Search Alaska Criminal Records

Alaska criminal records are maintained by the Department of Public Safety and the Alaska Court System, with additional data held by local law enforcement agencies across the state. The Criminal Records and Identification Bureau at DPS is the central repository for statewide criminal history. The court system's CourtView portal gives free public access to case information from 1990 to present. If you need to look up a case, request a background check, check active warrants, or get certified copies of court documents, this guide covers every official resource and how to access each one.

Where Alaska Criminal Records Are Kept

Alaska keeps criminal records across several agencies depending on what type of information you need. The Department of Public Safety runs the Criminal Records and Identification Bureau, which holds statewide criminal history files. These records cover arrests, charges, convictions, and dispositions across all Alaska jurisdictions. The R&I Bureau is the main source for official background checks and personal record reviews. Their office is at 5700 East Tudor Road in Anchorage, and they can be reached at (907) 269-5767 or by email at dps.criminal.records@alaska.gov.

The Alaska Court System holds all court records separately from DPS. Case files live at the courthouse where the case was filed, and the statewide CourtView Public Access portal lets you search them for free. CourtView covers civil, criminal, domestic, probate, and traffic cases going back to 1990. For cases before that, you need to contact the court clerk directly. Records before 1990 were largely kept on paper index cards and are not fully digitized.

Local police departments and Alaska State Troopers maintain their own records, including incident reports, arrest logs, and booking data. In rural areas without city police, the Alaska State Troopers serve as the primary law enforcement and records authority.

The Alaska Department of Corrections tracks inmates and holds custody records. VINELink is the public tool to search inmate status and get notified of custody changes. The Alaska Public Records Act under AS 40.25.100 gives the public a presumptive right to access most government records, including many criminal justice documents.

Alaska CourtView Public Access

CourtView is the Alaska Court System's free online portal for searching trial court case information. You can find criminal cases, civil matters, domestic cases, and traffic violations all in one place. The system covers cases from 1990 to present across all Alaska trial courts. Visit records.courts.alaska.gov/eaccess to run a search.

The Alaska CourtView portal gives you several ways to find cases. You can search by party name using a full or partial name, look up a specific case number, find cases by ticket or citation number, or search by attorney name. When you search by name, include a middle name or initial when you have it. This narrows results significantly, especially for common names. Case numbers follow the format XX-XXXX-XXX, where the first two characters identify the court location. For example, 3AN identifies Anchorage, and 4FA identifies Fairbanks.

A CourtView result shows the case summary and current status, the names of all parties, charge information and severity levels, court dates and hearing schedules, judgments and dispositions, and sentencing details including fines and restitution. What it does not show: sealed cases, juvenile records, protective order details in some situations, and certain cases that were dismissed or conditionally discharged under a diversion agreement.

A screenshot of the CourtView search portal is shown below. The system works best in current versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. Pop-up blockers should be turned off for the site.

CourtView Public Access is the primary free resource for looking up Alaska criminal records online.

The CourtView portal is free to use and requires no login or account to search case records across Alaska trial courts.

DPS Criminal Records and Identification Bureau

The Alaska Department of Public Safety runs the Criminal Records and Identification Bureau, which is the official statewide repository for criminal history information. This is the agency to contact when you need a formal criminal history report rather than a simple case lookup. The R&I Bureau processes name-based and fingerprint-based searches. Under AS 12.62.160, record subjects have the right to obtain their own criminal history record.

For a name-based search, the fee is $20.00 per copy. Fingerprint-based searches cost $35.00 per copy. If you order additional copies at the same time, each extra copy is $5.00. Copies ordered later cost $20.00 each. Walk-in service is available at three locations: 5700 E. Tudor Road in Anchorage, 4500 Airport Way in Fairbanks, and 2760 Sherwood Lane, Suite 2A in Juneau. Walk-in requests can often be processed the same day. Mail requests take 5 to 10 business days for name-based checks and 2 to 4 weeks for fingerprint-based requests.

To submit a request by mail, you need the Request for Criminal Justice Information Form for name-based searches. Fingerprint searches require an FD-258 FBI Fingerprint Card. If you are requesting records about someone else, you need a Release of Information Authorization Form signed by that person. Send completed forms with payment to: Criminal Records and Identification Bureau, 5700 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99507.

The DPS also operates a public records request portal through JustFOIA. You can submit requests online, track status, and download completed responses through this system.

The DPS JustFOIA portal is shown here, where you can submit and track public records requests to the Department of Public Safety and Alaska State Troopers.

Initial responses through the JustFOIA system typically come within 10 business days under the Alaska Public Records Act.

Requesting Copies of Court Criminal Records

To get a copy of a court record in Alaska, you need to contact the court where the case was filed. The Alaska Court System has a specific form series for this: TF-311. Which form you use depends on the court location. Anchorage uses TF-311 ANCH, Fairbanks uses TF-311 FBKS, and Palmer uses TF-311 PA. All other courts use the standard TF-311 form. You can find all forms at courts.alaska.gov/forms.

