Search Aleutians West Birth Records

Aleutians West Census Area birth records are kept by the Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records Section in Juneau. The census area is not a true borough, so it has no clerk who issues a birth certificate. People who live in Unalaska, Dutch Harbor, and the smaller towns of the western Aleutians all order their Aleutians West Census Area birth records through the same state office. This page shows you how to search, who can order, and what to bring. Use the search tool below to begin.

About Aleutians West Census Area Birth Records

The Aleutians West Census Area is an unincorporated part of Alaska. It has no borough government and no borough clerk. The U.S. Census Bureau set the boundary lines for the area, but no local office files or holds birth records. Unalaska and Dutch Harbor are the largest towns. Many smaller villages dot the chain of islands. Each one is far from the rest of the state, and travel costs are high.

All Aleutians West Census Area birth records are filed by the Alaska Department of Health. The Health Analytics and Vital Records Section, called HAVRS, runs the state system. HAVRS keeps every Alaska birth record in one central place, in Juneau. This means a birth in Unalaska, a birth in Adak, or a birth in any other village all go to the same state file. You can read more on the Alaska Department of Health vital records page.

The state has run things this way since 1913, the year birth filing started in Alaska. Before that, no public office kept birth records at all. Russian Orthodox church books are the main source for births in the Aleutians from the 1800s. The state has been the legal source of Aleutians West birth records ever since the territory began to file births.

Note: There is no local office in Unalaska or any other Aleutians West town that issues birth certificates, so all orders go to the state.

How to Order Aleutians West Birth Records

You have four ways to get a copy. The fastest is online through VitalChek. The cheapest is by mail. Walk-in is same day, but the only walk-in offices are in Anchorage and Juneau. There is no walk-in office in the Aleutians West area. Fax orders take the same time as mail.

Online orders go through VitalChek Alaska. The state names VitalChek as the only online vendor. You fill out the form, upload your ID, and pay with a card. Orders ship in two to three weeks. Most people in the Aleutians West Census Area pick this option since it cuts out the long mail wait. The shipping fee is higher to remote ZIP codes, so plan for that.

Mail orders go to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. Print and sign the form, 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 two to three months. Fax orders go to (907) 465-3618 with a card on file.

Walk-in service is at 5441 Commercial Boulevard in Juneau or 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101 in Anchorage. Both can issue Aleutians West Census Area birth records the same day. You must bring a valid photo ID. Full steps are on the Alaska Department of Health vital records orders page.

The Alaska State Archives also helps with old records. You can use the Alaska State Archives genealogy page to plan a search for older Aleutians West birth records.

Who Can Order Aleutians West Birth Records

Alaska is a closed-record state. Only some people can order a recent Aleutians West Census Area birth record. The state checks ID with every order. The rules are set under Alaska Statute 18.50.310.

You can order if you are one of these:

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

You must include a clear copy of a valid photo ID. The state takes a driver's license, state ID, passport, military ID, Tribal or BIA card, or a school ID for minors. Expired IDs are fine if not more than one year past the date.

Records older than 100 years are open to the public. So a 1925 or earlier Aleutians West birth record is now public. Anyone may order one. The 100-year rule is set under Alaska Statute 18.50, which you can read on Justia's copy of the chapter.

Note: Recent Aleutians West Census Area birth records stay closed for 100 years from the date of birth, so the state will not give them out without proof of who you are.

Fees for Aleutians West Birth Records

The fee for a certified copy of an Aleutians West Census Area birth record is $30. Each extra copy at the same time is $25. Heirloom copies cost $55 for the first and $50 for each extra. Two heirloom designs by Alaska artists are sold by the state.

A name change or fix to the record is $60, which gets you one new copy. An apostille is $42. Special research is $75 per hour. Make all checks out to the Alaska Vital Records Office. Cards are taken in person at the Anchorage and Juneau offices.

Historical Aleutians West Records

Old Aleutians West Census Area birth records are tied to the long Russian and U.S. history of the chain. Russian Orthodox priests kept the first known birth books in the area from the late 1700s to the late 1800s. Some of these books still exist and are in church and state archives. They are written in Russian and use the old style of date.

The state began to file births in 1913. Many births in the Aleutians went unfiled before 1945, since the area was so remote. Researchers can use the Aleutian Islands birth records 1915 to 1952 set, which is part of the FamilySearch project. The Alaska State Archives and FamilySearch worked together to scan more than 1.1 million Alaska records. The full list is on the FamilySearch Alaska vital records wiki.

The state archives in Juneau holds vital statistics from 1816 to 1998. Some of the oldest Aleutians West birth records are part of that set. The archives is at 141 Willoughby Avenue and is open by appointment. Researchers can use the Alaska record dates page to see what years are open.

Aleutians West Local Resources

Unalaska is the largest town in the Aleutians West Census Area. It has its own city government and a local clinic. The clinic helps with the first paperwork for newborns. After that, the form goes to the state. The city does not file or issue birth certificates. The same holds true for smaller villages in the area.

Federal records also point you to the state. The CDC's where to write list shows the same Juneau address and the same fee. You can find it at the CDC where to write page for Alaska. Alaska Statute 18.50.160 covers birth registration. Court records for the area are in the third judicial district.

For old records, also try MyHeritage and Ancestry, which both have Alaska indexes. Some of the indexes are free and some need a sub. The Alaska State Library has a free index too. The state office can do a special name search for $75 per hour if you cannot find a record on your own.

Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas

The Aleutians West Census Area sits next to other remote parts of Alaska. Each one uses the same state system for birth records.

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