Find Birth Records in Hoonah-Angoon
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area birth records are not held by any local office. The census area has no borough government and no clerk that issues vital records. All Hoonah-Angoon Census Area birth records are filed with the Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records Section in Juneau. To search for or order a copy, you go through the state office. You can ask for a record by mail, fax, online, or in person at the Juneau or Anchorage walk-in office. The search tool below is a quick way to start.
Hoonah-Angoon Birth Records Overview
About Hoonah-Angoon Birth Records
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area is a remote part of Southeast Alaska. It has about 2,000 residents spread across small island and mainland villages. The biggest community is Hoonah, on Chichagof Island. Other towns include Angoon, Elfin Cove, Gustavus, and Tenakee Springs. The area is part of the unorganized borough, which means it has no borough government. Local affairs go through the state. All Hoonah-Angoon Census Area birth records are kept by the state office in Juneau.
The Alaska Department of Health runs the vital records system through HAVRS. This office in Juneau holds every birth, death, marriage, and divorce record for the whole state. The state began to file births in 1913. Most births in Hoonah-Angoon were filed by 1945. You can read more on the Alaska Department of Health vital records page.
Recent Hoonah-Angoon Census Area birth records are closed. Under Alaska Statute 18.50, a birth record stays private for 100 years. Only the person named, parents, legal guardians, and a few other parties may order one. Older records are open to the public. The state checks ID for every order to make sure the rules are met.
The census area sits in the heart of the Tongass National Forest. Many small villages can only be reached by boat or plane. This makes the state online and mail order options the best choice for most residents.
Order Hoonah-Angoon Birth Records
You have four ways to order Hoonah-Angoon Census Area birth records. Mail and fax are the most common in remote villages. Online is the fastest. Walk-in is the only same-day option, but you must travel to Juneau or Anchorage to use it.
Online orders go through VitalChek for Alaska. This is the only online vendor that the state has approved. You fill in the form, upload a copy of your photo ID, and pay with a card. There is a small extra service fee. Orders ship in about two to three weeks. For people in Elfin Cove or Tenakee Springs, this is often the best path.
Mail orders cost less but take longer. Print the form from the state, fill it in, sign it, and send it with a copy of your ID and a check or money order. The fee is $30 for the first copy and $25 for each extra copy ordered at the same time. Send the packet to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. The wait is two to three months. Use the Alaska Department of Health vital records orders page to find the form.
Fax orders go to (907) 465-3618. The fee and the wait are the same as mail. Walk-in service is open at two state offices. The Juneau office is at 5441 Commercial Boulevard. The Anchorage office is at 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101. Both can issue Hoonah-Angoon Census Area birth records the same day. Bring a valid photo ID and the fee.
Note: Pick one method per request because the state will not refund double charges if the same order is sent through more than one channel.
Who Can Order These Records
Alaska is a closed-record state. Recent Hoonah-Angoon Census Area birth records are not open to the public. The state limits who may order a copy. The rule is set by AS 18.50.310, which covers disclosure of vital records.
People who may order a Hoonah-Angoon birth record include:
- 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
- An attorney or government agency with a letter 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 they are less than one year out of date. Make sure to enlarge and lighten the copy and to sign your name under it.
Older Hoonah-Angoon Census Area birth records, those more than 100 years old, are public. Anyone may order them. The full rule is in Alaska Statute Title 18, Chapter 50. AS 18.50.160 covers birth registration in the state. The same chapter sets the fees and the time limits for filing.
Historical Birth Records in Hoonah-Angoon
Old birth records for the Hoonah-Angoon area are useful for family research. Many of the area's early residents are Tlingit, and some of the first written records of births came from Russian Orthodox parishes and Presbyterian missions. These church books are the best source for births before 1913. The state did not file births in any formal way before that year.
FamilySearch and the Alaska State Archives have scanned more than 1.1 million pages of vital records. Many of these include old church books and delayed birth filings from Hoonah, Angoon, and the small island villages. You can search the indexes for free on the FamilySearch Alaska Vital Records wiki.
The wiki lists each kind of record by year and place. You can use it to find pages for Hoonah, Angoon, Sitka, and other Southeast Alaska towns. The state archives in Juneau also has the same files on hand. Researchers can plan a visit through the Alaska State Archives genealogy page.
For people who never had a birth filed, the state Special Services Unit can make a delayed birth record. The fee is $60, which includes one new certified copy. Call (907) 465-1200 for help. This was a common need in remote Hoonah-Angoon villages before 1930.
Local Resources in Hoonah-Angoon
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area has no borough seat in the legal sense, but Hoonah is the largest town and acts as the de facto admin center. The town runs its own city hall, police, and clinic. None of these issue or hold birth certificates. For Hoonah-Angoon Census Area birth records, the city clerk will refer you to the state office.
The Hoonah Indian Association is the local Tribal government for many area residents. The HIA can help with delayed birth filings, family research, and Tribal enrollment that may need a copy of a birth record. The HIA office is in Hoonah. Angoon also has its own Tribal council.
Each village has a small clinic that helps file new births with the state. Parents can ask staff to help fill in the state birth worksheet. The state then prints the certificate and mails it to the parents. The first copy is free with the new birth packet. Extra copies cost $25 each. The CDC where to write page for Alaska has the same fee and address info.
Nearby Boroughs and Areas
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area sits next to a number of other parts of Southeast Alaska. Each one uses the same state system for birth records. None of them have a local office that issues certificates.
Browse pages for nearby areas:
Note: Older Hoonah-Angoon birth records are open to the public, but the same $30 state fee still applies for a certified copy.