Alaska Criminal Court Records Search: Cases & Dockets

Use the correct government records service

Where Can You Search Alaska Criminal Court Records?

Alaska has separate services for trial court cases, appellate proceedings, court hearing calendars, state criminal-history reports and correctional custody information.

Free statewide public case lookup

How to Search Alaska Criminal Court Records Using CourtView

Alaska CourtView allows users to search public court case information without first knowing which of Alaska’s judicial districts handled the matter.

The official interface provides three primary search tabs:

• Case number
• Party name
• Ticket or citation number

The case-number tab is selected by default.

1. Open Alaska CourtView Public Access

   Go to records.courts.alaska.gov. This is the public case-access website linked by the Alaska Court System.

   The application is intended for individual public case searches and may use browser security protections.

2. Select the search method

   If you know the court case number, stay on the default Case Number tab.

   If you know only the defendant’s name, choose the name-search tab.

   If you have a traffic or minor-offense citation, try the Ticket/Citation tab.

3. Enter accurate identifying information

   For a name search, enter the person’s legal name. Consider alternative spellings and common name variations where appropriate.

   For a case number, preserve the required letters, dashes and leading zeros.

4. Review matching case records

   Look at the listed case numbers, court locations and case types.

   Do not decide that two records belong to the same person merely because the names match.

5. Open the criminal case detail

   Click the relevant case number to see the public case information.

   The court’s instructions explain that case details may include separate sections for events, parties, charges, dockets and financial information.

6. Read the charge information

   Look at Party Charge Information to determine whether the case involves a felony, misdemeanor or an amended charge.

   The search results’ general “Criminal” label does not by itself identify the seriousness of the offense.

7. Verify every charge’s disposition

   Review the Party Charge Disposition information rather than assuming every charge resulted in conviction.

   A case may contain convictions, dismissals, acquittals or different outcomes for separate charges.

8. Check hearing and docket information

   Look at Events for scheduled hearings and Docket for procedural entries and filed documents.

   Use the court’s official calendar for an additional scheduling reference.

9. Request documents from the filing court

   If you need a judgment, sentencing order, dismissal or certified court record, use the original court’s records department.

How do you search when a name is misspelled?

The Alaska Court System recommends several approaches:

• Try different spellings of the person’s first or last name.
• Use a first initial where the search interface permits it.
• Try common first-name variations.
• Search using the beginning of an uncertain surname.
• Use the available filing-date or other filters to narrow large result sets.

For example, the court explains that searching the beginning of a surname can help locate several related spelling variations.

What if CourtView returns too many results?

Alaska CourtView limits a search result set to 500 cases.

If a search reaches that limit, use narrower parameters, such as a filing-date range, to find the correct case.

Does CourtView update immediately?

Case information appears online after it is entered into the court’s case-management system.

The Court System cautions that some information may not be entered until several days after an event.

Understand the format before searching

Alaska Criminal Case Number Format and Court Prefixes

Alaska criminal trial court numbers follow a structured format that identifies the judicial district, filing location, year, sequence number and case type.

Common Alaska criminal court prefixes

The complete official prefix list also includes smaller court locations and historical court assignments.

Why are the dashes and leading zeros important?

The Court System specifically instructs users to enter a full case number with dashes and a five-digit sequence number.

If the number on your document is handwritten or abbreviated, confirm the complete identifier with the clerk before assuming the electronic record is missing.

Read criminal records correctly

How to Understand Alaska CourtView Criminal Dockets and Dispositions

CourtView separates different kinds of case information into distinct fields.

The distinction between a docket entry, court event and charge disposition is especially important when reviewing Alaska criminal cases.

Why is a criminal case marked “Closed”?

The case may have reached a final disposition. However, Alaska CourtView explains that a case-status change is not always a reliable substitute for reading the actual charge outcomes.

Why is a closed criminal case marked “Reopened”?