For Anchorage, email requests to 3ANRecordsRequest@akcourts.us. Fax to (907) 264-0610 if you are in Anchorage, or (907) 264-0873 if you are outside. In person, visit 825 W 4th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501 during business hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Processing takes 5 to 7 business days. Fairbanks processes remote requests in 4 to 6 weeks. Email there is 4FArecords@akcourts.us. Palmer takes 2 to 4 weeks for mail and email requests. Their email is 3PACopyRequests@akcourts.us.

Copy fees are set at the state level under the court fee schedule. Regular copies cost $5.00 for the first document and $3.00 for each additional one. Certified copies are $10.00 for the first document and $3.00 each after that. Research fees apply at $30.00 per hour when you don't provide a case number. Audio recordings cost $20.00 per CD. Payment can be made by cash, check or money order made out to "State of Alaska," or credit card.

The Alaska Court Forms Repository contains all fillable PDF forms needed to request criminal case records from any trial court in the state.

All TF-311 record request forms, audio request forms, and other court documents are available as fillable PDFs through this repository.

Note: Valdez is currently experiencing 4 to 6 week processing delays due to staffing. Build in extra lead time for requests from that court.

Inmate Lookup and Custody Records

VINELink is the statewide tool for looking up Alaska inmates and getting custody notifications. You can search by inmate name or offender ID number, check current facility location, view booking photos, and register for automatic alerts when custody status changes. Visit vinelink.vineapps.com/search/AK to search.

The Alaska Department of Corrections operates facilities across the state. Major ones include Anchorage Correctional Complex, Fairbanks Correctional Center, Goose Creek Correctional Center near Wasilla, Hiland Mountain Correctional Center for women, Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau, Mat-Su Pretrial Facility in Palmer, Palmer Correctional Center, Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, and Wildwood Correctional Center on the Kenai Peninsula.

VINELink notification options include phone calls, email alerts, text messages, and TTY service for the hearing impaired. You register for free and specify how and when you want to be contacted about changes in an offender's custody status.

VINELink provides offender search and custody notification services for all Alaska Department of Corrections facilities.

Registration is free and notifications can be sent by phone, email, or text when an inmate's custody status changes.

Alaska Sex Offender and Child Kidnapper Registry

The Alaska Department of Public Safety maintains the public sex offender registry under AS 12.63, the Sex Offender Registration Act. This registry lists convicted sex offenders and child kidnappers who are required to register under Alaska law. The registry is searchable at dps.alaska.gov/AST/SOR.

You can search by name, address, zip code, city, or geographic radius. Each registrant's file includes their full legal name and aliases, a photograph updated annually, physical description, verified residential address, employer information, vehicle details, and conviction information including the date, court, and offense. Compliance status is also shown. No account or login is required for a basic search, though you must agree to the terms of use and cannot use information for harassment or illegal purposes.

Alaska uses a three-tier classification system. Tier I offenders must register for 15 years. Tier II offenders must register for 25 years. Tier III offenders face lifetime registration. The tier assigned depends on the nature and severity of the underlying offense.

Active Warrants in Alaska

The Alaska State Troopers maintain a public database of active warrants tied to Trooper cases at dps.alaska.gov/ast/warrants. The list is updated daily and shows the subject's full name, age, warrant type (arrest or bench), offense category, and bond amount. It does not include issuance dates. Some warrants on the list may be old or may already be cleared. Always contact a court clerk to verify a warrant's current status.

People with outstanding warrants may turn themselves in at any police department or State Trooper post. Regional Trooper contacts include: Anchorage at (907) 269-5511, Fairbanks at (907) 451-5100, Juneau at (907) 465-4000, Soldotna at (907) 262-4453, Palmer at (907) 745-2131, Bethel at (907) 543-2294, Nome at (907) 443-2835, Kotzebue at (907) 442-3222, and Ketchikan at (907) 225-5118.

Local police departments in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau also maintain warrant lists. The Juneau Police Department posts a weekly list of active warrants from the past 7 days on their website at juneau.org/police. Fairbanks Police lists active warrants as well through their department portal at alaskapolice.us.

Alaska Trial Courts Records

The Alaska Court System's trial courts page at courts.alaska.gov/trialcourts is the central hub for requesting case file copies, audio recordings, and search warrant records. This is where you go to get the actual documents from a court file, not just the case summary from CourtView.

Alaska Trial Courts Records is the official resource for obtaining physical and digital copies of court documents from any trial court in the state.

This page also covers audio recording requests using the TF-304 form series and search warrant record requests using form CR-714.

The court directory at courts.alaska.gov/courtdir lists addresses, phone numbers, and hours for all Alaska courthouses. Alaska has Superior Courts at 21 locations statewide, District Courts at multiple locations, and Magistrate Courts serving rural communities. In many remote areas, a magistrate travels to communities on a scheduled circuit rather than maintaining a permanent courthouse.

