Petersburg Borough Public Records

Petersburg Borough public records include property assessments, court filings, recorded land documents, and official borough records. Located in Southeast Alaska, the borough offers online property search tools and court access through the Alaska Court System. This page covers how to find and request public records from the Petersburg Borough and the state agencies that serve it.

Petersburg Borough Administration and Records

The Petersburg Borough Administration is at PO Box 329, Petersburg, AK 99833, phone 907-772-4425. The borough provides several departments with online services, including a property information search system. The official website is at petersburgak.gov.

Borough public records are governed by the Alaska Public Records Act (AS 40.25.100 through AS 40.25.295). Under AS 40.25.110, every person has the right to inspect public records. The borough must respond to requests within 10 working days. Agencies can provide records, deny with an explanation, or give a cost estimate when the search will take significant staff time.

The borough website screenshot below, sourced from petersburgak.gov, shows the online services and department contacts available to the public.

For record requests that are not available online, contact the appropriate borough department by phone or mail. Complex requests that require staff research time may carry charges if they exceed five person-hours in a calendar month. The borough can charge actual personnel costs in those cases.

Petersburg Borough Property Records Search

The Petersburg Borough Finance Department maintains an online property information search tool with annual updates. You can access it at petersburgak.gov/finance/page/property-information-search. The system has two components: an Online Property Viewer and a Property Self-Service portal.

In the Online Property Viewer, you can search by Parcel Number, Owner Name (Last, First), Physical Street Address, or Subdivision Name. In the Self-Service portal, searchable fields include the Parcel Roll Number (no dashes), Property ID from the old system, or Physical Street Address.

Without creating an account, the public can see physical address, legal description, current year assessment, assessment history, current year tax levy, and previous year tax levy. With a registered account linked to a parcel, you can also see ownership information, mailing address, bill summary, and transaction history. To get a Property PIN number for account registration, contact Anna Caulum at 907-772-5409.

The property search portal screenshot below was sourced from petersburgak.gov and shows the search interface.

This tool is especially useful for verifying ownership, checking assessed values, or reviewing tax history on a parcel before a transaction. All data in the system reflects annual updates, so very recent changes may not appear right away.

Note: The Online Property Viewer is updated annually. For the most current ownership or tax data, call the Finance Department to confirm details before relying on them for a legal or financial decision.

Petersburg Court Records and Case Files

The Petersburg Court serves the borough as part of Alaska's First Judicial District. The courthouse is at 17 North Nordic Drive, Petersburg, AK 99833. The mailing address is Box 1009, Petersburg, AK 99833. You can reach the court by phone at 907-772-3824, fax at 907-772-3018, or email record requests to 1PEMailbox@akcourts.gov.

Court hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon. Weekend and holiday arraignments are held via teleconference at 10:30 AM. You join by calling 1-888-788-0099, Meeting ID: 923 853 3061.

The Petersburg court handles cases for the borough. Misdemeanor criminal cases, preliminary hearings, small claims up to $10,000, and traffic violations are heard locally. Felony cases and complex civil matters go to the First Judicial District's larger courts. You can search Petersburg court cases online through CourtView by name, case number, or citation.

The court directory screenshot below shows the Petersburg court listing, sourced from courts.alaska.gov.

Statewide copy fees apply: $10 for the first certified copy and $3 for each additional copy of the same document. Regular copies cost $5 for the first document and $3 for each additional. Research fees are $30 per hour. Audio recordings cost $20 per CD. To get copies of specific case documents, email or call the court with the case number.

CourtView shows case summaries for civil (CI), criminal (CR), probate (PR), small claims (SC), and minor offense (MO) case types. For cases filed before 1990, you need to contact the court directly since only limited information was entered into the electronic system at that time.

Law Enforcement Records in Petersburg Borough

The Petersburg Police Department serves within the city limits of Petersburg. Alaska State Troopers handle law enforcement outside city limits in the broader borough. Both agencies hold arrest records that are open to public inspection under AS 40.25.110.

To request arrest records from the Petersburg Police Department, contact the department directly. For State Troopers records, submit a written request to the local post or the statewide records office. Some law enforcement records may be withheld under AS 40.25.120, particularly those tied to active investigations or confidential informant activity.

For statewide criminal history background checks, use the Alaska Department of Public Safety portal at backgroundcheck.dps.alaska.gov. The fee is $20 for the first record and $5 per additional copy. You can also submit requests by mail to the Criminal Records and Identification Bureau at 5700 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99507, phone 907-269-5511.

Vital Records for Petersburg Borough

Births, deaths, marriages, and divorces in the Petersburg Borough are filed with the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics in Juneau. Certified copies are available through health.alaska.gov online through VitalChek, or by mail. Fees are $30 for the first certified copy of a birth, death, or marriage certificate and $25 for each additional copy.

Online orders through VitalChek take 2 to 3 weeks plus shipping. Mail and fax orders take 2 to 3 months. Most records are restricted to individuals named on them or their authorized representatives. Historical records become public after 100 years for births and 50 years for deaths, marriages, and divorces.

Contact the bureau at BVSOffice@alaska.gov for standard requests or BVSSpecialServices@alaska.gov for corrections, adoptions, paternity issues, and amendments. Only records for events occurring in Alaska can be ordered through this office.

Nearby Boroughs in Southeast Alaska

These boroughs and areas border the Petersburg Borough or are located nearby in Southeast Alaska.