Aleutians East Borough Birth Records

Aleutians East Borough birth records are filed at the state level by the Alaska Department of Health in Juneau. The borough sits in southwest Alaska and covers 15,012 square miles, with the seat at Sand Point. People born in Akutan, Cold Bay, False Pass, King Cove, or Sand Point all use the same state office to look up and order a copy of an Aleutians East Borough birth record. This page shows you how to search, who can order, and what to bring. Use the search tool below to start your lookup.

About Aleutians East Borough Birth Records

Aleutians East Borough is one of Alaska's most remote local areas. The borough was set up in 1987 and has about 3,400 people living across the western Alaska Peninsula and nearby islands. Sand Point is the seat. Other named communities include Akutan, Cold Bay, False Pass, and King Cove. Each of these towns is small, and none of them have a court clerk that issues birth certificates. All Aleutians East Borough birth records are kept by the state.

The state office is the Health Analytics and Vital Records Section, often called HAVRS. It is part of the Alaska Department of Health. HAVRS files every birth that takes place in Alaska, no matter the borough. Even a child born in a small clinic in King Cove gets their record filed in Juneau. The borough does not run a side copy of the file. There is one record, and it is at the state level.

Most births in Aleutians East Borough today happen at small clinics or get sent out for care. The local clinic helps with the first paper work. Then the form goes to the state. The state files it under Alaska Statute 18.50.160, which sets the rules for birth filing. The state has done it this way since 1913. You can read more on the Alaska Department of Health vital records page.

Note: All Aleutians East Borough birth records are held by the state, so there is no local borough office that issues a birth certificate.

How to Order Aleutians East Borough Birth Records

You have four ways to get a copy of an Aleutians East Borough birth record. Each one works. The fastest way is online through VitalChek. Mail is the cheapest. Walk-in is same-day, but you must travel to Anchorage or Juneau. Fax orders take the same time as mail.

Online orders go through VitalChek Alaska. The state has named VitalChek as its only online vendor. You fill out the form, upload a copy of your photo ID, and pay with a card. The order ships in about two to three weeks. There is an extra fee for the online service. Most people from Sand Point and the other Aleutians East communities pick this option because of how far away the state offices are.

Mail orders go to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. You print the form, sign it, send a copy of your ID, and pay with a check or money order made out to the Alaska Vital Records Office. Mail orders take about two to three months. Fax orders go to (907) 465-3618.

Walk-in service is at two state offices. The main one is in Juneau at 5441 Commercial Boulevard. The Anchorage office is at 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101. Both are open Monday to Friday and can issue Aleutians East Borough birth records the same day. You must bring a valid photo ID. The full step list is on the Alaska Department of Health vital records orders page.

The borough website is run by local staff who can point you toward the state office. You can find their info on the Aleutians East Borough clerk page.

The state office processes thousands of orders each year. Below is the borough clerk page used by Sand Point residents to find local government info.

The clerk does not file birth records, but the page has phone numbers and a way to ask about other forms.

Who Can Order Aleutians East Birth Records

Alaska is a closed-record state. That means recent Aleutians East Borough birth records are not open to the public. Only some people can order a certified copy. The state checks ID with every order.

You can order an Aleutians East Borough birth record if you fit 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 on letterhead

You must send a clear copy of a valid photo ID with each order. The state takes a driver's license, state ID, passport, military ID, Tribal or BIA card with photo, or a school ID for minors. Expired IDs are OK if not more than one year past the date. You should make the copy large and sign your name under it.

Records that are more than 100 years old are open to the public. So an Aleutians East Borough birth record from 1925 or earlier can be ordered by anyone. Under Alaska Statute 18.50.310, the 100-year rule is set in state law. This is the same rule for the whole state.

Note: Bring your photo ID to every walk-in order, since the state will not give out a copy of an Aleutians East birth record without it.

Fees for Aleutians East Borough Birth Records

The fee is $30 for the first certified copy of an Aleutians East Borough birth record. Each extra copy ordered at the same time is $25. Heirloom certificates cost $55 for the first copy and $50 for each extra.

Other fees may apply. A name change or fix to the record is $60, which gets you one new copy. An apostille for use in a foreign country is $42. Special research is $75 per hour. Make checks out to the Alaska Vital Records Office. Cards are taken at the walk-in offices in Juneau and Anchorage.

Historical Aleutians East Borough Records

Old birth records for the Aleutian Islands area date back to the early 1900s. The state began to file births in 1913. Before that, no Alaska office kept birth records. Russian Orthodox church books are the best source for births in the Aleutians before 1913. Some of those books cover the area now in the Aleutians East Borough. They are in Russian and use the old style of dates.

The Alaska State Archives has indexes to old vital records from 1816 to 1998. Many of them have been scanned. FamilySearch and the Alaska State Archives worked together on a project that put 1.1 million records online. The Aleutian Islands birth records from 1915 to 1952 are part of that set. You can browse them on the FamilySearch Alaska vital records wiki.

The wiki has step by step help for people new to Alaska family research. You can also use the Alaska State Archives genealogy page for more sources.

Note: Old church and mission records are the only way to find a birth in the Aleutians area before 1913, since no state agency kept birth records at that time.

Aleutians East Borough Local Info

The borough seat is Sand Point on Popof Island. The borough office holds local meetings, runs the school district, and helps with land matters. It does not file or issue birth records. Local clinics in Akutan, Cold Bay, False Pass, King Cove, and Sand Point all send their birth forms to the state office in Juneau. If you live in one of these towns and need an Aleutians East Borough birth record, you must go through the state.

The borough website is at aleutianseast.org. The clerk's page has phone numbers and an email form for general help. For birth records you must call the state at (907) 465-3391 or use VitalChek. The state can mail your copy to any address in the borough, even very small ones, though tracked shipping is a smart idea.

Federal records like the CDC's where to write list also send you to the state office. The CDC where to write page for Alaska shows the same address and the same fee. Alaska Statute 18.50 sets the legal frame for the system. The full chapter is on Justia's copy of Alaska Statute Title 18, Chapter 50.

Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas

The Aleutians East Borough sits next to other remote parts of Alaska. Each one uses the same state system for birth records. You may find these nearby pages useful.

Aleutians West Census Area, Bristol Bay Borough, Dillingham Census Area.