Search Ketchikan Gateway Borough Public Records

Ketchikan Gateway Borough public records cover a range of documents from court filings and property assessments to police reports and borough government records. The borough is located in Southeast Alaska with its seat in Ketchikan. This page covers the main offices that hold Ketchikan Gateway Borough public records and explains what each one has and how to get copies.

Ketchikan Gateway Borough Clerk Records

The Borough Clerk is the official custodian of Ketchikan Gateway Borough records. The Clerk's office handles public records requests for borough government documents including assembly meeting videos, meeting minutes, ordinances, resolutions, planning commission records, and service area minutes. Many of these records are available directly on the borough website without a formal request.

To request records that are not already online, submit a completed Records Request Form to records@kgbak.us. The form is available as a PDF on the borough website. The borough follows the Alaska Public Records Act (AS 40.25.100), which requires agencies to respond within 10 working days. Requests involving a large volume of documents or complex searches may take longer, and agencies can request an extension with notice.

The screenshot below shows the Ketchikan Gateway Borough public records page, which is a good first stop for residents looking for borough documents.

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough public records page lists available documents and explains how to submit a records request to the Borough Clerk.

Note: Under state law, agencies may charge for search time when it exceeds 5 person-hours in a calendar month. The borough will give you a cost estimate before doing extensive searches.

Court Records in Ketchikan Gateway Borough

The Ketchikan Superior and District Courts are part of the First Judicial District. They sit at 415 Main Street, Room 300 in Ketchikan. The courthouse phone is 907-225-3195, and the fax for record requests is 907-225-3198. Superior Court handles felony cases, civil disputes over $100,000, domestic relations, and probate. District Court covers misdemeanors, civil cases up to $100,000, small claims up to $10,000, and traffic matters.

Ketchikan court records are available online through CourtView, the Alaska Court System's free public case search portal. You can search by party name or case number to find case status, filings, and hearing schedules. Standard court copies cost $2.50 per page. Certified copies are $5 each. For certified copies, contact the clerk's office directly or send your request by fax to 907-225-3198.

The Alaska Recorder's Office for the First Judicial District is at 415 Main Street, Room 400 in Ketchikan. This office handles recorded documents like deeds, mortgages, and liens. Property ownership searches can also be done through the DNR Recorder's Office online portal or through Alaska Mapper for GIS-based land record searches.

Ketchikan Gateway Borough Property Records

The second screenshot shows the Ketchikan Gateway Borough's main website, which links to property search tools and other public records resources.

The borough's official site at kgbak.us provides access to the Assessor's online property search and other key records portals.

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assessor's Office manages property assessment records. The Assessor is at 344 Front Street, Ketchikan, phone 907-228-6625 or 907-228-6640. An online property search lets you find records by owner name, address, or parcel number. Assessment records are public. GIS mapping is also available through the borough website.

The Alaska Recorder's Office located at 415 Main Street, Room 400 in Ketchikan handles recording of property documents. Deeds, mortgages, liens, and other instruments are recorded there and become permanent public records. You can search recorded documents online through the DNR Recorder's portal. The grantor/grantee index goes back to 1970. Pre-1970 records require a search of historic books at the recorder's office.

Note: Recorded documents are searchable by grantor or grantee name, document number, date range, and legal description through the DNR online system.

Police Records in Ketchikan

Police records within the city of Ketchikan come from the Ketchikan Police Department. For areas outside city limits, the Alaska State Troopers cover law enforcement. Police reports, incident records, and arrest information for cases handled within city limits can be requested from the Ketchikan Police Department directly. Contact information and forms are available through the city at ketchikan.gov.

For statewide criminal history background checks, the Alaska Department of Public Safety Criminal Records and Identification Bureau handles all requests. A name-based criminal history check costs $20. Online requests require a social security number plus an Alaska driver's license or state ID number. The DPS bureau address is 5700 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99507, phone 907-269-5511.

Court-related criminal records, including filings, charges, and dispositions, are available through CourtView. The system contains records from most courts going back to the mid-1980s. Cases dismissed under certain conditions or involving juveniles may not appear in the public search results.

Vital Records for Ketchikan Area Residents

Vital records for births, deaths, marriages, and divorces in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough are maintained by the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics in Juneau. The BVS is a state agency and handles all certified copies of vital records for events that occurred in Alaska. Orders can be placed online through VitalChek, which is the only authorized third-party vendor, or in person and by mail using forms from the BVS website.

Certified copies cost $30 for the first copy of a birth or death certificate and $25 for each additional one. Marriage and divorce certificate fees are the same. Records are restricted to authorized requesters for recent events: birth records for 100 years, and death, marriage, and divorce records for 50 years. After those periods, the records become open to the public. The BVS contact email is BVSOffice@alaska.gov. The full ordering page is at health.alaska.gov.

The Alaska State Archives also holds historical records, including some older vital records and district court records from the territorial era. Researchers can contact the archives at archives@alaska.gov or call 907-465-2270. The archives maintain nearly 24,000 cubic feet of government records under AS 40.21.030.

Cities in Ketchikan Gateway Borough

Ketchikan is the main qualifying city within the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. It serves as the commercial and governmental center of the region.

Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas

These areas are in Southeast Alaska near the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. Each manages its own records system.