Alaska
Alaska Court Records: How to Search CourtView, What's Excluded, and Set Aside vs Seal
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 10, 2026). · 5 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
Alaska runs a free, statewide court records search called CourtView, and its own coverage page is unusually direct about the tool's limits. Cases from before 1990 generally are not there, results cap at 500 per search, and eight entire categories of case are excluded outright rather than merely restricted.
Alaska's own courts and Department of Public Safety use set aside, seal, and expungement for three different things, and mixing them up is the easiest way to get an Alaska record wrong.
Information last verified on 2026-08-10. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
This guide is part of a broader look at court records by state. For the general mechanics of federal versus state versus county searches, see how to look up court records and are court records public.
CourtView: Alaska's Free Statewide Search
CourtView, accessible through the Alaska Court System's Search Cases page, lets a user search for cases, tickets and citations, and pay fines online. It covers Appellate Court cases (the Alaska Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals) alongside Trial Court cases from the superior and district courts, spanning civil, criminal, probate, small claims, domestic relations, and other case types. There is no fee to search and no registration requirement.
Search options include case number, party name, hearing date, and citation number. Results are capped at 500 cases per search, and the court system's own guidance is direct about the historical gap: there is no comprehensive case information available for any trial court location before 1990.
What CourtView Does Not Show
Alaska's own coverage page lists the excluded case categories verbatim: Delinquency, CINA (Child in Need of Aid), Adoption, Mental Commitment, Alcohol Commitment, Emancipation, Medical Emergency, and Minor Settlement. These are not merely restricted from remote viewing, they do not appear on CourtView at all. On top of that categorical exclusion, CourtView automatically removes cases sealed by court order, certain dismissed criminal cases, and specific alcohol or marijuana possession offenses that meet statutory criteria for removal.
The removal of acquitted and dismissed criminal cases runs on one specific statute, AS 22.35.030, and its two built-in limits are what trip readers up. The statute says the Alaska Court System may not publish a court record of a criminal case on a publicly available website if 60 days have elapsed from the date of acquittal or dismissal and one of four things is true: the defendant was acquitted of all charges filed in the case; all charges against the defendant were dismissed and were not dismissed as part of a plea agreement in another criminal case under Rule 11 of the Alaska Rules of Criminal Procedure; the defendant was acquitted of some charges and the remaining charges were dismissed; or all charges were dismissed after a suspended entry of judgment under AS 12.55.078.
Two practical consequences follow. First, nothing comes down during the 60 days after the acquittal or dismissal, so a case can still be sitting on CourtView while the person assumes it has already dropped off. Second, a dismissal that was traded away as part of a Rule 11 plea agreement in a different criminal case is carved out of the statute entirely, so those dismissed charges stay visible on CourtView indefinitely. A dismissal that follows a suspended entry of judgment under AS 12.55.078 is the opposite case and does qualify for removal.
Alaska's court system also posts a direct accuracy warning: a search of court case records on this website is not a criminal history records check of a person, and a user should not assume that a person listed in the database is the person they are looking for without at least confirming that the date of birth matches. For an official, complete criminal history report, the court system points to the Alaska Department of Public Safety, which maintains the state's criminal records repository separately from CourtView.
Set Aside, Seal, and Expungement: Three Different Things
Alaska's court system addresses this directly in its own guidance on suspended impositions of sentence: setting aside a conviction does not mean it disappears or that court records are shredded. Citing the Alaska Supreme Court's decision in State v. Platt, the court system states that both the conviction and the judgment setting it aside remain in the public record. Alaska's Department of Public Safety confirms the same point for its own records: a set-aside conviction is treated as past conviction information and stays on a person's criminal history even after it is set aside.
Sealing is a separate, narrower remedy. Alaska's Department of Public Safety states that under AS 12.62.180, a criminal justice agency may seal only the information it maintains, and only on a written request showing that the information, beyond a reasonable doubt, resulted from mistaken identity or false accusation. That is a narrow fact pattern, not a general privacy option for someone who was validly convicted and has since been rehabilitated.
Alaska's Department of Public Safety also states plainly that the state does not have a law to expunge a criminal history record. This guide does not describe record destruction as a routine outcome available in Alaska, since the state's own agency says no such general law exists. Alaska also does not run a broad Clean Slate-style automatic sealing program for adult convictions; relief is narrow, and the exact standards depend on which of the categories above a case falls into. For the eligibility rules and process, see Alaska expungement laws, which this guide does not duplicate.
Certified Copies
Requests for a certified copy go to the records department or clerk of the court where the case was filed, generally by mail, email, fax, or in person. This guide does not publish a specific statewide fee figure, since the amount could not be confirmed directly from a primary source in this session; confirm current pricing with the specific court.
