Dillingham Census Area Birth Records

Dillingham Census Area birth records are managed by the Alaska Department of Health at the state office in Juneau. The census area covers a wide part of southwest Alaska with the town of Dillingham as the main hub. About 5,000 people live here, many in small villages spread across the region. There is no local office that issues birth certificates. To order or search for a Dillingham Census Area birth record, you work through the state. This page explains the full process, from ordering to fees to finding old records.

About Dillingham Census Area Birth Records

The Dillingham Census Area is an unincorporated part of southwest Alaska. It has no borough government. There is no local clerk that files vital records. The area centers on the town of Dillingham, which sits at the head of Nushagak Bay. Other communities in the census area include Aleknagik, Clark's Point, Manokotak, Togiak, and Twin Hills. Most of these are small Alaska Native villages with fewer than 1,000 people each. The region is known for its salmon runs and commercial fishing.

All Dillingham Census Area birth records are held by the state through the Health Analytics and Vital Records Section, known as HAVRS. This office in Juneau is the single place that files and issues Alaska birth certificates. A second walk-in office is in Anchorage. Under Alaska Statute 18.50.160, every birth in Alaska must be filed with the state within five days. Clinics in Dillingham and the surrounding villages send their forms to Juneau. The town of Dillingham has a hospital that handles most births in the region. The Alaska Department of Health vital records page covers how the state system works.

Note: The Dillingham Census Area has no local government office for birth records, so all requests must go through the state.

Order Dillingham Birth Records

You have four ways to get a copy of a Dillingham Census Area birth record. Online is the fastest. Mail is the cheapest. Walk-in service means same-day, but you must travel to Anchorage or Juneau. Fax takes about the same time as mail. For most people in the Dillingham Census Area, online is the best bet since there is no local vital records office.

Online orders go through VitalChek. The state has approved VitalChek as its only online vendor for vital records. Fill out the form, upload a photo ID, and pay by card. There is a service fee added to the state fee. Orders ship in two to three weeks. This is the route that most Dillingham Census Area residents use because the walk-in offices are hundreds of miles away.

Mail orders go to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. Print the state form, fill it in, 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. The wait is two to three months. Fax orders go to (907) 465-3618. The Alaska vital records orders page has the form and full steps.

Below is the CountyOffice.org page that lists birth record resources for each Alaska borough and census area, including Dillingham.

The CountyOffice.org Alaska birth records page has contact info and links to the state office for each area in Alaska.

Walk-In Service for Dillingham Residents

There is no walk-in vital records office in the Dillingham Census Area. The state runs two offices. The Anchorage office is at 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101. It is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone: (907) 269-0991. The Juneau office is at 5441 Commercial Boulevard. It is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Phone: (907) 465-3391.

Getting to either office from Dillingham requires a flight. There are no roads that connect the Dillingham Census Area to the main highway system. Both state offices can issue a Dillingham Census Area birth record the same day you walk in. Bring your photo ID and the fee. The offices take cash, checks, money orders, and cards. If you are already in Anchorage for other reasons, it makes sense to stop by the walk-in desk.

The CDC where to write page for Alaska also lists the Juneau office as the main contact for all Alaska vital records. The address and fee are the same as what the state publishes.

Who Can Get Dillingham Birth Records

Alaska is a closed-record state. Recent Dillingham Census Area birth records are not public. Only certain people can order a certified copy. The state checks your ID with each request.

You can order a Dillingham Census Area birth record if you are:

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

Include a clear, large copy of your photo ID with every order. The state accepts 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. Sign under the copy. Under AS 18.50.310, birth records become public 100 years after the date of birth. A Dillingham Census Area birth record from 1926 or before can be ordered by anyone.

Dillingham Birth Record Fees

The fee for a certified copy of a Dillingham Census Area birth record is $30. Each extra copy at the same time is $25. Heirloom certificates cost $55 for the first and $50 for each extra. Make checks out to the Alaska Vital Records Office.

A name change or fix to a record costs $60, which includes one new copy. An apostille for use in a foreign country is $42. Special research is $75 per hour. The state warns against sending the same order through two methods since that can cause double charges. Applications expire after 180 days if you do not send requested documents. Cards are accepted at the walk-in offices but not by mail.

Note: Use only one method per request, whether online, mail, fax, or walk-in, to avoid paying twice for the same Dillingham Census Area birth record.

Historical Dillingham Area Birth Records

The Dillingham area has a long history of settlement by Yup'ik people. Written records in the region go back to the late 1800s. The state began to require birth filing in 1913. Before that year, no Alaska agency kept birth records. For births in the Dillingham area before 1913, church and mission records are the main source. Russian Orthodox and Moravian mission logs cover some births in the region. These records are in the Alaska State Archives and on FamilySearch.

The Alaska State Archives has vital statistics indexes from 1816 to 1998. FamilySearch and the archives put more than 1.1 million pages online. The FamilySearch Alaska vital records wiki has a full guide to finding old birth records. It also covers delayed birth filings, which were made for people born before formal registration began. The state used church books, school records, and family sources to build these delayed certificates. They carry the same legal weight as any other Dillingham Census Area birth record.

Under Alaska Statute Title 18, Chapter 50, birth records open to the public after 100 years. Death, marriage, and divorce records open after 50 years. The Alaska State Archives in Juneau is the best place for research on older records from the Dillingham Census Area. The FamilySearch Alaska vital records catalog also has a large digital set that you can browse at no cost.

Dillingham Census Area Local Info

Dillingham is the largest town in the census area. It has a hospital, a school district, and basic services. But it does not have a vital records office. Local clinics in the smaller villages send all birth forms to the state. For a Dillingham Census Area birth record, call the state at (907) 465-3391 or the Anchorage office at (907) 269-0991.

Tribal offices in the Dillingham Census Area can also help point you to the right state office. Many Alaska Native communities in the region have strong ties to the Bristol Bay Native Association, which provides health and social services. While the association does not issue birth records, local health aides can help with the first paperwork for a newborn.

The Alaska record dates page shows the full timeline for when Alaska began to keep each type of vital record. Birth records date from the 1890s, though most in the Dillingham area were not filed until after 1930.

Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas

The Dillingham Census Area sits near other remote parts of southwest Alaska. Each uses the same state system for birth records. These nearby pages may be useful.

Bristol Bay Borough, Bethel Census Area, Lake and Peninsula Borough.