Possible reasons include:

• Petition to revoke probation
• Order setting aside a conviction
• Motion to correct an illegal sentence
• Postjudgment action following an appeal
• Judicial reassignment or other administrative change

The Court System explains that some case assignments can automatically close and reopen an electronic record without necessarily involving a new criminal charge.

How can you tell if the person was convicted?

Look at the disposition of each charge.

For example, a case with three charges may show one conviction and two dismissals. Describing that person as convicted of all three charges would be inaccurate.

Hearings, arraignments and trial dates

How to Search Alaska Criminal Court Calendars and Dockets

Alaska publishes court calendars by location, with separate schedules for the current day and next business day.

Many court locations also publish criminal trial calendars and supplemental hearings.

1. Identify the court location

   Use the location prefix in CourtView or the courthouse shown on the most recent notice.

2. Open the statewide Calendars page

   Find the city where the hearing is scheduled.

3. Select today’s or the next-business-day calendar

   Some locations offer multiple calendar formats, such as by judge, by party or by hearing time.

4. Find the relevant hearing

   Compare the defendant name, case number, judge and court location.

5. Check for supplemental calendars

   In locations such as Anchorage, Fairbanks and Palmer, additional or revised calendars may be published separately.

6. Follow the correct appearance instructions

   If your court notice requires a telephone or Zoom appearance, use the information issued by the court.

7. Confirm before a required appearance

   Check CourtView and contact the courthouse for time-sensitive information.

When do Alaska court calendars update?

The Alaska Court System states:

• Today’s calendars: Generally updated by 7:30 a.m., unless a particular location notes otherwise.
• Next-business-day calendars: Generally update hourly unless the particular location uses another schedule.
• Anchorage criminal trial calendar: Updated weekdays at 7 a.m.
• Fairbanks criminal trial calendars: Some update every hour on the half hour; regional listings update weekdays at 7 a.m.

Calendar schedules can change without advance notice. The court directs users to CourtView for the most current available trial case information.

Can you watch an Alaska criminal court hearing online?

The Alaska Court System offers a public hearing livestream service for certain proceedings.

The official site also publishes telephone conference information and explains how to participate in hearings scheduled for Zoom.

The Court System states that livestream hearings are not archived for later viewing.

Recent filings and completed prosecutions

Find Newly Filed Alaska Criminal Cases and Recent Dispositions

Alaska publishes a statewide recent-filings section in addition to CourtView’s individual case-search system.

This can be particularly helpful when researching a recently filed case or checking newly closed criminal matters.

How to use the reports

1. Open the Alaska Trial Courts homepage

   Find the Recent Filings & Case Dispositions section.

2. Select Criminal Cases Filed or Criminal Dispositions

   Choose the report that matches the information you need.

3. Review the published report

   Look for the relevant filing or disposition information.

4. Open CourtView to inspect the case

   Use the available case number to review the public docket and charge outcomes.

Alaska’s four judicial districts

Alaska Criminal Courthouses: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Other Locations

Alaska organizes its trial courts into four judicial districts, serving communities across the state’s boroughs and census areas.

Unlike many other states, Alaska does not operate a separate statewide network of county clerks responsible for criminal court filings. Court record requests generally go to the Alaska Court System location where the case was filed.

Important Alaska criminal court contacts

Other Alaska criminal court locations

For cases in Nome, Kotzebue, Utqiagvik, Dillingham, Homer, Kodiak, Sitka, Ketchikan, Valdez or smaller communities, use the statewide Court Directory to identify the appropriate courthouse.

Older criminal cases and historical indexes

How Far Back Do Alaska Criminal Court Records Go?

Alaska’s electronic record coverage is not complete for every historical year.

The Court System states that it does not have comprehensive statewide case information for trial court locations before 1990.

Cases filed in 1990 or later

Start with CourtView. The official record-request instructions direct users to the electronic case system to find case numbers from approximately 1990 onward.

