Skagway Birth Records Search
Skagway Municipality birth records are held by the State of Alaska at its central office in Juneau. Skagway is a small town at the head of the Lynn Canal in Southeast Alaska with about 1,200 year-round residents. It was first set up as a city in 1900 during the Klondike Gold Rush and became a borough in 2007. No local office in Skagway issues birth certificates. To search for or order a Skagway birth record, you go through the Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records Section. You can place an order by mail, fax, online, or in person at a state office. Use the tool below to start a quick lookup.
Skagway Municipality Birth Records Overview
About Skagway Municipality Birth Records
Skagway is one of the most famous Gold Rush towns in Alaska. In 1897 and 1898, thousands of people passed through on their way to the Klondike goldfields in Canada. Many were born here during the boom years. The city was first set up in 1900, and it became a borough in 2007. Today it has about 1,200 people who live here year-round. The town is also a major cruise ship port in summer. Despite its past, Skagway does not run a vital records office. All Skagway birth records are kept by the state.
The Alaska Department of Health files every birth that takes place in Skagway at its central office in Juneau. Under Alaska Statute Title 18, Chapter 50, each birth must be filed within five days. AS 18.50.160 covers the rules for birth filing. The state logs the child's name, the date and place of birth, and the names of both parents. This is the legal record.
Skagway birth records are closed for 100 years. Only people named on the record or their close kin can get a copy. After 100 years, the record is public. AS 18.50.310 sets the disclosure rules for all Alaska vital records.
Order Skagway Birth Records
For most Skagway residents, online or mail is the best way to order a birth record. The walk-in offices are in Juneau and Anchorage. Juneau is the closest, reachable by ferry from Skagway. Pick one method per request. The state warns that sending two orders for the same record can cause a double charge.
Online orders go through VitalChek for Alaska. You fill in the form, upload your ID, and pay with a card. There is an extra service fee. Orders ship in two to three weeks. This is the fastest way for people in Skagway to get a birth record without leaving town.
Mail orders are cheaper. Print the form from the Alaska Department of Health vital records orders page. Fill it out, sign it, and send it with a copy of your photo ID and a check for $30. Extra copies cost $25 each. Mail the packet to Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. Mail orders take two to three months. Fax orders go to (907) 465-3618 and follow the same time frame.
Walk-in service at the Juneau office is at 5441 Commercial Boulevard, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 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. Both can hand you a Skagway birth record the same day.
Note: The state will not refund duplicate orders, so pick one method and wait for a reply.
Who Can Get Skagway Birth Records
Alaska is a closed-record state. Recent Skagway birth records are not open to the public. You must have a direct link to the record. The state checks your photo ID before it sends a copy.
People who can order a copy of a Skagway birth record include:
- 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 consent letter from the person named
- An attorney or government agency with a letter on letterhead
Heirloom certificates cost $55 for the first copy and $50 for extras. Two designs by Alaska artists are sold by the state. The Alaska Department of Health about vital records page has the full list of who can order.
Older Skagway birth records that are more than 100 years old are open to anyone. Records from 1925 and before are now public. The state still charges $30 for a certified copy of a public record.
Historical Skagway Birth Records
Skagway has some of the most sought-after old birth records in Alaska. The Gold Rush brought a huge wave of people to the area. The town went from nearly empty to thousands of people in just a year or two. Babies were born in tents, cabins, and boarding houses. But the state did not start to file births until 1913, so records from the rush years are rare. Church books, hospital logs, and newspaper notices are the best sources for that time.
FamilySearch and the Alaska State Archives have scanned more than 1.1 million pages of vital records. The FamilySearch Alaska Vital Records wiki has free indexes and digital images that may include old Skagway birth records. Douglas Alaska and Yukon vital records from 1898 to 1922, drawn from the Weekly Douglas Island Newspaper, may also name people who passed through Skagway.
The Alaska State Archives in Juneau holds vital statistics from 1816 through 1998. Researchers can look through the Alaska State Archives collection guides to find records from the Gold Rush era. The archives also has court records, land files, and other sources that may name people born in or near Skagway.
The Skagway Museum and the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park also keep local records, photos, and artifacts. These can help fill in gaps for family history work in the Skagway area.
Local Resources in Skagway
The Dahl Memorial Clinic in Skagway is the local health care center. It files each new birth with the state. New parents get the first copy of the birth certificate free. Extra copies cost $25.
For help with a delayed Skagway birth record or a fix to an old filing, call the state Special Services Unit at (907) 465-1200. A delayed record is for a person born in Alaska who never had a birth filed. The cost is $60 and the wait is about three months. Papers for paternity, adoptions, or name changes must be mailed or hand-carried. The CDC where to write page for Alaska has the full contact info for the state vital records office.
Nearby Boroughs
Skagway sits at the northern end of the Lynn Canal in Southeast Alaska. Nearby boroughs use the same state system for birth records. Browse nearby pages below.
The Alaska record dates page lists what years of records are open to the public for each type of vital record.
Local Help in Skagway for Birth Records
The Dahl Memorial Clinic in Skagway handles new births and files them with the state. Once the state has the record on file, parents can order a copy by mail or VitalChek. The Skagway Municipality Clerk does not issue birth certificates but can answer general questions about state forms. Skagway is a historic Gold Rush town and a cruise ship stop on the Inside Passage. It is linked to the Lower 48 by the South Klondike Highway. Old Skagway birth records from the Gold Rush years are held by the Alaska State Archives and may be available for family history work if they are over 100 years old.