Mat-Su Borough Death Index Search
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough death index covers one of Alaska's fastest-growing regions, encompassing the communities of Palmer, Wasilla, Houston, and many smaller towns in the valley north of Anchorage. To search the death index for Mat-Su Borough, you will work primarily through Alaska's state vital records system along with local court records in Palmer and a rich set of genealogical resources specific to this region.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Death Index
About Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, known locally as the Mat-Su Valley, sits roughly 45 miles north of Anchorage and has grown rapidly over the past three decades. It is now the second most populous borough in Alaska. Palmer serves as the borough seat and has historical significance as the site of the New Deal-era agricultural colony established in the 1930s. Wasilla is the largest city and a major commercial hub for the valley.
The borough includes not only Palmer and Wasilla but also Houston, Big Lake, Sutton, Talkeetna, Willow, and many smaller communities. The borough government at matsugov.us provides services including planning and zoning, property assessment, emergency services, and a borough-wide school district. The main office is at 350 East Dahlia Avenue, Palmer AK 99645, reachable at (907) 861-7801.
Like all Alaska boroughs, Mat-Su does not maintain vital records. Death certificates are not filed with or issued by the borough government. All vital records for the borough flow through Alaska's Health Analytics and Vital Records Section at the state level.
The Mat-Su Borough website offers a range of services and information, from property assessment to emergency management, but vital records are handled exclusively at the state level through HAVRS.
For property assessment records, tax records, and borough administrative records, the Mat-Su Borough office is the right contact. For death records, proceed to HAVRS.
State Vital Records Through HAVRS
The Health Analytics and Vital Records Section, HAVRS, holds all certified death records for Matanuska-Susitna Borough. You can reach them at the Juneau office, 5441 Commercial Boulevard, Juneau AK 99801, at (907) 465-3391, or at the Anchorage office, 3901 Old Seward Hwy Suite 101, Anchorage AK 99503, at (907) 269-0991. The Anchorage location is more convenient for most Mat-Su residents.
Death records less than 50 years old are restricted. Eligible requesters include immediate family members, legal representatives, and others with a documented need. Records 50 years and older are public. For Mat-Su Borough, this means deaths going back to the mid-1970s are now open to anyone who wants to search the index.
Order online through the HAVRS portal at health.alaska.gov or through VitalChek at vitalchek.com. Mail requests go to P.O. Box 110675, Juneau AK 99811-0675. The cost is $30 for the first certified copy and $25 for each extra copy requested at the same time.
Local Newspapers and Obituary Records
The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman has served the borough for decades and maintains archives of obituaries and death notices that can be useful in death index research, particularly for identifying death dates and family connections before requesting a certified certificate. Their website is at frontiersman.com.
The Frontiersman's online archives and obituary section cover deaths across the Mat-Su Valley, making it one of the first stops for researchers trying to confirm the approximate date of a death before ordering a certified record from HAVRS.
Newspaper obituaries are not official records, but they complement the death index well. They often include information about survivors, place of burial, and the funeral home handling arrangements, all of which can help confirm you have the right individual.
Palmer Superior Court and Probate Records
The Palmer Superior Court handles probate for Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Probate records are separate from vital records but often arise when researching someone's death, especially when that person left property or assets. The court is at 435 South Denali Street, Palmer AK 99645, and can be reached at (907) 746-8181.
Probate filings are court records and are generally public. You can request copies at the Palmer courthouse or through the Alaska Court System's online access tools. Probate records often contain the death certificate as an exhibit, as well as wills, inventories of assets, and records of distribution to heirs.
City of Wasilla administrative records are maintained by the Wasilla City Clerk. Wasilla's website at cityofwasilla.com provides contact information for city departments. The City Clerk does not issue death certificates but may have administrative records relevant to a specific inquiry.
The City of Palmer's website at cityofpalmer.org covers Palmer municipal records. The Palmer Historical Society also maintains records tied to the New Deal colony era, which can be useful for genealogical research going back to the 1930s and 1940s.
FamilySearch and Historical Records
FamilySearch has put together a substantial collection of Mat-Su-area records. Their wiki page for Matanuska-Susitna Borough at familysearch.org lists specific collections including Talkeetna Birth, Marriage, and Death Records from 1910 to 1959; Wasilla Births, Marriages, and Deaths from 1923 to 1950; Palmer Birth, Marriage, and Death Records from 1935 to 1959; and Wasilla Probate Records from 1923 to 1961.
These records are free to search on FamilySearch. The Talkeetna records are particularly useful for genealogical research covering the boom years of the Alaska Railroad era. The Palmer records capture the colony period and the years that followed. Any researcher working on Mat-Su family history should check these collections first before ordering a certified copy.
The Alaska State Archives at archives.alaska.gov provides further depth, with over 1.1 million digitized vital records from 1816 to 1998 spanning the entire state, including the Mat-Su Valley. Cross-referencing FamilySearch and the state archives often yields the most complete results for historical research.
Vital Statistics Act
Alaska's Vital Statistics Act, found at Title 18, Chapter 50 of Alaska law, governs how death records are created, maintained, and accessed throughout the state. The full text is available at law.justia.com. This law applies to all deaths in Matanuska-Susitna Borough just as it does statewide. It sets out who can register a death, what information must appear on the certificate, and what rules govern access to the records.
The 50-year public access rule comes from this statute. It is worth reading if you have questions about whether a specific record is open to the public or restricted. The statute also covers what to do when a death occurs without medical attendance, what the process is for amending a death certificate, and how to correct errors in existing records.
Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas
Cities in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Several cities in Matanuska-Susitna Borough have individual pages on this site: