Search Northwest Arctic Birth Records

Northwest Arctic Borough birth records are kept by the State of Alaska in Juneau, not by the borough seat at Kotzebue. People in Kotzebue, Kiana, Noorvik, Selawik, and the rest of the Iñupiat villages must order birth records through the Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records Section. The borough has no clerk that issues a birth certificate. This page lays out how to search for and order Northwest Arctic Borough birth records, who is allowed to make a request, what to send with each order, and how long the wait will run for a remote village.

About Northwest Arctic Birth Records

The Northwest Arctic Borough lies above the Arctic Circle on the Chukchi Sea. The borough seat is Kotzebue. The total population is around 7,600. The borough was formed in 1986 and has eleven villages, none linked by road to the rest of the state. The land is large and the people are spread out. Most travel is by small plane or boat. So almost every Northwest Arctic Borough birth record order goes through the mail or online.

Alaska began to require birth registration in 1913, long before the borough was set up. So Northwest Arctic Borough birth records since that year are filed at the state level. The Alaska Department of Health holds them in a central system. The state office in Juneau and a branch in Anchorage are the only places that issue certified copies. There is no local vital records office in the Northwest Arctic. The borough page on the Northwest Arctic Borough website has more on borough services.

Northwest Arctic Borough birth records list the full name of the child, the date and place of birth, the parents' names, and the file number. They are used to get a passport, prove age, or claim Native shareholder rights. Note: Send a clear photo ID copy with every order, since the state will not fill any request without it.

How to Order Northwest Arctic Birth Records

You have four ways to order Northwest Arctic Borough birth records. The state takes orders by mail, by fax, online, and in person at one of two state offices. Online orders go through VitalChek and are the fastest for villages with no easy mail route. Walk-in service is offered in Anchorage, but the trip from Kotzebue is several hundred air miles south. Most residents pick the online or mail option.

Online orders use the VitalChek Alaska page. You upload your ID, fill in the form, and pay by card. Orders ship in two to three weeks. Air freight to a village can add a few days. Mail orders go to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. Mail and fax orders take two to three months. The fax line is (907) 465-3618. Walk-in service is at 5441 Commercial Boulevard in Juneau or 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101 in Anchorage. The state phone is (907) 465-3391.

Lead-in for the borough page where many residents start a search for local services. The Northwest Arctic Borough hosts useful info about clinics and local clerks. See the Northwest Arctic Borough official site for community details.

The borough portal links to local clinics that file new births with the state. Once a birth is filed, parents can order copies through the state.

Who Can Order Northwest Arctic Birth Records

Alaska is a closed-record state. Only certain people can order a recent Northwest Arctic Borough birth record. The rules come from Alaska Statute 18.50.310. The state checks ID for every order to make sure the rule is met. The same rule applies to all 30 boroughs and census areas.

You may order a Northwest Arctic Borough birth record if you fit one of these:

• 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

Send a clear photo ID copy with your order. A driver's license, state ID, passport, 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. Note: The state office returns any order that does not include an ID, so check yours twice before you mail it.

Fees for Northwest Arctic Birth Records

The fee for a certified copy of a Northwest Arctic 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 for every village in the borough, from Kotzebue to Kivalina. Make checks payable to the Alaska Vital Records Office.

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 $75 per hour. The state takes credit cards in person but not by mail. The full fee list is on the Alaska vital records orders page.

Historical Northwest Arctic Birth Records

Old Northwest Arctic Borough birth records are best found through the Alaska State Archives. The archives in Juneau holds vital statistics from 1816 to 1998. Some are now public under Alaska Statute Title 18, Chapter 50, which makes birth records open 100 years after the date of birth. Use the Alaska State Archives genealogy page to start.

FamilySearch and the Alaska State Archives worked together to scan more than 1.1 million pages of old vital records. Many old Northwest Arctic Borough birth records are now free to view online. See the FamilySearch Alaska Vital Records wiki for the full set. Mission church books are also a good source for births before 1930. The state did not file most births in this part of Alaska until the 1940s. Note: Many early births in remote villages were never filed with the state, so church and mission records may be the only proof.

Local Resources in Northwest Arctic Borough

The Maniilaq Health Center in Kotzebue is the main hospital for the borough. Most births in the area are filed there. Once a birth is on file with the state, the parents can order a copy by mail, fax, or VitalChek. The borough does not run a vital records office. The borough clerk handles local meetings and land matters but not birth certificates.

For old records and family history work, the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center in Kotzebue has a small archive of local history. For changes to a Northwest Arctic Borough birth record, call the Special Services Unit at (907) 465-1200. The Special Services Unit handles all amendments and delayed filings. Note: All amendments must be sent by mail since the state needs the original signed forms.

Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas

Northwest Arctic Borough borders the North Slope Borough to the east and the Nome Census Area to the south. None of those areas have a local vital records office. All Alaska birth records flow to the state.