Access Kenai Peninsula Birth Records
Kenai Peninsula Borough birth records are filed and held by the State of Alaska, not by the borough itself. The borough seat is Soldotna, and the area is home to about 59,000 residents across the towns of Kenai, Homer, Seward, and Soldotna. To search for or order Kenai Peninsula Borough birth records, you go through the Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records Section in Juneau or its Anchorage walk-in office. You can ask for a copy by mail, fax, online, or in person. The search tool below is a quick way to start.
Kenai Peninsula Birth Records Overview
About Kenai Peninsula Birth Records
Kenai Peninsula Borough is a second-class borough in Southcentral Alaska. The borough was set up in 1964 and covers a wide stretch of land south of Anchorage. The seat is Soldotna. Other large towns in the borough are Kenai, Homer, and Seward. About 59,000 people live in the borough, which makes it one of the more populated parts of the state. The borough has its own clerk, but the clerk does not issue or hold birth certificates. All Kenai Peninsula Borough birth records are kept by the state.
The borough clerk's office is at 144 N. Binkley Street in Soldotna. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The clerk handles meeting minutes, ordinances, election files, and property data. For Kenai Peninsula Borough birth records, the clerk will refer you to the state office. You can read more on the Kenai Peninsula Borough website.
The state office in Juneau is the place that issues every certified copy. The Anchorage walk-in office is the closest option for people who live in Kenai, Homer, or Soldotna. The drive from Soldotna to Anchorage is about three hours. Many residents make the trip when they need a same-day copy.
The borough clerk's office is also a good first stop for people who need a copy of an old probate file. Palmer Superior Court handles probate cases that touch the borough.
You can read more about how the borough handles vital records and court files on the Alaska court records Kenai Peninsula page.
Order Kenai Peninsula Birth Records
You have four ways to order Kenai Peninsula Borough birth records. The fastest is online through VitalChek. The cheapest is by mail. Walk-in is the only same-day option, and the closest walk-in office is in Anchorage.
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 two to three weeks. For people in Homer or Seward, this is often the best path.
Walk-in service is open at the state office in Anchorage at 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101. The phone is (907) 269-0991. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office can issue a Kenai Peninsula Borough birth record the same day. Bring a valid photo ID and the fee. The first copy is $30. Each extra copy is $25.
Mail orders cost the same but take longer. Print the form, fill it in, sign it, and send it with a copy of your ID and a check or money order to P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. The wait is two to three months. Fax orders go to (907) 465-3618 and follow the same time frame as mail.
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 Kenai Peninsula Borough birth records are not open to the public. Under Alaska Statute 18.50, a birth record is closed for 100 years from the date of birth. The state checks photo ID for every order to make sure the rules are met.
People who may order a Kenai Peninsula birth record under state rules:
- 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 Kenai Peninsula Borough birth records, those more than 100 years old, are open to anyone. The full disclosure rule is in Alaska Statute Title 18, Chapter 50. AS 18.50.310 covers disclosure. AS 18.50.160 covers birth registration in the state.
Local Resources in Kenai Peninsula
Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna is the main hospital in the borough. The hospital files each new birth with the state. New parents can ask staff to help them fill in the state birth worksheet. The state then prints the certificate and mails it back. The first copy is sent free with the new birth packet. Extra copies cost $25 each.
South Peninsula Hospital in Homer also files births with the state. Providence Seward Medical Center in Seward does the same. All three hospitals send their birth filings to the state office in Juneau. None of them issue or hold the actual certificates after that. You can read more on the Kenai public records page.
For family history work, the Soldotna Public Library and the Kenai Community Library have access to genealogy databases and old census books. The borough is also home to the Pratt Museum in Homer, which has old town records and family history files.
Note: The state Special Services Unit at (907) 465-1200 handles all changes to a Kenai Peninsula Borough birth record, with a $60 fee that includes one new copy.
Historical Kenai Birth Records
Old Kenai Peninsula birth records date back to the late 1800s. Kenai was founded as a Russian fur trading post in 1791, which makes it one of the oldest towns in the state. The state began to file births in 1913. Before that, many local births were noted in Russian Orthodox parish books. The Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church in Kenai still has its old books.
FamilySearch and the Alaska State Archives have scanned more than 1.1 million pages of vital records. Many of these include early Kenai birth records from 1889 to 1948. You can search the indexes for free on the FamilySearch Alaska Vital Records wiki. The CDC also keeps a quick contact list on the CDC where to write page for Alaska.
Nearby Boroughs
Kenai Peninsula Borough sits next to a few other parts of Southcentral Alaska. Each one uses the same state system for birth records.
Browse nearby borough pages: