North Slope Borough Birth Records

North Slope Borough birth records are kept by the State of Alaska, not by the borough seat at Utqiagvik. People in Barrow, Wainwright, Point Hope, Kaktovik, and the other Arctic villages must order birth records through the state office in Juneau or its branch in Anchorage. The borough has no clerk who issues birth certificates. This page shows how to search for and obtain North Slope Borough birth records, who can request them, what to send with each order, and how long the wait may run for a remote Arctic mailing address.

About North Slope Borough Birth Records

The North Slope Borough is the largest borough in Alaska by land area. It covers the entire Arctic Slope, from the Brooks Range north to the sea. The borough seat is Utqiagvik, the town once known as Barrow. The population is just over 11,000. Most residents are Inupiat. The borough was formed in 1972, but birth records here have been filed at the state level for far longer. Alaska began to require birth registration in 1913, the year after the territory was named. So North Slope Borough birth records since that time are held by the Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records Section.

No North Slope Borough office issues a birth certificate. The borough clerk in Utqiagvik handles local matters but not vital records. To order a North Slope Borough birth record, you must contact the state. The state runs one central system for all of Alaska. Your North Slope Borough birth record will be in that file, no matter where in the borough the birth took place. You can read more about the borough on the North Slope Borough official site.

North Slope Borough birth records list the full name of the child, the date and place of birth, and the names of the parents. They are used to get a passport, prove age for school, claim Native shareholder benefits, or register for an Iñupiat tribal roll. The state form has a box for the village of birth. That helps the office pull the right file. Note: Bring or send a clear photo ID copy with every order, since the state will not fill any request without it.

How to Order North Slope Birth Records

You can order North Slope Borough birth records four ways. The state takes orders by mail, by fax, online, and in person. Mail and fax are the slowest, but they cost the least. Online orders go through VitalChek and ship the fastest. In-person orders give same-day service, but the closest walk-in office is in Anchorage, which is more than 700 air miles south of Utqiagvik.

Most North Slope residents pick the online route. Use the VitalChek Alaska page to start an online order. You upload your ID, fill in the form, and pay by card. The order ships in two to three weeks. Air freight to villages on the North Slope can add a few more days. For mail orders, send the request form and a check to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. Fax orders go to (907) 465-3618. Mail and fax orders take two to three months to process.

Lead-in for the borough portal where many residents start their search. The North Slope Borough hosts public service info and local clinic links. Visit the North Slope Borough website for community pages.

The borough page links to local clinics that help register newborn births. Once a clinic files the birth, the data goes to the state. Note: Pick one ordering method per request, since the state will not refund duplicate charges if you send the same order twice.

Who Can Order North Slope Birth Records

Alaska law keeps recent North Slope Borough birth records closed to the public. Only certain people can order a copy. Under Alaska Statute 18.50.310, the rule is the same for every borough in the state. The list of eligible requesters is set by AS 18.50.

You may order a North Slope Borough birth record if you are one of the following:

• 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 on letterhead

You must send a clear photo ID copy with your order. A driver's license, state ID, passport, military ID, or Tribal/BIA card with a photo all count. Expired IDs are OK if they are less than one year out of date. School IDs work for minors. The state office checks every ID before it fills any North Slope Borough birth record order.

Fees for North Slope Birth Records

The fee for a certified copy of a North Slope Borough birth record is $30. Each extra copy ordered at the same time costs $25. Heirloom birth certificates are $55 for the first copy and $50 for each extra. The fee is the same whether the birth took place in Utqiagvik, Wainwright, Anaktuvuk Pass, or any other village in the borough.

Other fees may apply. Name changes and amendments cost $60. An apostille for a foreign country costs $42 plus the cost of the record. Special research is billed at $75 per hour. Make checks payable to the Alaska Vital Records Office. The state takes credit cards at the walk-in offices but not by mail. The full fee list is on the Alaska vital records orders page.

Historical North Slope Birth Records

Older North Slope Borough birth records may be found through the Alaska State Archives. The archives in Juneau holds vital statistics from 1816 to 1998. Some Barrow birth, marriage, and death records from 1902 to 1959 are part of the holdings. These older records are now public and can be ordered by anyone. Under Alaska Statute Title 18, Chapter 50, birth records become public 100 years after the date of birth.

The archives worked with FamilySearch to scan more than 1.1 million Alaska vital records pages. Many old North Slope Borough birth records are now free to view online. Use the FamilySearch Alaska Vital Records wiki to find them. The site also lists old church books from mission stations on the Arctic coast. Episcopal and Presbyterian missions kept many of the early records before the state began to file births.

For the full history of when records start, see the CDC Alaska where to write page. Note: Many North Slope births before 1930 were never filed with the state, so church and mission records are the best source for old family research.

Local Resources in North Slope Borough

The borough has clinics in Utqiagvik and most of the villages. These clinics file new births with the state right after a baby is born. The Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital in Utqiagvik is the main hub for births in the borough. Once a birth is filed, the parents can order a copy from the state by mail, fax, or VitalChek. Local clinic staff can help fill out the forms.

The borough does not run a vital records office. For old records or family history work, the Tuzzy Consortium Library in Utqiagvik has some local history files and can point you to the state archives. Note: Reach the Special Services Unit at (907) 465-1200 if you need to fix a name or add a parent to a North Slope Borough birth record.

Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas

North Slope Borough sits at the top of the state. To the south are the Yukon-Koyukuk and Northwest Arctic areas. None of those areas have a local vital records office. All birth records flow to the state.