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Alaskan Marriage Records

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Frequently Asked Questions about Alaskan Marriage Records:

Q. When did Alaska start recording marriages?

A. 1913 is the first year Alaska began officially recording birth, death and marriage records. Marriages earlier than 1913 may be found in church records which have been microfilmed by the Bureau of Vital Statistics.

Q. How do I verify an Alaskan marriage record?

A. Certificate copies are issued by the Alaskan Bureau of Vital Statistics. A copy of the request form and instructions can be found here Marriage Certificates, or an online record service can be used Order Verification or Official Certificates online. Walk-ins are also an option at these offices.

Q. Are there restrictions on getting copies of Alaskan vital records?

A. There are restrictions on Alaskan vital records. Under Alaska law, all Vital Statistics records are strictly confidential until they become public records (except for marriage license applications which are open to the public).

  • Birth records become public records 100 years after the event.
  • Death records become public records 50 years after the event.
  • Marriage records become public records 50 years after the event.
  • Divorce records become public records 50 years after the event.

Q. How is Alaska different than other states?

A. Alaska has no counties. The land is split up into Municipalities, Boroughs, Divisions and Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Corporations.

Q. Why are Alaskan ancestors marriages different than other states?

A. Have you ever heard the saying, "Tougher in Alaska"? Our Alaskan ancestors faced living conditions in a harsh environment that few of us today can even imagine. Frigid artic temperatures, tundra, permafrost, glaciers, active earthquake zones, and hardly any inland communities is what the greatest influx of settlers faced during the gold rush of the 1890's. There they found the Athabaskans, Aleuts, Inuit, Yupik, Tlingit and Haida native populations and many learned to survive the way the "Indians and Eskimo's" did, by trapping, hunting, fishing and building native shelters. If you have Alaskan ancestors in your family tree, you are related to some very hardy individuals.
 

Importance of Alaska Marriage Records

When you get married there are a number of things that you'll have to be responsible for, from getting the person to perform the ceremony, to making sure that you have a marriage license. Marriage licenses are extremely important in all of the 50 states, and it's impossible to get married legally unless you have one, but why are marriage licenses and marriage records so important?

There are many people who wonder why marriage licenses are important anymore. They came into being because the church wanted to have a way to prove that a couple was legally wedded, and they have stayed important because they are a way to prove that the couple are both the right age and are getting married consensually.  It is also a wonderful way to learn more about your history. If you're looking for a history on your family, finding marriage records is a great way to do so.

The state of Alaska is a very large state, but it may surprise you to know that even this state, which is filled with a vast amount of untamed wilderness, has been keeping track of all Alaska marriage records since it became settled.  If you have any relatives who have lived and married in the wilderness, finding Alaska marriage records is the perfect way to learn as much as you can about your family.

One of the big reasons marriage licenses are important is because there is a great deal of public information that goes onto them. Not only does the full name of both the bride and the groom get put on the license, but their place of birth and the names of their parents is also put on the license. Most marriage records will also tell you if someone has been previously married or if this is their first marriage. All of this information is vital if you're trying to fill in the missing branches of your family tree.

When you're looking for Alaska marriage records, the first thing that you should do is to conduct a search online. The internet has made it possible for everyone to gain access to public information very easily, even if you have an ancestor who spent a great deal of time in a place that is as far away as Alaska. Before the internet, the only way that you could get information was to actually go to the town or city clerk's office and to get the information in person. Now, however, you can easily access the information online with just a few clicks of the mouse and a small bit of typing.

For copies of an Alaskan marriage you can write to any of the Alaskan Bureau of Vital Statistics addresses or you can order a copy online.
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Getting married in Alaska? Here are a few facts about getting your marriage license.

  • You must have a license to be married in Alaska.
  • Cost for a license is $50.
  • There are 3 waiting days before the license is issued.
  • No blood test is required.
  • Both bride and groom must be 18 years old. Younger parties must have written consent.
  • Alaska has no common law marriage.
  • Marriage License Application includes instructions.

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