Public Records
The State Recorder’s office oversees 34 recording districts that record, index, and archive all of the documents that create the Official Public Record of the state of Alaska. Approximately 1,000 new documents are recorded and added to the record each day. Millions of documents have been recorded in the official records since prior to statehood.

Why Are Documents Recorded In the Official Records?
Documents are recorded in the Official Records of the State of Alaska to declare their enactment and existence. Individuals research the state records to identify property ownership, liens, and other recordings against real property. In general, from the time a document is recorded in the records of the recording district in which land affected by it is located, the recorded document serves as constructive notice of its contents to subsequent purchasers and mortgagees.

What Types of Documents Are Recorded?
The following list indicates some of the various types of documents that are recorded in the official records of the state of Alaska:

Deeds, Mortgages, Assignments, Modifications, Reconveyances, Notice of Liens, Claim of Liens, Release of Liens, Uniform Commercial Code Financing Statements, Security Agreements, Judgments and Decrees from courts, Federal and State Tax Liens, Child Support Enforcement Liens, Satisfactions and Releases of such liens.

We also, from time to time receive Last Will and Testaments, Birth Certificates, Military Discharge papers (DD-214), Death Certificates and Marriage Licenses. However, we are not the normal and customary place for filing these records, if they meet minimum acceptance criteria, they will be accepted and placed in the public record (please see notice above).

The Recording Process
There are several steps that occur once you present your document for recording.

1. Your document is reviewed to make sure it meets minimum acceptance criteria. (Click here to go to the list of recording requirements)
2. Appropriate recording fees are collected along with copy fees if copies are requested. (Click here to go to the fee schedule)
3. Identifying numbers are assigned to the document including a date, time, and serial number. Historically, documents have also been assigned unique book and page numbers for reference, but such numbers have been phased out.
4. The grantor, grantee information and legal description from the document are added to the on-line, statewide alpha database exactly as they appear on the document.
5. Your document is then imaged and microfilmed for archiving. The quality of the film image is verified for quality control.
6. The original document is then mailed back to the party designated on the document.

Archiving Your Document by Microfilming and Imaging
Two original filmed images and an electronic image of your document are captured simultaneously on a dual-headed microfilm camera/scanner. Once your document is filmed and imaged, a series of quality control and verification checks are performed on both media. The digital image is then released to the database for viewing in any DNR recording office via the Intranet. One original roll of microfilm is retained within the Archive Unit for use only in the event of catastrophic events which may have destroyed the working copies retained at each recording office, or disabled the viewable electronic images. The second roll is sent to State Archives in Juneau for permanent archival storage.