Availability can still vary by the date each courthouse adopted CourtView and by the legal status of the case.

Cases filed before 1990

Historically, courts maintained alphabetical paper index cards identifying case numbers and party names.

Alaska has also been converting these paper cards into a statewide electronic Historical Index.

However, the Historical Index is not open to unrestricted public searching because it contains confidential information.

How to search a pre-1990 criminal case

1. Identify the likely court location

   Use the location of the original prosecution rather than your current residence.

2. Collect the person’s full name and approximate filing period

   Include known name variations and any surviving court documents.

3. Contact the original courthouse

   Ask the clerk about historical criminal case indexing.

4. Request the appropriate manual search

   The clerk may need to review both historical electronic indexes and paper index cards.

5. Confirm records availability and costs

   Research time may be billed, and some historical documents may be unavailable or restricted.

Official filed court documents

How to Request Alaska Criminal Court Records and Certified Copies

For judgments, dismissal orders, criminal complaints, sentencing records and other case documents, submit a records request to the court where the case was filed.

The Alaska Court System provides Form TF-311, Instructions and Request for Records, along with location-specific forms.

Which records request form should you use?

Step-by-step court record request

1. Find the case in CourtView

   Record the complete case number, defendant name and courthouse location.

2. Choose the proper TF-311 version

   Use the location-specific form where required.

3. Complete all required request fields

   Provide the case number, case name, requester information and a description of the desired records.

4. Specify each document

   For example, request the judgment of conviction, order dismissing charges or a minute order from a particular hearing.

5. Choose ordinary, certified or exemplified copies

   Different document types have different charges. The standard form states that ordinary copies will be sent if the requester does not specify another type.

6. Submit to the correct courthouse

   The statewide records instructions allow in-person and mail requests. The Trial Courts page also lists email and fax submission options for applicable locations.

7. Confirm payment and processing time

   The court may require prepayment or a deposit, especially for larger requests.

8. Receive the available documents

   The TF-311 instructions specify that certified and exemplified/authenticated copies must be mailed.

How long does it take to get Alaska court records?

The standard TF-311 instructions describe a normal records request as taking approximately two weeks.

However, local processing times differ:

• Fairbanks: Approximately 4–6 weeks for online requests.
• Palmer: Approximately 2–4 weeks for online requests according to the statewide trial-court service page.
• Valdez: The statewide page currently advises approximately 4–6 weeks because of staffing constraints.

These are published estimates, not guaranteed delivery times. Research-intensive requests may take longer.

Official Alaska court fee schedule

Alaska Criminal Court Records Search and Copy Fees

Alaska’s court copy charges differ from those of many other states because ordinary copies are primarily charged per document, not per page.

How much would three ordinary court documents cost?

For an ordinary copy request containing three different eligible documents at one time, the published base schedule would ordinarily be:

Statewide criminal-history repository

Alaska Department of Public Safety Criminal Background Checks

Alaska DPS maintains criminal justice information through its Criminal Records and Identification Bureau.

The underlying Alaska criminal-history repository is separate from CourtView and includes criminal justice information reported by Alaska criminal justice agencies.

Authorized criminal-history reports may contain conviction history, current offender information and other categories permitted by Alaska law.

Alaska name-based background check

DPS currently lists a fee of $20 for an Alaska name-based criminal-history check.

The state offers an online personal request process and downloadable forms for individuals using mail or in-person submission.

Alaska fingerprint-based background check

For a more reliable identity match, DPS recommends fingerprint-based background checks.

The department lists:

• Alaska fingerprint-based criminal history: $35.
• Authorized state and national fingerprint-based check: $47, subject to applicable eligibility and authorization rules.

DPS requires fingerprints in the correct FD-258 format for paper fingerprint submissions.

A state-only Alaska history check should not be described as a nationwide FBI criminal-background report.

