Alaska · 30 counties
When someone dies in Alaska
Two things matter first: getting certified death certificates, and, if money is short, reaching the burial assistance program in the county where the death happened. Pick your county below for exact contacts.
The paperwork
Death certificates in Alaska
Certified copies come from the Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics and Vital Records (official site).
The gap between routes is enormous here. VitalChek.com takes about 2 to 3 WEEKS, while mail or fax takes 2 to 3 MONTHS. If you need copies to settle anything, do not mail it. You can also order in person at the Anchorage or Juneau offices, and email orders are not accepted at all. Phone 907-269-0991 in Anchorage or 907-465-3391 in Juneau. Alaska works with no third-party vendor except VitalChek. Death records are restricted for 50 years to family, legal representatives, and others who can prove entitlement, and you must state your relationship or your reason for needing the record. Confirm the current fee when you order.
Planning ahead
Nobody has died yet? Set up a power of attorney
If someone you love is aging or ill, the cheapest protection your family can get is a power of attorney, and it must happen while they can still sign. We cover Alaska's exact rules and official forms.
Alaska power of attorney rulesIf money is tight
Statewide burial assistance
General Relief Assistance is a state funded program run by the Alaska Department of Health that helps residents cover essential funeral and burial or cremation costs when they cannot pay and do not qualify for other help. It is used as a last resort, meaning you must first show that no other resources or programs can cover the need, and payments are sent directly to the funeral home or vendor rather than to the family. Families should apply using the General Relief Assistance Burial Application and contact their local Division of Public Assistance office before finalizing arrangements with a funeral home.
Pick your county
Alaska counties (30)
Aleutians East BoroughAleutians West Census AreaAnchorage MunicipalityBethel Census AreaBristol Bay BoroughChugach Census AreaCopper River Census AreaDenali BoroughDillingham Census AreaFairbanks North Star BoroughHaines BoroughHoonah-Angoon Census AreaJuneau City and BoroughKenai Peninsula BoroughKetchikan Gateway BoroughKodiak Island BoroughKusilvak Census AreaLake and Peninsula BoroughMatanuska-Susitna BoroughNome Census AreaNorth Slope BoroughNorthwest Arctic BoroughPetersburg BoroughPrince of Wales-Hyder Census AreaSitka City and BoroughSkagway MunicipalitySoutheast Fairbanks Census AreaWrangell City and BoroughYakutat City and BoroughYukon-Koyukuk Census Area