Anchorage Birth Records
Anchorage Municipality birth records are filed by the Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records Section. The state runs a walk-in office in Anchorage at 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101, which serves as the main spot for residents who want to pick up an Anchorage Municipality birth record in person. People born anywhere in Alaska can get a copy at this office, since every birth record is in one central state file. This page shows you how to search, who can order, and what to bring. Use the search tool below to start your lookup.
Anchorage Municipality Birth Records Overview
About Anchorage Municipality Birth Records
Anchorage is by far the largest community in Alaska. About 288,000 people live in the Municipality of Anchorage, which makes up close to 40 percent of the whole state. The city and borough were unified in 1975. The local government runs schools, roads, parks, and many other public services, but it does not file birth records. That job belongs to the state.
The Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records Section, holds all Anchorage Municipality birth records. HAVRS keeps every Alaska birth in one central system. Even births that took place in small clinics or in remote parts of the state are filed here. The Anchorage walk-in office is the main spot for in-person service in Southcentral Alaska. Most Anchorage residents use this office to get a same-day copy.
The Municipality of Anchorage handles other public records like property files, election rolls, and assembly minutes. The municipal clerk does not issue birth certificates. You can read more about city services on the Municipality of Anchorage website. Birth registration is set under Alaska Statute 18.50.160. The state office uses the standard 2003 U.S. birth certificate form for all new filings.
Note: The Municipality of Anchorage does not file Anchorage birth records, so all orders go to the state office at 3901 Old Seward Highway.
How to Order Anchorage Birth Records
You have four ways to get a copy of an Anchorage Municipality birth record. Walk-in is the only same-day option. Online and mail are good if you can wait. The choice is yours. Just pick one method per request to avoid double charges.
Walk-in service is at the Anchorage state office at 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101. The phone is (907) 269-0991. The office is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You bring your photo ID, fill out the form, pay the fee, and walk out with your copy the same day. Cash, check, money order, and credit or debit cards are all taken. This is the busiest vital records office in the state and the easiest one for Anchorage residents.
Online orders go through VitalChek Alaska. The state has named VitalChek as its only online vendor. You fill out the form, upload your ID, and pay with a card. The order ships in two to three weeks. This is good for people who do not want to drive across town or who live outside the city.
Mail orders go to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. Mail takes about two to three months. Fax orders go to (907) 465-3618 with a card. The full step list and the form are on the Alaska Department of Health vital records orders page.
The Alaska Court System runs courts in Anchorage, but the courts do not handle birth records. You can use the Alaska court system page for adoption and name change court orders that may need to go with a birth record amendment.
Who Can Order Anchorage Birth Records
Alaska is a closed-record state. Only some people can order an Anchorage Municipality birth record that is less than 100 years old. 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 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. Make the copy large and sign your name under it.
Older Anchorage Municipality birth records are open to the public. Once a record is more than 100 years old, anyone can order one. The 100-year rule is set in Alaska Statute 18.50. You can read the chapter on Justia's Alaska Statute Title 18, Chapter 50 page.
Note: All orders must include a copy of a valid photo ID, since the state will not give out a recent Anchorage birth record without one.
Fees for Anchorage Birth Records
The fee for a certified copy of an Anchorage Municipality birth record is $30. Each extra copy ordered at the same time is $25. Heirloom certificates cost $55 for the first copy and $50 for each extra. Two heirloom designs by Alaska artists are sold by the state.
Other fees may apply. 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 checks out to the Alaska Vital Records Office. Cards are taken at the walk-in offices.
Anchorage Records Beyond Vital Records
Anchorage has many other public records that may help with a birth records search. The Municipality of Anchorage Real Property Appraisal Division at 632 West 6th Avenue, Suite 320 holds property files. Election records are kept by the Election Center at 619 East Ship Creek Avenue. Court records are at the Alaska Court System. None of these offices file or issue birth records, but they may help fill in family info for an old search. The Public Record Center Anchorage page lists more local sources.
The page has phone numbers for the city, the courts, and the state. For birth records, the state is always the right place to start.
Anchorage has its own court records portal too. You can use the Anchorage Municipality court records page to look up adoption and guardianship orders. These do not give you a birth record, but they may help with an amendment or a delayed filing.
The court records site links back to the state vital records office for birth certificate requests.
Historical Anchorage Birth Records
Anchorage started as a railroad town in 1915. The city is younger than the start of state birth filing, which began in 1913. So all Anchorage Municipality birth records are part of the state file. The oldest ones are now more than 100 years old and are open to the public.
Old Anchorage records are part of the FamilySearch project. The Alaska State Archives and FamilySearch have scanned more than 1.1 million Alaska records. Many are tied to Anchorage hospitals and clinics. You can browse the set on the FamilySearch Alaska vital records wiki. The Alaska State Archives in Juneau holds vital statistics from 1816 to 1998.
Note: Old Anchorage Municipality birth records from before 1925 are now public, since more than 100 years have passed since those births took place.
Nearby Boroughs
Anchorage Municipality borders other parts of Southcentral Alaska. Each one uses the same state system for birth records. Many residents of nearby boroughs come to the Anchorage office for in-person service.