How to request your own Alaska criminal-history report online

1. Open the official DPS background-check service

   Choose the name-based personal criminal-history request.

2. Enter your email address

   The DPS system sends a secure link to begin the request.

3. Complete the identity-verification process

   The department’s online request procedure requires an Alaska driver’s license or state identification number and additional personal identity information.

   If you lack the required documents or prefer not to supply them online, use the mail-in or walk-in option.

4. Provide the required identifying information

   Use your accurate personal details, including any names requested by the application.

5. Pay the applicable fee

   Follow the official portal’s payment instructions for the $20 name-based report.

6. Review the result

   Check charges and dispositions carefully, especially if a case was dismissed, declined for prosecution or later set aside.

Can someone request another person’s Alaska criminal history?

DPS permits specified categories of criminal-history information to be released to requesters under Alaska Statute 12.62.160.

However, the amount and type of information available depend on the legal category of the requester.

The DPS instructions for third-party name-based background checks describe a written form requiring the subject’s signed authorization.

Do not treat this as permission to obtain sealed, nonconviction or full confidential records without legal authorization.

Department of Corrections inmate information

Alaska Inmate Search, Prisoner Location and VINELink

The Alaska Department of Corrections offers VINE, an automated system for inmate information and victim notifications.

VINE stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday.

It provides a different service from CourtView because it addresses custody and correctional status rather than criminal trial court proceedings.

How to check Alaska inmate information

1. Open the Alaska DOC VINE instructions

   Use the official Department of Corrections page to understand the service.

2. Go to VINELink or use the telephone service

   Find Alaska’s inmate information service and follow its available search method.

3. Provide the accepted search details

   Use the person’s name or the other identifiers required by the application.

4. Review available custody information

   VINE may provide information about the inmate’s current location and tentative release date.

5. Register for updates if appropriate

   The service offers victim notifications about release, escape, work release placement or death in custody.

Does VINE show convictions?

Not as a substitute for official court judgments.

Use CourtView or request the original court judgment if you need to establish how a criminal charge was disposed.

Can you look up a federal inmate in Alaska?

Federal prisoners are under separate federal correctional authority.

State Troopers and public incident reports

How to Request Alaska State Trooper Criminal and Arrest Reports

Police reports, arrest narratives and investigations are different from court case dockets.

If Alaska State Troopers handled the event, use the Department of Public Safety public-information request process.

How to request an Alaska State Trooper incident report

1. Confirm which agency created the report

   Make sure Alaska State Troopers or another DPS division holds the requested information.

2. Open the official DPS records request service

   The department links to its JustFOIA public request portal.

3. Provide enough identifying details

   Include the incident date, location, report number and the type of record you need.

4. Submit the records request

   Use the government’s approved online request form.

5. Review any fee notice

   DPS states that requesters are notified if their request will incur charges before processing continues.

6. Check whether the record can be released

   Investigative, confidential and privacy-related exemptions may limit disclosure.

What if Anchorage Police made the arrest?

Alaska DPS states that its public-records office does not maintain records created by independent municipal police departments.

If Anchorage Police, Fairbanks Police or another local agency created the report, contact that department’s records office.

Alaska’s unusual public-index rules

Why a Dismissed or Acquitted Alaska Criminal Case May Disappear From CourtView

Alaska has unusually specific rules governing which criminal cases remain visible on the Court System’s public website.

Under Alaska Statute 22.35.030, qualifying cases cannot remain published on the court’s publicly available website after 60 days from the applicable acquittal or dismissal.

The rule covers specified circumstances, including:

• Acquittal of all charges in the case.
• Dismissal of all charges where dismissal was not part of a plea agreement in another criminal case.
• A combination of acquittals and qualifying dismissals disposing of all charges.
• Specified dismissals following a suspended entry of judgment.

Additional exclusions apply under Alaska Administrative Rule 40.

What if an eligible dismissed case still appears?

