Find Death Records in Juneau Borough

Juneau City and Borough is home to Alaska's primary vital records office, making it one of the most important places in the state for searching the death index. Whether you need a certified certificate for legal purposes or are digging into family history, Juneau offers access to both current and historical death records through several overlapping sources. This page covers all the main ways to search and obtain records from Alaska's capital.

Juneau's Role in Alaska Vital Records

Juneau is unique among Alaska's boroughs. As the state capital, it hosts the main office for HAVRS, the Health Analytics and Vital Records Section, which is the state agency responsible for all death certificates in Alaska. The HAVRS office at 5441 Commercial Boulevard, Juneau, AK 99801 is the primary location for in-person requests.

Juneau is also notable for being the only U.S. state capital with no road connection to the rest of the state. You can get there by plane or ferry, but not by car. That geographic fact has shaped the city's history and the way its records are managed. Most of the state's administrative infrastructure is concentrated here, which means researchers often find Juneau-based archives to be the most complete for the entire state.

The Borough Clerk's office is at 155 South Seward Street, Juneau, AK 99801, reachable at (907) 586-5278. It's worth knowing that the Borough Clerk issues marriage licenses but does not maintain death certificates. Those come only from HAVRS.

Death registration in Juneau goes back to 1913. That's when the city began formal registration, making it one of the earlier parts of Alaska to enter the state system. Records from before 1913 exist in other forms, discussed below.

The Juneau City and Borough official website is a good starting point for understanding how local government services are organized and for finding current contact details for municipal offices.

The official Juneau borough website lists municipal offices, public records contacts, and links to the services most commonly used by residents and researchers.

Getting a Certified Death Certificate

To get a certified death certificate from Juneau or anywhere else in Alaska, contact HAVRS directly. Phone: (907) 465-3391. The Anchorage office is also available at 3901 Old Seward Highway Suite 101, Anchorage, AK 99503, (907) 269-0991, if you're closer to that location.

Fees are set statewide: $30 for the first certified copy and $25 for each additional copy requested at the same time. Mail your request to P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. You'll need to include a completed request form, proof of eligibility if the record is under 50 years old, and payment.

Online orders go through VitalChek at VitalChek Alaska Death Certificates. The state's own orders page at health.alaska.gov/en/services/vital-records-orders/ lays out each step clearly and lists what forms of ID and payment are accepted.

Records under 50 years are restricted to eligible requestors: immediate family, legal representatives, or those with a documented legal need. Records 50 years old or older are open to the public and can be requested by anyone. Veterans and their families may be eligible for a free certificate under Alaska law through HB 99B.

Alaska State Archives in Juneau

The Alaska State Archives is physically located in Juneau, which gives in-person researchers direct access to one of the richest historical collections in the state. The archives hold records from 1816 through 1998 and have digitized roughly 1.1 million documents in partnership with FamilySearch.

For death index research specifically, two collections stand out. The Vital Statistics collection covers 1816 through 1998 and is the single largest source for pre-digital death records in Alaska. The Coroner's Inquests collection covers 1898 through 1969 and documents deaths that required formal investigation, including many from Juneau itself.

The archives worked with FamilySearch to make many of these records searchable online. Even if you're not in Juneau, you can access a large portion of the collection through the FamilySearch website. The Juneau genealogy page at FamilySearch lists specific collections, including Juneau Coroner's Records (1899-1969), Juneau Civil and Criminal Dockets (1889-1960), and Vital Records extracted from the Alaska Daily Empire newspaper (1916-1936).

The state archives genealogy portal at archives.alaska.gov is the official access point and is worth bookmarking if you're doing serious research in this area.

Library and Newspaper Resources

Two library collections in Juneau are worth knowing about for death index research.

The Juneau Public Library maintains a Juneau Obituary Index and provides access to historical newspapers. It also has a searchable database for Evergreen Cemetery, which can be useful for confirming burial details and cross-referencing with death records.

The Juneau Public Library offers research services and can be contacted directly for guidance on accessing local historical collections. Remote researchers may be able to get some assistance by email.

The Juneau Public Library holds the local obituary index and provides access to Evergreen Cemetery records, both of which are useful for confirming death information before requesting a certified certificate.

The Alaska State Library Historical Collections at library.alaska.gov/hist/ holds several major Juneau newspapers on file. These include the Daily Alaska Dispatch (1900-1919), the Daily Alaska Empire (1926-1951), and the Daily Record-Miner (1903-1911). Obituaries and death notices in these papers often contain details not found in official records.

The Alaska State Library Historical Collections page explains how to search the newspaper holdings and what access options are available.

The Alaska State Library Historical Collections include multiple major Juneau-area newspapers spanning more than 50 years, making them a valuable supplement to formal death index records.

Vital Statistics Law and Access Rules

Alaska's vital records system operates under the Vital Statistics Act, found at Alaska Title 18, Chapter 50. This law defines who can request restricted records, what documentation is needed, and how the state maintains its registration system.

The 50-year rule is the key access threshold for most researchers. Once a death record reaches that age, it becomes part of the public record. For more recent records, you need to show you're an eligible party: immediate family, legal representative, or someone with a clear legal interest in the information.

The CDC maintains a plain-language guide to getting Alaska vital records at cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/alaska.htm. It summarizes the main steps, costs, and contacts in an accessible format and is a good starting point if you're new to the process.

Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas

Cities in Juneau City and Borough

Juneau is Alaska's capital and the main population center of this unified borough. The city of Juneau has its own dedicated death index page with more detailed local information: Juneau Death Index. There are no other incorporated cities within the borough boundaries.