directory.

To get a delayed birth certificate for a Kodiak resident born before 1930, the state takes proof from church books, school files, family Bibles, or other sources. The Special Services Unit at HAVRS handles these cases. The fee is $60 and the wait is about three months. You can call (907) 465-1200 for help.

Fees for Kodiak Birth Records

The fee for a certified copy of a Kodiak birth record is $30. Each extra copy ordered at the same time costs $25. Heirloom Kodiak birth certificates cost $55 for the first copy and $50 for each extra copy. Two heirloom designs by Alaska artists are sold by the state.

Other fees may apply. A name change or amendment costs $60, which includes one new certified copy. An apostille for use in a foreign country costs $42 plus the record fee. Special research costs $75 per hour. Make checks payable to the Alaska Vital Records Office. The full fee schedule is set under Alaska Statute Title 18, Chapter 50. Pick one method per request to avoid double charges.

Nearby Cities and Boroughs

Kodiak is on its own island, so the closest larger city is far away by sea or air. The most common path for travel is a short flight to Anchorage, where you can use the walk-in vital records office. Other Alaska cities with their own pages include Juneau, Fairbanks, and Wasilla. The Kodiak Island Borough page has more on local services for Kodiak birth records and other public files.