The Alaska Court System provides Form TF-810, Request to Exclude Case from Online Public Index (CourtView).

The form applies when a case should already have been excluded under Administrative Rule 40(a) or AS 22.35.030.

How to submit a CourtView exclusion request

1. Check whether the case qualifies

   Review the final charge dispositions and the court’s published removal criteria.

2. Determine whether the required period has passed

   For qualifying cases under AS 22.35.030, confirm that at least 60 days have elapsed since the relevant disposition.

3. Complete Form TF-810

   Provide the case name, case number, your contact information and the statutory or rule-based reason for exclusion.

4. Submit the form to the original trial court

   File it at the court where the case was handled.

5. Wait for the court’s determination

   The court reviews the request and decides whether the case belongs in the public index.

TF-800 vs. TF-805 vs. TF-810

Is CourtView removal the same as expungement?

No.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety states that Alaska does not have a general law to expunge criminal-history records.

An Alaska criminal-history report may still contain a charge and its disposition even when the charge was dismissed.

Similarly, a conviction set aside following a suspended imposition of sentence may continue to appear in the state’s criminal-history repository with an updated disposition.

Missing disposition or inaccurate history

How to Correct an Alaska Criminal Court or DPS Record

Errors may occur when a court case disposition is incomplete, a name is matched incorrectly or an arrest record was not updated with the final prosecution outcome.

If the error is in CourtView

1. Identify the specific inaccurate entry

   Record the case number, charge and information that appears incorrect.

2. Obtain supporting documentation

   Find the judgment, dismissal order or other official document showing the correct information.

3. Contact the original court

   The Court System directs case-record correction questions to the courthouse where the case was filed.

4. Use the correct correction or confidentiality process

   A factual case-record correction differs from a request to remove a qualifying case from the public index.

If the error is in your Alaska DPS report

Alaska DPS publishes a Request to Correct Criminal Justice Information form.

The department recommends providing supporting court documentation, especially for missing final dispositions.

Why does a dismissed arrest still show in Alaska DPS history?

DPS explains that arrest and charge information may remain in the state’s repository even after charges were dismissed or declined for prosecution.

The report should reflect the applicable disposition. The existence of the earlier arrest itself does not necessarily make the entry inaccurate.

What happens after a conviction is set aside?

The Alaska DPS guidance states that a conviction set aside following a suspended imposition of sentence may remain in the repository as a past conviction entry with the disposition “conviction set aside.”

The proper remedy for an inaccurate entry depends on the actual error and the applicable state correction procedure.

Find the source of a missing record

Why Can’t I Find Alaska Criminal Court Records Online?

State criminal appeals and federal cases

Alaska Criminal Appeals and Federal Criminal Court Records

Not every criminal case ends with the original trial court’s judgment.

Alaska Court of Appeals

The Alaska Court of Appeals handles qualifying criminal appeals under state law.

The Court System operates a separate public appellate case-management website for Court of Appeals and Supreme Court records.

When reviewing a conviction, look for later appellate decisions or trial court proceedings that may have modified the case outcome.

Federal District Court of Alaska

Federal criminal prosecutions within Alaska are handled by the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.

These cases are outside ordinary Alaska CourtView trial court coverage.

PACER has separate registration, access and fee rules.

Public access and responsible record use

Are Alaska Criminal Court Records Public?

Many Alaska adult criminal court records are public, but state law, court rules and judicial orders restrict access to some cases and categories of documents.

The Alaska Court System’s public index also excludes specific qualifying cases that might otherwise exist in the underlying court or criminal-history system.

The Alaska Court System specifically warns employers, credit agencies and other users to verify identity before taking an adverse action based on a name appearing in CourtView.

Criminal-history checks obtained from a consumer reporting agency may also be governed by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Official Alaska court and government resources

Alaska Criminal Court Records: Official Search Links and Forms

These government resources provide the authoritative search services, access rules, fee schedules and records-request procedures described in this guide.