Search Kodiak Island Borough Death Index

The Kodiak Island Borough death index draws from a uniquely layered set of sources that reflect the island's long history of Russian colonial presence, Alutiiq heritage, and modern Alaska settlement. Whether you are searching for a recent death or tracing a family line back through the 1800s, finding records here involves both the Alaska state vital records system and specialized archives that don't exist anywhere else in the country. This guide covers all the main options.

About the Kodiak Island Borough

The Kodiak Island Borough covers Kodiak Island and a number of surrounding islands off the southern Alaska coast. The borough seat is the City of Kodiak, which is also the largest city in the borough and the main service hub for the surrounding communities and villages. The borough administration office is at 710 Mill Bay Road, Kodiak, AK 99615, phone (907) 486-9310.

Kodiak is one of Alaska's older continuously occupied settlements. Russian traders established a presence here in the 18th century, and the Alutiiq people have lived on the island for thousands of years before that. This long history means death records and burial information exist in forms that go well beyond the state's modern vital registration system.

The City of Kodiak handles local city government functions separately from the borough. The City Clerk can be reached at (907) 486-8640. Like all local offices in Alaska, neither the borough nor the city holds death certificates. Those come only from the state through HAVRS.

The borough maintains an online property search system and GIS mapping tools for parcel boundaries, which can be useful for supporting genealogical research when you need to confirm where someone lived or owned land. These tools are accessible through the Kodiak Island Borough website.

Getting a Certified Death Certificate

All certified death certificates for Kodiak Island Borough residents come from HAVRS. Call the Juneau office at (907) 465-3391 or the Anchorage office at (907) 269-0991. Anchorage is closer and often the more practical option for Kodiak residents and researchers on the road system.

The Anchorage office is at 3901 Old Seward Highway Suite 101, Anchorage, AK 99503. The Juneau office is at 5441 Commercial Boulevard, Juneau, AK 99801. Mail requests go to P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675.

The fee is $30 for the first copy and $25 for each extra copy ordered at the same time. Online orders are available through VitalChek's Alaska death certificate page. The official HAVRS orders page at health.alaska.gov walks you through the full process, including the required form, acceptable ID, and payment methods.

Records under 50 years old are restricted. You must be an eligible requestor: a close family member, legal representative, or someone with a documented legal need. Records 50 years and older are open to the public. Veterans and their family members may be eligible for a free copy under HB 99B.

Alutiiq Heritage and Cultural Records

Kodiak is home to the Alutiiq Museum, which holds one of the most important collections of cultural and historical records for the Alutiiq people of the Kodiak archipelago. This is not an official government records office, but for genealogical research among Alutiiq families, it may be the single most valuable local resource.

The Alutiiq Museum website describes the collections it holds, which include family histories, photographs, and cultural information. Staff can often help connect researchers with relevant materials or point them toward community contacts who hold family records.

The Alutiiq Museum holds cultural and historical records for Kodiak's indigenous population and is an important stop for genealogical research into Alutiiq family histories that predate or supplement the state vital records system.

Russian Orthodox Church records from Kodiak are another important source for deaths and burials going back to the colonial period. The Russian church maintained detailed sacramental records, including death and burial information, for many Kodiak communities. Some of these records have been microfilmed by FamilySearch and are available online. Others remain with the church or in archival collections in Russia and the United States.

FamilySearch at familysearch.org is the best starting point for finding what has been digitized from the Kodiak area. The Alaska Vital Records collection on FamilySearch includes some records from the Kodiak region, and the Russian Orthodox parish records are worth searching separately if you're going back to the 1800s.

Borough Records and Local Resources

The Kodiak Island Borough website at kodiakak.us provides access to the borough's online property search system. You can search by owner name, parcel number, or address to find property assessment and ownership records. While these aren't death records, they can help confirm residence history and support a broader genealogical search.

The Kodiak Island Borough website hosts the property search system and GIS tools that researchers can use to confirm land ownership history and residence details alongside a formal death records search.

Property records certified by the state are also available through the Alaska Land Records Information System at dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/recorder. Recorded documents there include deeds and other instruments. Certified copies cost $5 for the first page and $2 for each additional page.

The City of Kodiak at cityofkodiak.org handles local city services and business licensing. While not a records source for death certificates, the city office can sometimes help direct researchers to the right local contacts for historical matters.

Historical Records and State Archives

The Alaska State Archives in Juneau holds the largest collection of historical Alaska vital records, covering 1816 through 1998. This is the primary source for deaths that occurred in the Kodiak area before the modern registration system was fully established. The archives have digitized roughly 1.1 million records in partnership with FamilySearch.

The genealogy portal at archives.alaska.gov is free to use and searchable online. For records not yet digitized, the archives accepts written research requests and can search specific collections on your behalf.

The Alaska State Library genealogy page at library.alaska.gov lists additional resources for Alaska family history research, including newspaper indexes and reference tools. For Kodiak, the Kodiak Daily Mirror newspaper archives contain obituaries and death notices for recent decades.

For federal records connected to deaths on Kodiak, the National Archives at archives.gov holds court and federal agency records that may include relevant documentation, particularly for cases involving probate or estate matters in federal jurisdiction.

Legal Framework and Access Rules

Death records in Alaska are governed by the Vital Statistics Act at Alaska Title 18, Chapter 50. This law defines registration requirements, who qualifies as an eligible requestor for restricted records, and how the state manages and maintains the vital records system.

The 50-year rule is the most important threshold for researchers. Records that are 50 years old or older are public and available to anyone. Records younger than that require proof of eligibility. The law identifies immediate family members, legal representatives, and others with a documented legal interest as eligible parties.

If you're new to requesting Alaska vital records, the CDC's guide at cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/alaska.htm provides a clear overview of the steps, costs, and contacts. It's a good reference to read before contacting HAVRS directly.

HAVRS staff are also helpful when you're unsure whether you qualify as an eligible requestor for a restricted record. Call the main number at (907) 465-3391 to ask before submitting a request. They can confirm what documentation you'll need based on your relationship to the person named in the record.

Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas

Cities in Kodiak Island Borough

Kodiak is the main incorporated city in the borough and has its own dedicated death index page with city-level details: Kodiak Death Index. Several villages and communities throughout the Kodiak archipelago, including Old Harbor, Akhiok, Larsen Bay, Ouzinkie, and Port Lions, are part of the borough but do not have separate city pages. For all these communities, death certificate requests go through HAVRS using the contact information listed on this page.