Juneau City and Borough Obituary Records
Obituary records for Juneau City and Borough are available through the state vital statistics office, local library archives, FamilySearch digital collections, and the Juneau Empire newspaper going back to the 1800s. As Alaska's capital, Juneau holds the primary state-level vital records office, which means death certificates and related documents for the whole borough are processed here. This page covers where to search, what you can access, and how to request certified copies of Juneau death records.
Juneau City and Borough Overview
Juneau Obituary Records and State Vital Statistics
Juneau is home to Alaska's state vital records office. The Bureau of Vital Statistics is located at 5441 Commercial Boulevard, Juneau, AK 99801, with a mailing address at P.O. Box 110675. The phone number is 907-465-3391. This office processes death certificate requests for all of Alaska, including Juneau City and Borough. In-person requests can be made at this location, or you can order online through the Alaska Department of Health vital records page. VitalChek handles the online ordering process.
Certified death certificates cost $30 for the first copy and $25 for each additional copy requested at the same time. The Juneau City and Borough Clerk's Office at 100 Lincoln Street also maintains current vital records at the local level and can direct you to the appropriate office for specific requests.
Alaska's vital records statute AS 18.50 sets the rules for who can access death records and when. Death records become public 50 years after filing. That means Juneau death records from before 1975 are now open to the public without any need to show a family connection. Records from after that date require proof of a qualifying relationship or a legal reason for access. The Reporters Committee guide to vital statistics access provides a summary of how Alaska's open records rules apply to death records specifically.
Juneau's documented death records go back to 1884, making this one of the earliest recorded jurisdictions in Alaska. Mixed records from 1884 to 1896 cover a range of vital events in the early settlement. The borough also has formal death records from 1903 onward, with an Index to Vital Statistics covering 1903 to 1915.
Note: Juneau Borough death records from before 1975 are publicly accessible under AS 18.50, as 50 years have now passed since those records were filed.
Juneau Death Records on FamilySearch
FamilySearch holds one of the most complete digital collections of early Juneau vital records. These are free to access and span more than a century of borough history. The key Juneau-specific collections include death records (1903-1960), an Index to Vital Statistics (1903-1915), Mixed Records (1884-1896), Coroner's Records (1899-1969), Douglas School Registers (1906-1925), and Douglas Miscellaneous Records (1916-1929). The FamilySearch catalog entry for Juneau vital statistics gives full details on each collection's content and coverage.
The Juneau Coroner's Records (1899-1969) are especially valuable. They cover 70 years of deaths in the borough and often include details that formal death certificates lack, such as the circumstances of death, names of witnesses, and identifying information about the deceased. These records are also held at the Alaska State Archives, which maintains the physical originals. The Alaska State Archives collection guides describe the Juneau holdings in detail and are worth reviewing before a research visit.
The US Social Security Death Index (1962 to present) covers over 93 million records and is a primary tool for Juneau deaths from the 1960s onward. Each record shows date of birth, date of death, and last known residence. Pairing SSDI results with a search of the Juneau Empire newspaper archives gives you both the official record and the published death notice.
The Alaska Probate Records Index (1884-1959) covers 17,000 cases statewide. Many of these originated in the Juneau court system, which had jurisdiction over Southeast Alaska. The Superior Court in Juneau handles probate matters, and those filings often contain family details, estate descriptions, and burial information not captured elsewhere. The Alaska State Archives probate guide explains how to search and access these records.
Juneau Obituary Archives and Library Collections
The Alaska State Library in Juneau holds a key print resource: the Funeral Records, Juneau, Alaska Master Index (1898-1964). This is cataloged under AK-R 929.5097982 FUNERAL. It compiles funeral home records into a single index covering over 60 years of Juneau-area deaths. Funeral home records from this era often include more detail than the official death certificate, noting the name of the mortician, burial arrangements, and sometimes photographs or clippings from newspaper notices.
The Alaska State Library newspaper indexes cover the Juneau Empire and other Southeast Alaska papers. The Empire has been publishing in Juneau since the 1800s and is the primary source for local death notices and obituaries. The Alaska State Library index for the Empire covers December 1990 through August 1999 in digital form. For issues outside that range, microfilm copies are held at the library and accessible in person.
The Forebears.io Juneau Borough genealogy page links to major newspaper archive platforms. Newspapers.com (1728 to present), Newspaper Archive (1753 to present, 100 million-plus obituaries), and GenealogyBank (1690 to present, 250 million-plus obituaries) all have Juneau Empire coverage. Access to these platforms is subscription-based, but some public libraries provide free access on-site.
The screenshot below shows the Forebears.io genealogy resource page for Juneau City and Borough.
The Forebears.io Juneau Borough page aggregates death record databases and newspaper archive links relevant to Juneau genealogy research.
