Anchorage Genealogy Records

Searching genealogy records in Anchorage gives you access to one of the richest family history collections in Alaska, including digitized birth records going back to 1900, marriage records from 1924, death records from 1915, school census files, and decades of local obituary indexes. The Anchorage Public Library, the Alaska State Archives, and FamilySearch all hold materials that are hard to find anywhere else in the state.

FamilySearch Collections for Anchorage

The FamilySearch Anchorage Municipality genealogy guide lists a strong set of local collections now available as free digital images. These records were created when Anchorage was a territorial precinct and are now scanned and searchable online. Key Anchorage genealogy collections include:

• 1900-1960 Anchorage Birth Records
• 1924-1959 Anchorage Marriage Records, including certificates and license dockets
• 1915-1985 Anchorage Death Records, including death certificates and coroner's records
• 1920-1942 Anchorage Probate Records from the 3rd Division Anchorage Precinct
• 1916-1955 Anchorage School Census documenting students in Anchorage area schools
• 1930-1938 Anchorage Voter Records

These collections are part of the larger FamilySearch partnership with the Alaska State Archives, which produced 1.1 million scanned documents covering statewide records from 1816 to 1998. For Anchorage research, having these precinct-level records digitized means you can often find a record in minutes rather than making a trip to Juneau.

Anchorage grew fast. In 1940 the population was 4,229. By 1980 it reached 174,431. That rapid growth means records from different eras look very different. Early records from the 1910s and 1920s reflect a small railroad town. By the 1950s and 1960s, Anchorage had modern record-keeping. The school census records from 1916 to 1955 are a useful bridge between eras, often listing both students and their parents.

Anchorage Public Library Genealogy Resources

The Anchorage Public Library at 3600 Denali Street (phone 907-343-2975) is a strong research hub for Anchorage family history. The library's Alaska Collection includes Ancestry Library Edition for in-library use, giving you access to census records, vital records, immigration records, military records, and family histories. HeritageQuest Online is also available for census and Revolutionary War records. Both databases need you to be physically at the library, but the collection is well worth a visit.

The library's Anchorage Obituary Index Online covers 1981 to 2001 and draws from local newspaper sources. The Anchorage High School Yearbook Index Online spans 1917 to 1978. Yearbook indexes can confirm a person's presence in Anchorage at a certain time, and older editions sometimes list home addresses or parents' names. The library also links to the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery Master Burial List, which is searchable by last name.

The Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage at alaskanative.net holds cultural and historical records relevant to Alaska Native families and communities in the Anchorage area.

Vital Records for Anchorage Residents

Certified copies of Anchorage vital records must be ordered through the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics. The Anchorage office is at 3601 C Street, Suite 128. You can order online through VitalChek via health.alaska.gov. The state handles all vital records centrally; no local Anchorage office issues certified copies.

Access rules are set by state law. Alaska Statute 18.50.290 closes birth records for 100 years from the date of birth. Alaska Statute 18.50.300 restricts death, marriage, and divorce records for 50 years from the event date. This means birth records from before 1926 and other vital records from before 1976 are now fully open to the public. Many of these older records are already digitized at FamilySearch. A first certified copy costs $30, with additional copies at $25 each.

Expect two to three weeks for online orders. Mail requests can take two to three months. If you just need to confirm a record exists for research purposes, the older FamilySearch scans may be faster and free.

Anchorage Probate and Court Records

Anchorage probate records from 1920 to 1942 are in the FamilySearch Catalog under the 3rd Division Anchorage Precinct. The statewide Probate Index at the Alaska State Archives covers 1883 to 1960 and holds about 17,000 cases total. These files name heirs, creditors, and family members, making them valuable even when vital records are sparse. You can download the index as a spreadsheet from the archives website.

Federal records for Anchorage are held at the National Archives at Seattle. This includes federal court records, census records, and naturalization documents. Naturalization records from 1884 to 1991 are also at FamilySearch, and a downloadable name index covering 1888 to 1972 is available from the Alaska State Archives. Military discharge records from 1898 to 1934 are indexed at the archives, and World War II Draft Registration Cards from 1940 to 1945 are searchable through FamilySearch.

Local Societies and Historical Collections

The Anchorage Genealogical Society, at PO Box 212265, Anchorage, AK 99521, holds meetings with educational programs and offers research help for members working on Anchorage and Alaska family history. If you are new to Alaska genealogy research, connecting with this society is a practical first step. They can point you to local resources and help you read records that need knowledge of Alaska's history.

The Chugiak-Eagle River Historical Society is at 18606 Old Glenn Highway, Chugiak, AK 99567, phone 907-688-4706 (email cerhs1@gmail.com). This society serves the communities that are part of Anchorage Municipality but have their own distinct histories. They hold records on homesteading and agricultural history, Alaska Railroad history in the Eagle River area, military records from Fort Richardson, and Native Alaskan history of the Eklutna area.

The Anchorage Park Foundation cemeteries project documents historic burial sites in the municipality. See anchorageparkfoundation.org for cemetery records and the Anchorage Memorial Park burial list.

State Archives and Digital Collections

The Alaska State Archives in Juneau holds Anchorage area records as part of its territorial collection. Beyond vital records, the archives hold Teacher Records from 1917 to 1959, a Pioneer Home Residents index from 1913 to 1980, and a World War I Veterans index covering Alaska territory residents who served between April 1917 and November 1918. The archives also maintain collection guides and indexes to help you navigate the holdings.

Alaska's Digital Archives at vilda.alaska.edu provides searchable access to historical photographs, maps, oral histories, and documents from archives and museums statewide. For Anchorage, this can turn up early photographs of neighborhoods, schools, and individuals that help confirm identities or place ancestors in context. The collection was built by the Alaska State Library, University of Alaska Anchorage, and University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Land records for Anchorage are searchable through the Alaska Department of Natural Resources ALRIS system, which offers free online access to deeds, mortgages, and other recorded property documents. Federal land patents and deed records from 1906 to 1975 are also available through Ancestry. These records often contain family information including relationships to prior landowners that can extend your research.

Note: The Alaska State Library in Juneau holds the Anchorage Times Obituaries Index covering 1915 to 1980, compiled by Tohksook P. Chang, with entries for persons who lived in or died in Alaska.

Anchorage Borough Records Page

Anchorage city genealogy records are administered through the Anchorage Municipality. For comprehensive borough-level research tools, courthouse information, and a full list of record collections, visit the Anchorage Municipality genealogy page.

Cities in Anchorage Municipality

Other qualifying cities within or near Anchorage Municipality have dedicated genealogy pages on this site: