North Lakes Birth Records

North Lakes birth records are kept by the Alaska Department of Health at its Juneau office. North Lakes is an unincorporated area in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, north of Wasilla. There is no town hall or local clerk here that deals with birth certificates. Every birth in North Lakes is filed with the state, and residents must order copies through HAVRS by mail, fax, online, or at the Anchorage walk-in office. Here is what you need to know to search for and get a North Lakes birth record.

About North Lakes Birth Records

North Lakes is not a formal city or town. It is an unincorporated area that sits north of Wasilla in the Mat-Su Valley. The community spreads around several lakes and rural roads. Because there is no local government, North Lakes has no clerk, no records office, and no way to issue a birth certificate on its own.

The Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records Section handles all North Lakes birth records. This office, known as HAVRS, is the only place in the state that stores and issues birth certificates. It sits in Juneau at 5441 Commercial Boulevard. A second walk-in office is in Anchorage at 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101. Both can pull any North Lakes birth record from the state database.

The Mat-Su Borough does not keep vital records. The borough government focuses on roads, land use, and schools. For anything tied to a birth certificate, North Lakes residents go through the state. You can check the Mat-Su Borough website for local services, but birth records are not among them.

Ordering Birth Records from North Lakes

There are four ways to order. Each works for any North Lakes birth record in the state system. The right choice depends on how fast you need it and whether you want to drive to Anchorage.

Online is the most common pick for North Lakes residents. Use VitalChek to place an order from home. You upload a photo ID, fill in the details, and pay with a card. Orders ship in two to three weeks. There is a service fee on top of the $30 state charge. This is the only online option the state has approved.

Walk-in service is the fastest. The Anchorage HAVRS office is about an hour south of North Lakes on the Glenn Highway. Bring a photo ID and the fee. The staff will hand you the copy the same day. The Juneau office also takes walk-ins, but that means a flight for most North Lakes residents. Both offices can issue any birth record from the state system, not just local ones.

Mail orders go to P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. Include the form, a copy of your ID, and a check or money order. Allow two to three months. Fax orders go to (907) 465-3618. Pick one method per request to avoid double charges. The Alaska Department of Health vital records orders page has the latest forms.

Note: North Lakes has no post office of its own, so use your Wasilla or Palmer mailing address when you send the form.

Who Can Get North Lakes Birth Records

Recent North Lakes birth records are private. Alaska law under AS 18.50.310 keeps them closed for 100 years. Only certain people can order a certified copy.

You can order if you are the person named on the record (age 14 or older), a parent listed on the birth certificate, a legal guardian with court papers, an attorney on official letterhead, or a third party with notarized consent. You must show a valid photo ID with every request. The state accepts a driver's license, state ID, passport, military ID, or Tribal card with a photo. School IDs work for teens.

Once a birth record passes the 100-year mark, it becomes public and anyone can order it. For family history research, the FamilySearch Alaska Vital Records wiki is a free resource that covers older records from across the state.

North Lakes Birth Certificate Fees

The cost for a North Lakes birth record is the same as anywhere in Alaska. A certified copy is $30. Extra copies at the same time are $25 each. Heirloom certificates are $55 for the first and $50 for extras. Amendments and name changes run $60 and include one new copy. An apostille is $42 plus the record fee. Special research costs $75 per hour.

Checks go to the Alaska Vital Records Office. Credit and debit cards work at the Anchorage walk-in office and through VitalChek. The full fee schedule is found in Alaska Statute Title 18, Chapter 50, which governs all vital records in the state.

Historical Birth Records in the North Lakes Area

North Lakes itself is a newer settlement, but the Mat-Su Valley has a record history that goes back to the early 1900s. Alaska began to require birth filing in 1913. Most births were recorded by 1945. Before that, church records from local parishes are often the only source. The state microfilmed many church books and used them to create delayed birth certificates for people who had none.

The Alaska State Archives has vital statistics from 1816 through 1998. FamilySearch scanned more than 1.1 million of these pages. You can search them for free at the Alaska State Archives genealogy page. These records cover the whole state, including the Mat-Su region where North Lakes sits.

North Lakes Birth Certificate Amendments

Sometimes a North Lakes birth record needs to be changed. Common fixes include adding a parent's name, correcting a spelling, or updating a legal name. The HAVRS Special Services Unit in Juneau handles all changes. The cost is $60, which includes one new certified copy. The standard wait is about three months, and there is no rush option for amendments.

All papers for a change must be mailed or hand-carried to the Juneau office. The state needs original signed forms for paternity, adoption, and legal name changes. You can reach the Special Services Unit at (907) 465-1200 or by email at BVSSpecialServices@alaska.gov. Delayed birth records are also handled here for people born in the area who never had a birth filed with the state.

Mat-Su Borough and North Lakes

North Lakes is part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The borough seat is Palmer. The borough handles zoning, roads, and schools for unincorporated areas like North Lakes. It does not issue birth records. Visit the Matanuska-Susitna Borough page for more on how the borough connects to vital records in the area.

The CountyOffice.org Mat-Su birth records page has quick links and contacts for the state office that handles all North Lakes birth records.

Nearby Cities

North Lakes is close to Wasilla, Knik-Fairview, Tanaina, and Meadow Lakes. All of these Mat-Su communities use the same state system for birth records. Anchorage is about an hour south and has the nearest walk-in HAVRS office for North Lakes residents.

Local Resources for North Lakes Birth Records

North Lakes residents use Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer or the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage for new births. The hospital files the birth with the state, and parents then order a certified copy by mail or online. There is no local office in the North Lakes area that handles birth certificates. The Mat-Su Borough Clerk in Palmer does not issue birth records. For amendments, call the Special Services Unit at (907) 465-1200. Note: North Lakes is part of the fast-growing Mat-Su Valley, and many residents drive into Anchorage for same-day walk-in service at the state office.