This aggregator page is a useful first step when beginning a search for Juneau death notices or obituary records.
Juneau Cemetery Records and Burial Indexes
Juneau City and Borough has two main cemeteries: Evergreen Cemetery and Juneau Memorial Park. Both have burial records that help confirm death dates and locations. The ANB Cemetery, tied to the Alaska Native Brotherhood, also has burial records available through Find A Grave. Volunteer contributors have photographed many headstones in the Juneau area, making it possible to confirm names and dates without visiting in person.
Federal military burial resources are particularly relevant to Juneau because of Alaska's long military history. The US Veteran's Gravesites database (1775-2008) holds over 7.6 million burial records. US Cemetery Interment Control Forms (1928-1962) and US Headstone Applications for Military Veterans (1925-1963) are two additional federal sources worth checking for Juneau-area military deaths. BillionGraves is another free digital cemetery search tool with Juneau records.
The Alaska Probate Records Index (1884-1959) is also useful for cemetery research because probate filings often specify the place of burial. With 17,000 cases indexed and many originating in the Juneau court, this is a strong cross-reference tool for tracking down burial sites when a headstone or burial list entry is missing. Superior Court in Juneau holds original jurisdiction over probate matters in Southeast Alaska.
The screenshot below shows the FamilySearch catalog entry for Juneau vital statistics, which includes death records and coroner records for the borough.
The FamilySearch catalog listing for Juneau shows the full range of digitized vital records available for the City and Borough, from 1884 through 1969.
These digital collections can be searched for free on FamilySearch and cover death records, coroner inquests, and vital statistics indexes for the Juneau area.
Note: The ANB Cemetery burial records for Juneau are available through Find A Grave and may contain Alaska Native name variations that differ from official death certificates filed with the state.
Juneau Empire Obituaries and Newspaper Archives
The Juneau Empire is the borough's main newspaper and has published death notices since the 1800s. Physical and microfilm copies are held at the Alaska State Library. Digital access is available through Newspapers.com for many historical issues. The newspaper's obituary section remains the most detailed source for Juneau death notices, often including family member names, burial arrangements, and life summaries that go well beyond what a death certificate contains.
The Alaska State Library newspaper index covers the Juneau Empire from December 1990 through August 1999. For issues outside that window, the State Library's reference staff can help locate specific issues or obituaries by date. The library is physically located in Juneau, making it an in-person research option for borough residents and those who can travel to the capital.
For broader coverage across Alaska publications, the Alaska and Polar Periodical Index at UAF Rasmuson Library holds over 200,000 citations from the 1980s onward. It covers statewide publications that may have published Juneau obituaries, especially for notable residents or public officials. Alaska Magazine obituaries from 1970 forward are also part of the periodical index holdings.
The CDC's Alaska vital records guide provides ordering instructions for Juneau death certificates from outside the state. The guide explains which records are available, what forms are needed, and where to send requests when mailing from another state or country.
Alaska State Archives and Juneau Death Records
The Alaska State Archives, also located in Juneau, holds original territorial and early statehood death records. The archives maintain Juneau Coroner's Records from 1899 to 1969, which are among the most detailed death documents from that era. Requests for archival materials require advance planning; some records are available for in-person viewing while others require a formal access request. The Alaska State Archives collection guides describe the full scope of Juneau holdings and explain the access process.
The screenshot below shows the Alaska Department of Health vital records ordering page, which is used for all official Juneau death certificate requests.
The Alaska Department of Health vital records portal handles certified death certificate orders for Juneau and all Alaska boroughs.
Certified Juneau death certificates ordered through this portal are accepted by courts, insurance providers, and other agencies that require official proof of death.
The Alaska State Library newspaper index is available as a free online tool and covers Juneau papers as well as statewide publications relevant to death notice research.
The Alaska State Library newspaper index links to obituary citations across multiple Juneau and statewide publications, covering decades of death notice records.
This free tool indexes death notices and obituaries from the Juneau Empire and other Alaska newspapers, pointing researchers to exact issues and pages.
The Juneau community of Douglas, located across the channel, is included in the same borough vital records system. Auke Bay, Lemon Creek, and other borough communities all fall under the Juneau vital statistics and court jurisdictions. Death records for residents of any Juneau borough community are filed with the state bureau at 5441 Commercial Boulevard.
Cities in Juneau City and Borough
Juneau is the main city in the borough with its own records page.
Other communities in Juneau City and Borough including Douglas, Auke Bay, and Lemon Creek are served by the same borough vital records system at 5441 Commercial Boulevard.
Nearby Boroughs
These boroughs and census areas border Juneau City and Borough. Each has its own vital records and court filing systems for death and obituary records.