Nome Census Area Birth Records
Nome Census Area birth records are filed with the State of Alaska at its central office in Juneau. Nome is the main hub of this census area, known as the finish line of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The area has about 10,000 people spread across remote villages on the Seward Peninsula and Norton Sound coast. No local office issues birth certificates here. To search for or get a copy of a Nome Census Area birth record, you go through the Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records Section. You can order online, by mail, by fax, or in person. Use the tool below to start a search.
Nome Census Area Birth Records Overview
About Nome Census Area Birth Records
The Nome Census Area is an unincorporated part of Alaska on the western coast. It has no borough government. The city of Nome serves as the area hub, but it does not run a vital records office. All Nome Census Area birth records are held by the state. The Alaska Department of Health files every birth that takes place in this region at its central office in Juneau.
Nome has a long past that goes back to the gold rush of 1898. Thousands of people came to the area, and many were born here in those early years. The state did not begin to file births until 1913, so records from the rush years are hard to find. Under Alaska Statute Title 18, Chapter 50, the state must keep a system of vital records for all events in Alaska. AS 18.50.160 covers birth filing, and AS 18.50.310 sets the rules on who can see the records. Nome Census Area birth records are closed for 100 years from the date of birth.
The census area is home to Inupiat and Yupik communities. Many of these villages are small and can only be reached by plane or snowmachine. Health aides at local clinics file each birth with the state. The process is the same as in any other part of Alaska.
Order Nome Census Area Birth Records
For most people in the Nome Census Area, online ordering is the best choice. The walk-in offices are in Juneau and Anchorage, which are far from Nome and even farther from the smaller villages. VitalChek is the only online service the state has approved. You fill in the form on the VitalChek Alaska page, upload your ID, and pay with a card. Orders ship in two to three weeks.
Mail orders are cheaper but slower. Print the form from the Alaska Department of Health vital records orders page. Fill it in, sign it, and mail it with a copy of your photo ID and a check or money order for $30. Each extra copy costs $25. Send it to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. Mail orders take two to three months. Add extra time for delivery to Nome or a village.
Fax orders go to (907) 465-3618. The wait is the same as mail. Walk-in service is open in Juneau at 5441 Commercial Boulevard, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The phone is (907) 465-3391. The Anchorage office is at 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone is (907) 269-0991.
Note: Use only one method per request to avoid double charges from the state.
Who Can Get Nome Birth Records
Alaska is a closed-record state. Recent Nome Census Area birth records can only be ordered by people who have a direct link to the record. The state checks your ID before it sends a copy.
You can order a copy if you are one of these people:
- The person named on the record, age 14 or older with photo or school ID
- A parent listed on the birth certificate
- A legal guardian with certified court papers
- A third party with a notarized letter from the person named
- An attorney or government agency with a letter on letterhead
Heirloom birth certificates can be ordered as gifts. The cost is $55 for the first and $50 for extras. Two designs by Alaska artists are sold. The Alaska Department of Health about vital records page covers who can order and what types are on sale.
Older Nome Census Area birth records are open to anyone once they pass the 100-year mark. This means records from 1925 and before are now public. The state still charges $30 for a certified copy of a public record.
Historical Birth Records in Nome
Nome has some of the most interesting old birth records in Alaska. The gold rush brought thousands of people to the area in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many babies were born in Nome during that era, but the state did not start to file births until 1913. Records from before that year come mostly from church books, mission logs, and other non-state sources.
The Alaska State Archives holds more than 1,000 volumes of Nome Recorder's records, which are on loan to the Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum in Nome. These volumes cover land, mining claims, and some vital events. The Alaska record dates page lists what years of records are open.
FamilySearch and the Alaska State Archives have scanned more than 1.1 million pages of vital records. Nome Census Area birth records from the early 1900s may be in these files. The FamilySearch Alaska Vital Records wiki has indexes and digital images you can search for free. Historical Nome birth records are also listed in the Ancestor Hunt databases, which point to free indexes from various time spans.
For deeper research, the Alaska State Archives collection guides list all the types of files held in Juneau. The archives has vital statistics from 1816 through 1998, along with court records, land records, and other sources that may name people born in the Nome area.
Local Resources in Nome Census Area
Norton Sound Health Corporation in Nome is the main health care provider for the census area. The hospital and its village clinics file each new birth with the state. New parents get their first copy of the birth certificate free through the hospital packet. Extra copies cost $25 each.
For help with a delayed birth record or a correction, contact the state Special Services Unit at (907) 465-1200. A delayed record is for someone born in Alaska who never had a birth filed. This was common in the Nome area before 1930. The fee is $60, and it takes about three months. The CDC where to write page for Alaska has the full contact info for the state office.
Nearby Areas
The Nome Census Area sits near other census areas and boroughs in western Alaska. Each one uses the same state system for birth records. Browse nearby pages below.
You can also browse the FamilySearch Alaska vital records catalog for older records from areas near Nome. This collection has more than 1.1 million scanned pages of Alaska vital records.
Local Resources for Nome Birth Records
The Norton Sound Health Corporation runs the main hospital in Nome, and new births are filed there before the paperwork is sent on to the state. Once the state has a birth record on file, parents can order a copy by mail or through VitalChek. The Nome City Clerk does not handle birth certificates. For help with a complex case, call the Special Services Unit at (907) 465-1200. Nome is the finish line of the Iditarod and a historic gold rush town, and many old Nome birth records from the rush years are now public. Note: The state keeps a separate index by name, which is useful when the exact date of a Nome birth is not known.