Search Kodiak Island Borough Marriage Records
Kodiak Island Borough marriage records are maintained by the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics and can be requested through the state HAVRS offices in Juneau or Anchorage. The borough seat is Kodiak, located in southwestern Alaska on Kodiak Island. Marriage records for the area go back to at least 1890, making this one of the earlier recorded communities in the state's historical vital records system. You can request a certified copy of a Kodiak marriage record by mail, fax, in-person visit, or online through VitalChek. The Kodiak Magistrate Court handles local marriage license applications.
Kodiak Island Borough Overview
Requesting Kodiak Island Borough Marriage Records
The Kodiak Island Borough Clerk is located at 710 Millbay Road, Kodiak, AK 99615-6340, phone (907) 486-1600. The borough government manages local government records but does not maintain marriage certificates. All certified copies of marriage records for events in Kodiak Island Borough must be requested through the Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records Section (HAVRS).
There are four ways to request a certified copy. You can order online through VitalChek for expedited processing. You can mail a completed request form, a copy of your ID, and your payment to: Health Analytics and Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675. Fax requests go to (907) 465-3618. Walk-in service is available at both the Juneau office at 5441 Commercial Blvd and the Anchorage office at 3901 Old Seward Hwy, Suite 101. Both are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The full request process is described at the HAVRS vital records page.
A certified copy costs $30. Each additional copy of the same record, ordered at the same time, is $25. Credit cards, checks, and money orders are all accepted depending on how you submit the request.
Under Alaska law, marriage records are confidential for 50 years after the date of the marriage. Only the spouses named on the certificate, their legal representatives, or individuals with a court order may request restricted records. After 50 years, the record is open to anyone.
Note: The AKGenWeb page for Kodiak notes that some marriage certificate images are available through FamilySearch even for records that might otherwise be restricted, as older scanned materials may be publicly viewable online.Kodiak Magistrate Court and Marriage Licenses
The Kodiak Magistrate Court at 204 Mission Road, Room 101, Kodiak, AK 99615, handles marriage license applications for residents of Kodiak Island Borough. This is the local option for applying in person rather than traveling to Juneau or Anchorage. Both parties must appear and be sworn in before a court officer. The courthouse phone is (907) 486-1600.
The fee for a marriage license is $60 when applied for in person, or $70.50 if mailed. After the completed application is received, there is a mandatory three-day waiting period before the license can be issued. Once the license is picked up or received, it is valid for 90 days. If the wedding does not happen within that window, the license becomes void and a new application must be submitted with another fee.
Under AS 25.05.261, marriages in Alaska can be performed by ministers, priests, and religious leaders, by judicial officers, by elected public officials, and by individuals appointed as marriage commissioners by a local court. The commissioner appointment allows a friend or family member to officiate. To get one, contact the court nearest to where the ceremony will take place. In Kodiak, the Magistrate Court handles these appointments. There is a $25 processing fee.
After the ceremony, all parties sign the license, and it must be returned to a HAVRS office within seven days. Alaska has no common law marriage. This return step is required for the marriage to be legally registered. Once processed, a Certificate of Marriage can be ordered for $30.
| Court | Kodiak Magistrate Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 204 Mission Road, Room 101, Kodiak, AK 99615 |
| Phone | (907) 486-1600 |
| License Fee | $60 in person / $70.50 by mail |
| Waiting Period | 3 business days |
| License Valid | 90 days |
Kodiak Island Marriage Records Online
The AKGenWeb project maintains community genealogy resources for Kodiak Island Borough, including access to historical marriage records and images available through FamilySearch.
The AKGenWeb Kodiak page provides links to marriage records, death records, and other historical materials from the area, along with notes on what is and is not currently available through FamilySearch.
The AKGenWeb Kodiak page notes that under Alaska law, deaths, marriages, and divorces become public records 50 years after the event, and some older images are already viewable online through FamilySearch.
The Alaska vital records system provides the official process for ordering certified Kodiak Island Borough marriage certificates through HAVRS.
The HAVRS vital records page is where you start for all official record requests, including those for marriages that took place in Kodiak.
Certified Kodiak marriage certificates are available for $30 per copy, with additional copies at $25 each when ordered simultaneously.
The Alaska State Archives in Juneau holds the primary historical collection for the state, including older vital records not yet digitized through FamilySearch.
The Alaska State Archives collection guides describe the full range of historical records held by the archives, including what is available for the Kodiak area.
The archives hold territorial and pre-statehood records from the Kodiak area that date back well before formal state registration began in 1913.
Historical Kodiak Island Marriage Records
Kodiak Island has one of the longest documented histories of any Alaska community. Marriage records from the Kodiak area date back to 1890 in the Alaska State Archives collection. Two key FamilySearch collections cover this area: the 1900 to 1963 Alaska Kodiak Marriage Records collection, and the 1926 to 1940 Alaska Karluk Marriage Records collection. The broader Alaska Vital Records collection on FamilySearch covers marriages from 1816 through 1959, which includes early Kodiak records. The MyHeritage version of the same collection covers 1816 to 1964.
Formal state registration of marriages in Kodiak started in 1913. Prior records from this area often come from Russian Orthodox Church registers, which documented baptisms, marriages, and deaths during the Russian colonial period and into the American territorial period. The Russian presence in Kodiak goes back to the late 1700s, and some church records from that era are among the oldest surviving marriage documents in Alaska. These are not always available digitally, and researchers looking for pre-1900 records may need to contact the archives directly.
The FamilySearch Alaska Vital Records wiki explains what is in the collection and how to browse for Kodiak area records. The partnership between FamilySearch and the Alaska State Archives resulted in over 1.1 million scanned documents being made available online. Kodiak records are part of that collection.
For records that fall outside the FamilySearch collection, the Alaska State Archives can assist with research requests. Archivists can help identify what records exist for a given location and time period and explain how to access them.
Marriage Laws in Kodiak Island Borough
All marriages in Kodiak Island Borough are governed by Alaska Statutes Title 25. Under AS 25.05.021, a marriage is void if either party has a living spouse at the time of the new marriage, or if the two people are related closer than first cousins. A void marriage cannot be made valid after the fact.
Both parties must be at least 18 years old to marry without court involvement. Those aged 16 or 17 need a court order and written parental consent. Under AS 25.05.171, no one under 16 may marry in Alaska. If one party is 16 or 17, the other party may not be more than three years older. A birth certificate may be required to confirm age when it is in question.
Both applicants must appear in person to have the application notarized. You can do this at a HAVRS office, a courthouse, with a postmaster, or before a notary in your community. The application itself is valid for one year, but the license once issued is valid for only 90 days. If the wedding does not happen in time, you must reapply.
Under AS 25.05.301, the ceremony has no required form or script. Both parties must state in the presence of the officiant and at least one witness that they are taking each other as spouses. The witness must be at least 18. After the ceremony, the signed license goes back to HAVRS within seven days. All prior marriages must be disclosed and legally ended. If a recent divorce is involved, bring a copy of the decree when you apply.
Nearby Boroughs
These boroughs neighbor Kodiak Island Borough. All use the same Alaska HAVRS system for marriage records requests.