Using Alaska Court Records the Right Way
CourtView is built for checking a specific case, whether it is your own or one you have a legitimate reason to look into, not for compiling a background file on someone else. If an Alaska court record is used to screen a job applicant or a tenant, that use is governed separately by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, a criminal conviction is exempt from the standard seven-year reporting window that applies to most arrests and civil judgments, meaning it can be reported indefinitely unless the underlying record has been sealed or purged under Alaska law. The FTC's 2023 settlement with TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate, over marketing public-records reports for tenant and employee screening without following federal background-check law, is a reminder that a free case-lookup tool like CourtView is not itself an FCRA-compliant screening product.
Related Resources
Court Records by State covers the full 50-state picture. See also How to Look Up Court Records, Are Court Records Public?, Alaska Expungement Laws, Alaska Background Check Laws, Alaska Warrant Search, and Alaska Public Records Laws.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about Alaska's CourtView system and record-relief terminology. It is not legal advice. Coverage, exclusions, and statutes change; verify current details with the Alaska Court System or a licensed Alaska attorney before relying on anything here for a specific situation.
Last updated: 2026-08-10. Portal facts and fees reflect their published status as of August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alaska's CourtView free to use?
Yes. CourtView, accessible through the Alaska Court System's Search Cases page, is free and requires no registration.
What case types are excluded from CourtView?
Delinquency, CINA (Child in Need of Aid), Adoption, Mental Commitment, Alcohol Commitment, Emancipation, Medical Emergency, and Minor Settlement cases are excluded entirely, along with sealed cases. Acquitted and dismissed criminal cases come off separately under AS 22.35.030, once 60 days have elapsed from the acquittal or dismissal, and not where the charges were dismissed as part of a Rule 11 plea agreement in another criminal case.
My charges were dismissed. Will the case come off CourtView?
Only if it fits AS 22.35.030, and not immediately. The Alaska Court System may not publish the record once 60 days have elapsed from the date of acquittal or dismissal, and only where the defendant was acquitted of all charges, all charges were dismissed and were not dismissed as part of a plea agreement in another criminal case under Rule 11 of the Alaska Rules of Criminal Procedure, the defendant was acquitted of some charges and the rest were dismissed, or all charges were dismissed after a suspended entry of judgment under AS 12.55.078. Charges given up as part of a Rule 11 plea deal in a different case do not qualify and stay visible.
How far back does Alaska's court records search go?
There is no comprehensive case information available for any trial court location before 1990, per the Alaska Court System's own coverage description.
What is the difference between set aside, seal, and expungement in Alaska?
A set-aside conviction stays in the public record. The Alaska Court System cites the Alaska Supreme Court's decision in State v. Platt for the rule that both the conviction and the set-aside order remain public. Sealing under AS 12.62.180 is a narrow remedy limited to information that resulted from mistaken identity or false accusation, per Alaska's Department of Public Safety. That same agency states Alaska has no general law to expunge a criminal history record.
Can I use CourtView to screen a job applicant or tenant?
Not on its own. CourtView is a free case-lookup tool, not an FCRA-compliant screening product. Employment and tenant screening are separately governed by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Updates
Named the controlling statute, AS 22.35.030, for removal of acquitted and dismissed criminal cases from CourtView, and added its two limits: the 60-day wait after acquittal or dismissal, and the carve-out for charges dismissed as part of a Rule 11 plea agreement in another criminal case.
