Alaska Birth Certificate: How to Order, Fees and Eligibility

Alaska Vital Records (the Health Analytics and Vital Records section of the Alaska Department of Health) issues certified copies of Alaska birth certificates. The first copy costs $30 and each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time costs $25.

You can order online through VitalChek, by mail or fax, or in person at the state offices in Anchorage and Juneau. For other states, see our guide to birth certificates by state.

Information last verified on October 7, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

This page covers ordering, fees, eligibility, corrections and delayed registration for birth certificates held by Alaska Vital Records, based on the department's ordering page, its birth certificate order form, and the Alaska Statutes. Alaska Vital Records can only issue records for births that happened in Alaska.

How to order an Alaska birth certificate

The department's vital records ordering page and its birth certificate order form describe three routes: online through VitalChek, by mail or fax, and walk-in service at two state offices. The form asks you to choose one method. If you submit the same request more than one way, the department charges you for each request.

The department adds that a request for a new birth cannot be filled until the record has been registered, which may take up to 2 months after the birth.

As of October 8, 2026, the department's ordering page carries an alert that, because of a high volume of requests, Vital Records processing times are currently 1-2 months. Its standing FAQ estimate is at least 2-3 weeks for VitalChek orders and 2-3 months for mail or fax orders.

Online through VitalChek

Alaska Vital Records says it does not work with any third-party vendor except VitalChek. It warns that other vendors sell certificates and may charge high fees to "process" or "help apply" for an Alaska certificate. VitalChek orders also carry additional fees set by the vendor, which the department does not list.

VitalChek is the only route for expedited service, and additional fees apply. The department's standing estimate is at least 2-3 weeks for VitalChek orders; see the current processing alert above.

By mail or fax

Send the completed order form, a photocopy of your ID and payment to:

Alaska Vital Records P.O. Box 110675 Juneau, AK 99811-0675

The fax number on the form is (907) 465-3618. Pay by check or money order made payable to the Alaska Vital Records Office, or by card using the form. The form lists a $30 fee for a returned (NSF) check.

The department's standing estimate is 2-3 months for mail and fax orders; see the current processing alert above. Regular mail return costs nothing extra; USPS Priority Mail with tracking costs $13.00 for domestic delivery, or $18.00 with tracking and signature on delivery. Requests missing a signature, an ID copy or payment are not processed.

In person in Anchorage or Juneau

In-person service is at the Health Analytics and Vital Records offices in Anchorage and Juneau, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.:

• Anchorage: 3901 Old Seward Hwy, Suite 101, (907) 269-0991
• Juneau: 5441 Commercial Blvd., (907) 465-3391

Cash is accepted only for walk-in requests. The department does not publish a walk-in turnaround time, so call ahead if you need the certificate the same day.

Alaska birth certificate fees

The heirloom certificate price includes $25 to the Children's Trust Fund.

The $60 figures come from the department's ordering page. The mail order form lists the paternity, correction, adoption, legal name change and delayed registration service as a $30 processing fee. Check the current total with the department before you send payment for one of these services.

Who can get a certified copy

Alaska birth records are confidential. Under AS 18.50.310, birth records in the state registrar's custody become public records only when 100 years have passed since the birth. (For how Alaska compares with other states, see are birth certificates public records.)

The order form lists who can get a certified copy before then:

• Parents listed on the current certificate
• The child listed on the certificate, if 14 or older, with a current school ID
• A legal guardian, with certified guardianship papers
• A third party, with a notarized consent letter from the certificate holder or guardian
• Attorneys and government agencies, with a letter on letterhead stating whom they represent and why, plus certified or notarized supporting documents

The form does not list spouses, siblings or other relatives as separate categories. If you are not on the list, the form's route is a notarized consent letter from the certificate holder or guardian; ask the department if your situation does not fit.

AS 18.50.310 also provides that information showing a birth occurred out of wedlock may not be disclosed except on order of a superior court or as provided by regulation.

ID requirements

Send a photocopy, not the original, of a driver's license or other state ID, a passport, a military ID, a tribal or BIA photo card, or a school ID. An expired ID is accepted only if it expired less than one year ago.

If you have no ID, the form tells you to call (907) 465-3391.

Short form, long form and what agencies accept

The department's pages reviewed for this article do not describe separate short-form and long-form birth certificates or say which version agencies accept. Ask the department which version you are getting if you need it for a specific purpose.

For a first U.S. passport, federal rules require a birth certificate that shows your full name, place and date of birth, and the full name of your parent or parents. It must be signed by the official custodian of birth records, carry the issuing office's seal, and show a filing date within one year of birth (22 CFR 51.42). If the certificate does not meet that test, you have to submit secondary evidence as well.

For REAL ID, the federal rule lists a certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the vital statistics office of your state of birth as an acceptable identity document (6 CFR 37.11).

