| Trial Court Clerk | Clerk's Office, Alaska Court System — First Judicial District (Ketchikan) |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | 415 Main Street, Room 400, Ketchikan, AK 99901 |
| Phone | (907) 225-3195 |
| Hours | Monday, Wednesday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Tuesday 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. |
| Earliest records noted | 1990 |
| Plain copy fee | $5 for the first page, $3 for each additional page |
| Certified copy fee | $10 for the first page, $3 for each additional page |
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough covers the southern tip of the Alaska Panhandle, with the city of Ketchikan as its seat and a courthouse that has served the region since well before statehood. As everywhere in Alaska, the borough itself keeps no court records. Cases are filed with and held by the clerk's office of the Alaska Court System's First Judicial District at the Ketchikan courthouse on Main Street, the same district that runs the courts in Juneau, Sitka, Wrangell, Petersburg, and the smaller Southeast communities.
Ketchikan is one of the few courthouses outside Anchorage, Fairbanks, Palmer, and Juneau with a full bench: the court's judges directory lists Superior Court judges, a District Court judge, and a magistrate judge based there. Felony trials, civil suits, divorces, and probate go to the Superior Court; misdemeanors, small claims, and protective orders go to the District Court; and minor offenses and traffic matters go before the magistrate. All of them share one clerk's office and one records counter on the fourth floor.
The Ketchikan clerk's office is also a regional hub for the outer islands. Prince of Wales Island has its own small First District court location for local matters, but Superior Court cases from those communities are heard in Ketchikan, so a search for a record from Craig, Klawock, or Metlakatla frequently ends at the Ketchikan counter. The clerk accepts records requests by fax or email, which saves a ferry or flight for anyone who lives off the road system.
Search Ketchikan Gateway Borough court records online
Trial Court Clerk
Clerk's Office, Alaska Court System — First Judicial District (Ketchikan)
- Cost
- Free to search case dockets on CourtView; statewide copy fees apply for documents requested from the clerk
- Coverage
- Superior, District, and Magistrate Court cases filed in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, including felony and misdemeanor criminal, civil, small claims, family, probate, and minor-offense matters
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
The Ketchikan directory page says records requests may be sent by fax to (907) 225-7849 or by email to 1KEmailbox@akcourts.gov. The customer service line is separate from the jury clerk line.
What is available online
CourtView covers Ketchikan Superior, District, and Magistrate Court cases in the same statewide search as every other Alaska courthouse, with no comprehensive coverage before 1990. Because the borough's court history reaches back to the territorial era, older files exist only on paper or microfilm at the courthouse and must be requested from the clerk, with a research fee if no case number is known. Confidential case types never appear online.
Which clerk has your record
In Alaska, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Alaska page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Court | Felony criminal cases; Civil cases over $100,000; Divorce, custody, and other family cases | Clerk of the Superior Court at the courthouse where the case was filed |
| District Court | Misdemeanor criminal cases; Civil claims up to $100,000; Small claims (up to $10,000) | Clerk of the District Court at the courthouse where the case was filed |
| Magistrate Court | Municipal ordinance violations; Traffic infractions; Minor criminal offenses | Clerk of the Magistrate Court (same clerk's office as District Court in most locations) |
Request records in person or by mail
Ketchikan Gateway Borough clerk offices
415 Main Street, Room 400, Ketchikan, AK 99901
Phone: (907) 225-3195
Hours: Monday, Wednesday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Tuesday 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Online. Search CourtView by party name or case number to confirm the case exists and to get the case number; requests submitted without one incur an hourly research fee with a one-hour minimum.
By fax or email. Ketchikan is one of the courthouses that expressly accepts records requests by fax and email. Complete Form TF-311 ("Instructions and Request for Records") and send it to the fax number or court mailbox address listed on the Ketchikan directory page, noting whether you want plain or certified copies and how you want them delivered. Certified copies must be mailed. Expect about two weeks for a normal request; the clerk may ask for prepayment, which can be made online by invoice or by check or money order.
In person or by mail. The clerk's counter is in Room 400 at 415 Main Street. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Mail requests go to the same street address. Anyone requesting confidential records must show photo ID and sign the sworn section of the form before a clerk or notary.
Fees. Plain copies are $5 for the first page and $3 for each additional page; certified copies are $10 for the first page and $3 per additional page, under the statewide fee schedule in Administrative Rule 9.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Alaska |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $5 for the first page, $3 for each additional page |
| Certified copy | $10 for the first page, $3 for each additional page |
Fees are set statewide by Administrative Rule 9 (the court system's fee schedule) and apply at every courthouse, unlike states where each county sets its own copy fee. Confirm with the clerk's office before sending payment, since the schedule is amended from time to time by supreme court order.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Alaska does not have a general expungement statute that erases a conviction from every record. Instead, it uses two narrower tools:
The Alaska guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Ketchikan Gateway Borough have its own court or clerk of court?
No. Alaska boroughs do not run courts. Every case from the borough is filed with the Alaska Court System's First Judicial District clerk's office at the Ketchikan courthouse, a state office.
Which types of cases are heard in Ketchikan?
All of them. The court's judges directory lists Superior Court judges, a District Court judge, and a magistrate judge in Ketchikan, so felonies, civil suits, divorces, probate, misdemeanors, small claims, and minor offenses are all filed and kept at the Main Street courthouse.
Can I get a Ketchikan court record by email?
Yes. The Ketchikan directory page states that records requests can be sent by fax or by email to the court's mailbox address. Include the case number, the documents needed, and the type of copies; certified copies are mailed rather than emailed.
What are the Ketchikan clerk's office hours?
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday through Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Weekend and holiday arraignments are held at 10:30 a.m. with the building closed to the public.
Sources
- Alaska Court System — Ketchikan Court Directory — https://courts.alaska.gov/courtdir/1ke.htm
- Alaska Court System — Judges by Location — https://courts.alaska.gov/judges/index.htm
- Alaska Court System — Trial Courts and Judicial Districts — https://courts.alaska.gov/trialcourts/index.htm
- Alaska Court System — Form TF-311, Instructions and Request for Records — https://public.courts.alaska.gov/web/forms/docs/tf-311.pdf
- Alaska Court System — Search Cases — https://courts.alaska.gov/main/search-cases.htm
- Alaska Court System — Court System Information — https://courts.alaska.gov/main/ctinfo.htm
- Alaska Court System — CourtView Online Information — https://courts.alaska.gov/trialcourts/cvinfo.htm
- Alaska Court System — Court Directory — https://courts.alaska.gov/courtdir/
- Alaska Court System — Filing Fees & Fee Waiver — https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/courtfees.htm
- Alaska Department of Public Safety — Background Checks — https://dps.alaska.gov/statewide/background-checks/
- District of Alaska (U.S. District Court) — https://www.akd.uscourts.gov/
- Alaska Statutes AS 12.55 — Sentencing (incl. 12.55.085, setting aside conviction) — https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&secStart=12.55&secEnd=12.55.185
- Alaska Statutes AS 12.62 — Criminal Justice Information and Records Checks (incl. 12.62.180, sealing) — https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&secStart=12.62&secEnd=12.62.180
- PACER — Federal court records — https://pacer.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Alaska counties.