An Alaska CourtView public records search is free, requires no account, and runs through the Alaska Court System’s website at courts.alaska.gov. Click “Search Cases” on the home page to reach the public portal, where you can look up civil, criminal, small claims, probate, and domestic relations cases filed from 1990 forward across every Alaska trial court. Results appear immediately. What you won’t find is just as important as what you will, so read the record carefully and know the system’s limits before you rely on it.
Running a Search
If you have the case number, use it. Alaska case numbers follow a fixed format: 3AN-11-00123CR, for example, where “3AN” is the court location (Third Judicial District, Anchorage), “11” is the filing year, “00123” is the sequential number, and “CR” is the case type. Type the whole thing in, including dashes and leading zeros.
Common case type suffixes:
- CR — criminal
- CI — civil
- SC — small claims
- PR — probate
- MO — minor offense
Without a case number, switch to the “Name” tab and enter a last name and first name. Common names can return long lists, so narrow the results with a date range or a specific court location. Clicking any case number opens the full summary and docket.
What the Record Shows
Each case summary lists the parties, case type, court location, and current status. The docket tracks every event from initial filing through final disposition, so you can follow the case from start to finish. Criminal cases include charge information, and the financial section lists fines, fees, and court costs.
On a criminal record, read the disposition, not just the charges. Someone may have been charged with an offense and then acquitted, or the charge may have been reduced or dismissed. The disposition tells you what actually happened.
What CourtView Does Not Show
Cases filed before 1990 generally aren’t in the system. For older records, contact the clerk of court where the case was originally filed.
Several categories of cases are permanently excluded from the public online index under Administrative Rule 40. These include juvenile delinquency proceedings, Child in Need of Aid (CINA) cases, adoptions, and mental health or alcohol commitment cases. Foreign domestic violence protective orders filed under AS 18.66.140 are also kept off the public site. Domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault protective order cases that closed without an order being issued don’t appear. Neither do underage alcohol cases charged under statutes like AS 04.16.049 or AS 04.16.050 when the alcohol charge was the only offense.
Criminal cases are also removed when the outcome favored the defendant. Under AS 22.35.030, a case must come off the public website 60 days after acquittal or dismissal if certain conditions are met: the defendant was acquitted of all charges, all charges were dismissed (and the dismissal wasn’t part of a plea deal in another case), or the defendant was acquitted on some charges with the rest dismissed.1Justia. Alaska Statutes 22.35.030 – Records Concerning Criminal Cases Resulting in Acquittal or Dismissal Cases also drop off when a defendant successfully completed a suspended imposition of sentence and the court set aside the conviction, provided all other charges in the case were resolved favorably, and when a judicial officer found no probable cause or the prosecutor declined to file.2Alaska Court System. Request to Exclude Case From Online Public Index (CourtView) Under Administrative Rule 40(a) or AS 22.35.030
Why CourtView Is Not a Background Check
The Alaska Court System posts a notice on its search page warning that CourtView results are incomplete by design, because many case records never appear online and others are removed over time.3Alaska Court System. Search Cases A CourtView search is not an official criminal history records check.
For a complete, official criminal history report, contact the Alaska Department of Public Safety, which maintains the state’s criminal records repository. Their process is separate from the court system and provides a fuller picture. Information is available at dps.alaska.gov.
Getting Records That Aren’t Online
When a record isn’t on CourtView because it predates 1990, hasn’t been digitized, or is sealed or confidential, request it from the clerk of court where the case was filed. The Alaska Court System uses form TF-311 for these requests.4Alaska Court System. TF-311 Instructions for Requesting Records
Include the case number if you have it. Without a case number, the court charges a $30 research fee to locate the file, with a one-hour minimum.5Alaska Court System. Filing Fees and Fee Waiver Copy fees are per document, not per page:
- Plain copies: $5 for the first document, $3 for each additional document
- Certified copies: $10 for the first document, $3 for each additional document
Requests can be submitted in person or by mail. Standard processing takes about two weeks; larger or research-heavy requests take longer, and the court may require prepayment. Confidential files are only available to parties in the case. If you’re requesting a confidential record about your own case, bring photo identification and be prepared to sign the request in front of a court clerk or notary.4Alaska Court System. TF-311 Instructions for Requesting Records
Getting Your Own Case Off CourtView
If your case is showing on CourtView but qualifies for removal under Administrative Rule 40 or AS 22.35.030, file form TF-810 with the trial court where the case was filed. The form walks through the specific grounds for removal, including acquittals, dismissals, completed suspended impositions of sentence, and identity errors.2Alaska Court System. Request to Exclude Case From Online Public Index (CourtView) Under Administrative Rule 40(a) or AS 22.35.030 Removals are supposed to happen automatically, but some cases slip through.6Alaska Court System. CourtView Online Information
If you want only your name removed from CourtView rather than the whole case, form TF-805 handles that narrower request. Pick the form that matches what you actually need.