Correcting or amending an Alaska birth certificate

Changes and corrections are handled by the department's Special Services Unit. Email BVSSpecialServices@alaska.gov for the forms, or call (907) 465-1200.

The unit needs original or certified copies of documents to amend a record. Court documents, affidavits of paternity or correction, and other legal documents with original signatures cannot be faxed or emailed.

The department asks you to allow 16 weeks for corrections and paternities once the unit receives the original document, not counting shipping time. The order form says these services must be mailed or hand delivered, gives a standard processing time of 3 months, and says expedited service is not available for them. If the unit sends you a letter asking for more information, your application expires 180 days from the date of the letter if you do not respond, and you would need to resubmit with new payment.

Adding a parent

A parent can be added to an Alaska birth certificate through a voluntary Affidavit of Paternity, through a State Court order, or through Child Support Services. The department lists $60 for a new birth certificate after a paternity adjudication, including one certificate.

Legal name changes

Under AS 18.50.290, the state registrar amends a birth certificate to reflect a court-ordered name change after receiving a certified copy of the court order. The department lists $60 for a legal name change, including one certificate. For the court process itself, see Alaska name change laws.

Sex designation

The department pages and statutes reviewed for this article do not describe a procedure for changing the sex designation on an Alaska birth certificate. Contact the Special Services Unit for its current rule.

Delayed registration for a birth never recorded

AS 18.50.180 sets the rules for a birth that was never registered on time. A birth reported more than seven days but less than one year after it occurred may be filed with the local registrar.

When the birth occurred one year or more before the application, it must be filed on a form prescribed by the bureau and submitted to the state registrar, with the evidence the department requires, and the certificate is marked delayed. For a birth 12 years or more before the application, the filing is a sworn Delayed Certificate of Birth, sworn by the person or, if they are not competent, by a parent, guardian or representative.

The department lists $60 for a delayed certificate, covering registration and one certificate. The research for this page did not capture the department's list of acceptable evidence, so contact the Special Services Unit before you gather documents.

A delayed certificate may not meet the federal passport rule by itself, because that rule expects a filing date within one year of birth (22 CFR 51.42).

Adoption

After an adoption, Alaska issues a substitute birth certificate. The department says Alaska State Court adoptions reach it from the court system in monthly batches 1-2 months after the adoption. It lists $60 for the substitute certificate, including one copy, and asks you to allow 16 weeks after it receives the adoption.

Cultural and tribal adoptions use a cultural adoption packet from the department. For who can see original birth records and adoption files, see Alaska adoption records.

Older records and genealogy

Because Alaska birth records become public 100 years after the birth, the department sells a $15 public record copy for births that occurred more than 100 years before the application date. Death, marriage and divorce records open sooner, after 50 years (AS 18.50.310); see Alaska death records for that side of a family search.

If you need to use an Alaska birth certificate abroad, Alaska Vital Records sells an apostille for foreign-country use with the certificate: its ordering page lists $42 including one certificate, and the order form has an apostille line where you name the destination country.

This article is general legal information about Alaska birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees and procedures change; confirm with Alaska Vital Records (Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records) before you order. Information last verified on October 7, 2026.

Related

• Birth certificates by state
• Are birth certificates public records?
• Alaska adoption records
• Alaska name change laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in Alaska?

Alaska Vital Records charges $30 for the first certified copy and $25 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. VitalChek orders carry extra fees set by the vendor.

How long does it take to get a birth certificate in Alaska?

As of October 8, 2026, the department's ordering page carries an alert that processing times are currently 1-2 months because of a high volume of requests. Its standing estimate is at least 2-3 weeks for VitalChek orders and 2-3 months for mail or fax orders; these are estimates, not guarantees.

Can I get an Alaska birth certificate expedited?

Only online. The order form says expedited service is available only through VitalChek, with additional fees. Mail orders can add USPS Priority Mail with tracking for $13.00, which speeds delivery, not processing.

Who can order an Alaska birth certificate?

Parents listed on the current certificate, the person named on it if 14 or older (with a current school ID), a legal guardian with certified guardianship papers, a third party with a notarized consent letter, and attorneys or government agencies with the required documentation.

Can I get my birth certificate at a local office in Alaska?

In-person service is at the Health Analytics and Vital Records offices in Anchorage and Juneau, open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cash is accepted only at the walk-in offices.

How do I correct a birth certificate in Alaska?

Contact the Special Services Unit at BVSSpecialServices@alaska.gov or (907) 465-1200 for the forms. It needs original or certified documents, which cannot be faxed or emailed, and asks you to allow 16 weeks after it receives them.

When do Alaska birth records become public?

Under AS 18.50.310, birth records in the state registrar's custody become public records 100 years after the birth. Alaska Vital Records sells a $15 public record copy for those older births.