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Alaska Statutes, Title 22. Judiciary, Chapter 35. Miscellaneous Provisions
§ 22.35.030Records concerning criminal cases resulting in acquittal or dismissalIn forcecited in 2 of our articles
The Alaska Court System may not publish a court record of a criminal case on a publicly available website if 60 days have elapsed from the date of acquittal or dismissal and (1) the defendant was acquitted of all charges filed in the case; (2) all criminal charges against the defendant in the case have been dismissed and were not dismissed as part of a plea agreement in another criminal case under Rule 11, Alaska Rules of Criminal Procedure; (3) the defendant was acquitted of some of the criminal charges in the case and the remaining charges were dismissed; or (4) all criminal charges against the defendant in the case have been dismissed after a suspended entry of judgment under AS 12.55.078.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-31 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at akleg.gov
Cited in 1 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2018
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Benjamin S. v. Stephenie S. (Alaska Supreme Court 2018)“…fidentiality or sealing of records in criminal proceedings (AS 22.35.030 and AS 12.62.180). Neither applies to t…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Alaska Expungement Laws: What You Can (and Cannot) Do With Your Criminal Record
Alaska Statutes, Title 12. Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 62. Criminal Justice Information and Records Checks
§ 12.62.180Sealing of criminal justice informationIn forcecited in 3 of our articles
(a) Under this section, a criminal justice agency may seal only the information that the agency is responsible for maintaining. (b) A person may submit a written request to the head of the agency responsible for maintaining past conviction or current offender information, asking the agency to seal such information about the person that, beyond a reasonable doubt, resulted from mistaken identity or false accusation. The decision of the head of the agency is the final administrative decision on the request. (c) The person requesting that the information be sealed may appeal an adverse decision of the agency to the court under applicable rules of procedure for appealing the decision of an administrative agency. The appellant bears the burden on appeal of showing that the agency decision was clearly mistaken. An appeal filed under this subsection may not collaterally attack a court judgment or a decision by prison, probation, or parole authorities, or any other action that is or could have been subject to appeal, post-conviction relief, or other administrative remedy.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-31 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at akleg.gov
Cited in 3 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2023
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- State, Division of Corp., Business & Professional Licensing, Alaska Board of Nursing v. Platt (Alaska Supreme Court 2007, 169 P.3d 595)“…tion] resulted from mistaken identity or false accusation." AS 12.62.180(b). . Doe, 92 P.3d at 407 .…”
- Benjamin S. v. Stephenie S. (Alaska Supreme Court 2018)“…ealing of records in criminal proceedings (AS 22.35.030 and AS 12.62.180). Neither applies to this civil proceed…”
- Briggs v. Yi (District Court, D. Alaska 2023)“…do not explain why it would be impracticable to redact 61 Alaska Stat. § 12.62.180(d)(6) (1994).…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Alaska Background Check Laws (2026 Guide)
United States Code Title 15
§ 1681cRequirements relating to information contained in consumer reportsIn forcecited in 61 of our articles
Except as authorized under subsection (b), no consumer reporting agency may make any consumer report containing any of the following items of information: Cases under title 11 or under the Bankruptcy Act that, from the date of entry of the order for relief or the date of adjudication, as the case may be, antedate the report by more than 10 years. Civil suits, civil judgments, and records of arrest that, from date of entry, antedate the report by more than seven years or until the governing statute of limitations has expired, whichever is the longer period. Paid tax liens which, from date of payment, antedate the report by more than seven years. Accounts placed for collection or charged to profit and loss which antedate the report by more than seven years. Any other adverse item of information, other than records of convictions of crimes which antedates the report by more than seven years.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-16 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at uscode.house.gov
Cited in 383 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):Katz v. Donna Karan Co. (2017) addressed the FACTA truncation rule in 1681c(g) and affirmed dismissal for lack of Article III standing, treating material risk of harm as a fact question. Edward Seamans v. Temple University (2014) held the seven-year window in 1681c(a)(4) is extended for an education loan only until that loan is repaid.
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Katz v. Donna Karan Co. (Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 2017, 872 F.3d 114)✓A shopper sued two stores whose receipts printed the first six digits of his credit card number; the Second Circuit affirmed dismissal for lack of standing, seeing no clear error in the finding that those digits show only the card issuer, not a material risk of identity theft.
- Edward Seamans v. Temple University (Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 2014, 744 F.3d 853)✓A defaulted university loan kept appearing on a borrower's credit reports after he repaid it because the school never reported the delinquency date; the Third Circuit held the Higher Education Act suspends section 1681c(a)(4)'s aging-off rule only until repayment.
- Gonzales v. Arrow Financial Services, LLC (Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 2011, 660 F.3d 1055)✓A debt buyer offered to settle health club debts over seven years old, saying that if it was reporting the account the bureaus would be told it was settled; the Ninth Circuit, treating those debts as unreportable under section 1681c(a)(4), called that implication misleading.
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: How Long Does a Felony Stay on Your Record? (2026), Background Check Laws by State (2026 Guide), Alabama Background Check Laws (2026 Guide)
Sources and References
- Alaska Court System, Search Cases(courts.alaska.gov).gov
- Alaska Court System, CourtView Online Information(courts.alaska.gov).gov
- Alaska Court System, Suspended Imposition of Sentence: Frequently Asked Questions (citing State v. Platt, 169 P.3d 595, 599-600 (Alaska 2007))(courts.alaska.gov).gov
- Alaska Department of Public Safety, Background Checks FAQ(dps.alaska.gov).gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute, 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, Requirements relating to information contained in consumer reports(law.cornell.edu)
- Federal Trade Commission, FTC Says TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate Deceived Users About Background Report Accuracy, Violated FCRA(ftc.gov).gov
- Alaska Statutes AS 22.35.030, Records concerning criminal cases resulting in acquittal or dismissal(akleg.gov)