Sitka Birth Records

Sitka birth records are kept by the State of Alaska, not by the city. The Sitka City and Borough does not file or issue birth certificates. To search for a Sitka birth record, you must go through the Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records Section in Juneau. People born in Sitka can order a copy by mail, by fax, by VitalChek online, or in person at the Juneau or Anchorage state office. This page shows how to find Sitka birth records as a local.

About Sitka Birth Records

Sitka birth records are part of the central state vital records system. Every birth that takes place in Sitka, at Sitka Community Hospital or at home, gets filed with the state office in Juneau. The local borough does not keep its own birth files. This is true for the whole state. So a Sitka birth record is held the same way as any other Alaska birth record.

The Sitka City and Borough was formed in 1971 when the city of Sitka and the old Greater Sitka Borough joined as one. The borough sits on Baranof Island and is reached only by air or by ferry. Because of this, locals must use the mail or VitalChek to get a birth certificate. There is no walk-in office on the island. You can read more about local services on the City of Sitka site.

The Sitka borough clerk handles voter rolls, land records, and meeting files, but not birth records. For a Sitka birth record, you must contact the Alaska Department of Health. Use the state form, send your ID, and pay the fee. The state will then mail the record back to you. Most Sitka families use the mail option since the Anchorage office is a flight away.

Sitka has a long and rich past. The town was the Russian capital of Alaska before 1867. The Russian Orthodox church kept its own birth and baptism books from the 1840s on. These church books are not the same as state birth records, but they are the best source for births in Sitka before 1913. Many of them are held at the Alaska State Archives in Juneau.

How to Order Sitka Birth Records

You have four ways to order a Sitka birth record. Each one goes through the state office, not Sitka itself. Pick the way that fits your timeline and budget. The state warns you to use only one method per request to avoid double charges.

The fastest way is online. The state has named VitalChek as its only approved partner for online vital records orders. You fill out the form, upload your ID, and pay with a card. The order ships in two to three weeks. Use the VitalChek Alaska page to start. There is a small extra fee for the online service, but for Sitka residents this is the most common option since you do not need to leave the island.

Mail orders cost less but take longer. Print the request form from the state site, fill it out, sign it, and send it with a copy of your ID and a check or money order made out to the Alaska Vital Records Office. Mail it 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 as mail.

Walk-in service is open at two state offices. Neither is in Sitka. The main office is in Juneau at 5441 Commercial Boulevard, open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Anchorage office is at 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101, open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Both offices fill orders the same day. If you fly to Juneau, you can pick up your Sitka birth record before you fly home. Bring photo ID and the fee. Full steps are on the Alaska Department of Health vital records orders page.

Who Can Order Sitka Birth Records

Alaska is a closed-record state. Recent Sitka birth records are not open to the public. Only certain people can order a copy. The state checks ID for every order.

You can order a Sitka birth record if you fall into one of these groups. You must be 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 of consent, or an attorney or government agency with a letter on letterhead. Friends and family can buy an heirloom birth certificate as a gift, but only if the named person would also qualify on their own.

Every order needs a clear copy of a valid photo ID. The state takes a driver's license, state ID card, passport, military ID, Tribal or BIA card with photo, or a school ID for minors. Expired IDs are OK if they have not been expired for more than one year. Enlarge the copy and sign your name under it. If you have no ID, call the state office at (907) 465-3391 for help.

For more on what to send with your Sitka birth record order, see the Sitka Alaska public records page. Note: Records less than 100 years old can only be ordered by people on this short list, so plan ahead if you need a copy for a passport or job.

Fees for Sitka Birth Records

The fee for a certified copy of a Sitka birth record is $30. Each extra copy ordered at the same time is $25. Heirloom birth certificates cost $55, with extra copies at $50. Two heirloom designs by Alaska artists are sold by the state and make good gifts. A name change or amendment to a Sitka birth record costs $60, which includes one new certified copy.

An apostille for use in a foreign country costs $42 plus the fee for the record itself. Special research costs $75 per hour. Make checks payable to the Alaska Vital Records Office. Credit and debit cards are taken at the walk-in offices in Juneau and Anchorage. Online orders through VitalChek take cards as well, with a small added fee for the service. The state will not refund duplicate orders, so pick one method per request.

Sitka City and Borough

Sitka is one of Alaska's unified city and borough governments. The Sitka City and Borough handles local issues like roads, the harbor, and voter rolls, but not birth records. For more on the parent borough that covers Sitka, see the Sitka City and Borough birth records page. The borough clerk is at 100 Lincoln Street in Sitka.

Sitka birth records that are now public (more than 100 years old) can be found through the Alaska State Archives in Juneau. The archives keeps Russian Orthodox parish books, mission records, and old vital files that touch on Sitka and the rest of Southeast Alaska. Use the Alaska State Archives site to plan a research trip or to ask about a specific record.

Researchers can also use FamilySearch. The site has scanned more than 1.1 million Alaska vital records in partnership with the state archives. Many of these touch on Sitka. The free FamilySearch Alaska vital records wiki shows you what is in the index and how to search by name. Note: Most Sitka birth records before 1913 are in church books, not state files, so search both sources.

Historical Sitka Birth Records

Sitka has some of the oldest written records in Alaska. The Russian American Company kept books from the 1840s until 1867. The Russian Orthodox church has parish books that go back even farther. After 1867, the U.S. Army, the Navy, and later civilian schools kept their own records. None of these were the same as a modern birth certificate. But they are still the best proof of birth for Sitka people born before the state took over in 1913.

Alaska Statute 18.50 sets the rules for what is open to the public. Under Alaska Statute Title 18, Chapter 50, birth records become public 100 years after the date of birth. So a Sitka birth record from 1925 or earlier is now public. Anyone can order it. The state still charges the same $30 fee for the copy.

Some Sitka birth records from the 1900s are also held by the Alaska State Library and the Sitka Historical Society. Before you write to the state, check the local museum and the FamilySearch index. Many old records are free online. Note: Russian Orthodox parish books often list the child's name, the date of baptism, and the names of both parents.