To get an Alaska birth certificate, you order a certified copy from the state’s Health Analytics and Vital Records office. It costs $30 for the first copy and $25 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time.1State of Alaska. Vital Records Orders You can order online through VitalChek, by mail, by fax, or in person in Anchorage or Juneau. Alaska birth records are confidential, so only the person named on the certificate, a parent listed on it, or an authorized legal representative can request one.
Who Is Allowed to Order One
Alaska treats birth records as confidential documents, not public records.2Justia. Alaska Code 18.50.310 – Disclosure of Records The state issues certified copies only to people with a direct connection to the record:1State of Alaska. Vital Records Orders
- The person named on the certificate. Children as young as 14 can request their own record if they present a current school ID.3Alaska Department of Health. Alaska Birth Certificate Request Form
- A parent listed on the certificate.
- A legal representative, such as an attorney or court-appointed guardian, with documented authority.
Grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and other relatives are not eligible unless they hold legal guardianship or power of attorney. Anyone outside the eligible list typically needs a court order or written authorization from someone who qualifies.
What to Have Ready Before You Order
The application asks for the biographical details Vital Records uses to locate the correct file: the full legal name at birth, the date and place of birth, and each parent’s name before marriage.3Alaska Department of Health. Alaska Birth Certificate Request Form Pre-marriage surnames matter more than people expect. That is often how the office tells similar records apart.
You also need a photocopy of a valid photo ID. Accepted forms include:3Alaska Department of Health. Alaska Birth Certificate Request Form
- Driver’s license or state-issued ID
- Passport
- Military ID
- Tribal or BIA card with a photo
- School ID
If you don’t have any of these, call the vital records office at (907) 465-3391 before submitting the application. The form does not list a secondary tier of documents, so working out an alternative with staff first avoids a rejected order.
The Four Ways to Order
Online Through VitalChek
VitalChek.com is the only third-party vendor authorized by Alaska Vital Records, and it is the fastest option. You pay the state fee plus a service charge that VitalChek sets. The state has warned that other websites claiming to process Alaska birth certificate orders may charge high fees and fail to deliver a legitimate certificate, so stick with VitalChek if you’re ordering online.1State of Alaska. Vital Records Orders
By Mail
Download the birth certificate application from the Alaska Department of Health website, complete it, and mail it with a copy of your photo ID and payment. Mail orders take about four to six weeks. Make checks or money orders payable to “Alaska Vital Records Office,” not “State of Alaska.”3Alaska Department of Health. Alaska Birth Certificate Request Form Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are also accepted through the card information section on the form.
By Fax
Alaska accepts faxed orders using the same application form.1State of Alaska. Vital Records Orders Send your completed form, a copy of your photo ID, and credit or debit card payment information. Documents that require original signatures, like paternity affidavits or correction forms, cannot be submitted this way.
In Person
Walk-in service is available at two offices:3Alaska Department of Health. Alaska Birth Certificate Request Form
- Juneau: 5441 Commercial Blvd., Juneau, AK 99801
- Anchorage: 3901 Old Seward Hwy., Suite 101, Anchorage, AK 99503
Walk-ins usually get the fastest turnaround, and in person is the only channel that accepts cash. Bring your photo ID and know your parents’ pre-marriage names before you go. There is no vital records office in Fairbanks or elsewhere in the state, so residents outside Anchorage and Juneau will use mail, fax, or VitalChek.
What It Costs
The first certified copy is $30. Each additional copy of the same record, ordered in the same request, is $25.1State of Alaska. Vital Records Orders3Alaska Department of Health. Alaska Birth Certificate Request Form If you know you’ll need copies for a passport, school enrollment, and a benefits application, ordering them together saves money. Ordering them separately later means paying $30 each time.
VitalChek adds its own service fee on top of the state charges, so an online order will always cost more than a mail or in-person order for the same number of copies.
If You Need to Correct or Amend the Certificate
Alaska allows amendments through the Bureau of Vital Statistics when there is documentary evidence supporting the change. An amended certificate is marked “Amended” and shows what was changed, the date, and a summary of the supporting evidence.4Cornell Law Institute. 7 AAC 05.890 – Authority for Correction
To update a name on the certificate after a legal name change, use form VS-405. The fee is $30, and only the person named on the certificate can use a legal name change to amend their own record. Court-ordered corrections and other filings that require original signatures cannot be faxed or emailed; the office needs originals or certified copies.1State of Alaska. Vital Records Orders
Adding a Father to the Record
If no father was named at the hospital, parents can establish paternity later using an Affidavit of Paternity (form VS-06-5376). The form is not posted online. You have to contact the Health Analytics and Vital Records office to get a copy, and the completed form goes back to that office, not to a court.5Alaska Court System. Paternity
When the mother was married to someone other than the biological father at the time of conception, pregnancy, or birth, Alaska law presumes the husband is the legal father. To correct the certificate, either all three adults sign the VS-06-5376 affidavit, or a paternity case is filed with the Alaska Court System to disestablish the husband’s paternity and establish the biological father’s.5Alaska Court System. Paternity Paternity-related changes take significantly longer than a standard copy request, generally about three months.3Alaska Department of Health. Alaska Birth Certificate Request Form
If the Birth Was Never Registered
Births registered a year or more after the event are treated as delayed registrations. The filing goes on a special form and is permanently marked “delayed.”6Justia. Alaska Statutes 18.50.180 – Delayed Registration of Birth The state registrar decides what evidence is acceptable, and the requirements are stricter once 12 or more years have passed since the birth. If you’re pursuing a delayed registration, contact the vital records office early to confirm what documentation your situation requires.
Getting a Certificate Accepted Abroad
For a birth certificate to be recognized in another country, you’ll usually need an apostille under the Hague Convention. In Alaska, apostilles are handled by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, not by Vital Records.7Office of the Lt. Governor. Foreign Authentications Apostilles and Certificates of Authority
The fee is $5 per document. Submit by mail or in person at the Juneau office by appointment. The mailing address is Office of the Lt. Governor, P.O. Box 110015, Juneau, AK 99811-0001. Send your original certified birth certificate (not a photocopy), a completed order form, and payment. Personal checks, money orders, cashier’s checks, and credit cards are accepted.7Office of the Lt. Governor. Foreign Authentications Apostilles and Certificates of Authority The document must carry the original hard-copy signature; photocopied signatures cannot be certified. If you want tracking on the return trip, include a prepaid return mailer, because the office otherwise sends documents back via standard first-class USPS mail with no tracking.