The Alaska Court Directory provides contact details for every courthouse in the state, from the Supreme Court down to rural magistrate posts.

Use the directory to find the specific court that handles cases in any given borough or community before submitting a records request.

Alaska Public Records Act

Access to government records in Alaska is governed by AS 40.25.100 through 40.25.295, known as the Alaska Public Records Act. The law presumes that all public records are open unless a specific exemption applies. Government agencies have 10 business days to respond to a records request. Fees are limited to the actual cost of duplication, and the first five hours of staff research time are free.

Common exemptions include juvenile records, medical and psychiatric records, records that would interfere with an active law enforcement investigation, trade secrets, and personnel records. Criminal court records are generally public, but portions of a file may be sealed by court order in certain circumstances. Sealed cases and records involving minors under Alaska's juvenile laws are not accessible through CourtView or standard records requests.

If an agency denies your request, you have the right to appeal. The denial must include a written explanation of which exemption applies. You can challenge the denial administratively or through the courts. The JustFOIA portal at dpsalaska.justfoia.com/publicportal handles requests to DPS and Alaska State Troopers specifically.

Court records are subject to Alaska Court Rules 37.5 through 37.8, which govern public access to court documents, define which records are confidential, and establish the procedures for requesting access. These rules work alongside the Public Records Act but are specific to judicial branch materials.

Federal Court Records in Alaska

Federal criminal cases in Alaska go through the U.S. District Court, with locations in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Nome. These cases are not in CourtView. You access them through PACER, the federal court's Public Access to Court Electronic Records system. The fee is $0.10 per page, with a $3.00 maximum per document. You pay nothing if your total usage stays under $30 in a calendar quarter.

PACER provides access to federal court criminal records from all U.S. District Court locations in Alaska, including cases involving federal charges that would not appear in the state court system.

A free PACER account is required to access documents. Registration is available directly on the PACER website.

Court Copy Fees in Alaska

Alaska court copy fees are set statewide under the official court fee schedule. Regular copies cost $5.00 for the first document and $3.00 for each additional one. Certified copies run $10.00 for the first document and $3.00 each after. Exemplified or authenticated copies cost $15.00 each. The research fee is $30.00 per hour and kicks in when you don't provide a case number and the court has to search for your record. Audio recordings cost $20.00 per CD.

Payment can be made in cash with exact change, by check or money order payable to "State of Alaska," or by credit card either in person or through the online payment portal. Criminal protective orders are free to request. The court fee schedule covers all courts in the state, though some local fees may vary slightly.

The Alaska court fee schedule lists current charges for all court services including copies, certifications, and research fees.

Always verify current fees before sending payment, as schedules can be updated by the court system.

Alaska Appellate Court Records

Appeals from Alaska trial courts go to the Alaska Court of Appeals or the Alaska Supreme Court. Case information for appellate proceedings is tracked in a separate system from CourtView. The Appellate Case Management System at app.courts.alaska.gov/cs covers the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. You can search by case number, party name, or attorney name. Results show appeal status, procedural history, briefs, oral argument schedules, opinions, orders, and disposition information.

The Court of Appeals sits in Anchorage. The Supreme Court maintains offices in Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks. For complex criminal cases that were appealed, the appellate system may have additional records and written opinions that shed light on the underlying trial court proceedings.

Rural Access and Special Considerations

Alaska's geography creates access challenges that don't exist in other states. Many rural boroughs and census areas have limited or no permanent courthouse. Magistrate judges travel to communities on scheduled circuits, and emergency hearings are sometimes conducted by telephone or video. This means records from small communities may be held at a regional hub court rather than locally. If you're trying to reach a record from a remote community, contact the nearest Superior Court first to find out where the file is held.

Alaska State Troopers serve as primary law enforcement in all unincorporated areas and many boroughs without city police. They keep records separate from any local police department. In Alaska Native villages, Village Public Safety Officers provide first response in many communities but may have limited authority and records access.

Weather delays and mail service disruptions affect court processing in rural Alaska, particularly in winter. If you're sending a records request to a remote court, plan for extra processing time beyond what the standard schedule says. Submit requests as early as possible for time-sensitive needs.

Note: Court records before 1990 are largely on paper index cards and are not in CourtView. Research in pre-1990 records requires court clerk assistance and incurs the $30.00 per hour research fee.

Browse Alaska Criminal Records by Location

Alaska criminal records are managed at the borough or census area level. Pick a borough below to find local court contacts, law enforcement resources, and record request details for that area.

View All 30 Alaska Boroughs & Census Areas

Criminal Records in Major Alaska Cities

Residents of Alaska's largest communities can find local criminal records resources, court contacts, and law enforcement information for their city below.

View All Alaska Cities