Juneau City and Borough Marriage License

Getting a marriage license in Juneau City and Borough starts at the Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records Section, which operates its primary state office right here in Juneau. Both the HAVRS office and the Juneau Trial Courts on 4th Street can issue licenses. You can search for marriage records through state vital records or through the court's CourtView system. This page covers how to apply, where to go, what to bring, and how to get a copy of a recorded marriage certificate from Juneau.

HAVRS Juneau Office

The Health Analytics and Vital Records Section (HAVRS) runs Alaska's main vital records program from its Juneau headquarters. This is the office that registers all marriages statewide and holds the official record once your signed license is returned after the ceremony. Because Juneau is the state capital, the HAVRS office here has the broadest access to Alaska marriage records going back to the territorial era. Walk-in service is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. You can apply for a license, order a certified marriage certificate, or ask questions about historical records in person at this location. Staff can also process mailed applications if you send the required documents and a check or money order for $70 (the mail-in fee).

The Juneau HAVRS office also handles phone and email inquiries for the whole state. If you have questions about your application status, certificate orders, or record corrections, this is the main contact. The mailing address is P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811-0675 for postal correspondence. Same-day pickup is possible after the three-day waiting period has passed, assuming both parties applied in person on the earlier date.

The Juneau City and Borough Clerk's office at 155 S. Seward Street handles municipal records, meeting minutes, and local government documents. The Clerk's office is separate from HAVRS but can point you toward the right agency for local questions. For marriage licenses specifically, HAVRS or the Trial Courts are your two options in Juneau.

The image below shows the Juneau City and Borough Clerk's office at 155 S. Seward Street, which handles local records and municipal functions for the borough.

The Clerk's office is located in Juneau's downtown core, close to the HAVRS and court offices that serve marriage license applicants.

How to Apply for a Marriage License in Juneau

Both parties must appear together in person. You cannot send one person while the other stays home. Each person needs a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, state ID, or passport. You will both be sworn in before a licensing officer or notary. That oath is part of what makes the application legally valid under Alaska Statute 25.05.021. There is no residency requirement. Visitors from other states or other countries can apply in Juneau without any issue.

The license fee is $60 paid in person. Once you pay and complete the sworn application, you must wait three full days before the ceremony can take place. That waiting period is set by state law and applies everywhere in Alaska with no exceptions. The license is then valid for 90 days from the date it was issued. If you do not marry within that window, you need to apply again and pay the fee again. You cannot get an extension on a lapsed license.

If either applicant was divorced within the past 60 days, you must bring a certified copy of the divorce decree to the HAVRS office or court when you apply. This is a firm requirement and the license will not be issued without it. Proxy marriages are not allowed in Alaska. Both people must be physically present for the application and again for the ceremony itself.

Note: The HAVRS license application page at health.alaska.gov has the current form and a list of what documents to bring before your visit.

Juneau Trial Courts and Marriage Licenses

The Juneau Trial Courts at 123 4th Street also issue marriage licenses and can provide a marriage commissioner for the ceremony at a fee of $25. This is useful if you want to get married at the courthouse the same day you complete the waiting period. Court staff can issue the license, and a commissioner can perform the ceremony in a separate appointment once the three days have passed. Court records, including marriage-related filings, are public under Alaska Rule of Court 9.1. Exceptions apply to adoption, juvenile, mental health, and grand jury proceedings, but standard marriage records are accessible.

If you need a certified copy of a court document related to your marriage, the fee is $10 for the first page plus $3 for each additional page. Plain (uncertified) copies cost $5 for the first page and $3 for each additional. The court's CourtView public access system lets you search case records online by party name.

The image below shows the Juneau Trial Courts at 123 4th Street, which issue marriage licenses and handle family law matters for the Juneau City and Borough.

Both HAVRS and the Trial Courts offer in-person service for applicants who prefer to handle everything face to face on the same visit to downtown Juneau.

Marriage Certificates and Record Orders

After your ceremony, the officiant signs the license and returns it to HAVRS within seven days. HAVRS then registers the marriage and creates the permanent record. Once registered, you can order a certified marriage certificate. The cost is $30 for the first copy and $25 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. An heirloom certificate, which is a decorative version on heavier paper, costs $65 for the first and $60 for each additional.

You can order certificates by mail, in person at the Juneau HAVRS office, or through the state's online ordering partner VitalChek. Mail and online orders take longer to process than walk-in requests. The HAVRS vital records orders page has current processing times and the request form. Include a copy of your ID with any mail-in order.

Marriage records in Alaska are confidential for 50 years from the date of the event. After that window closes, they become part of the public historical record. Applications for a marriage license, however, are public immediately after filing. If you are researching a marriage that happened more than 50 years ago, HAVRS can usually provide access without restriction.

The image below shows the HAVRS Juneau office, the state's primary vital records location, which is headquartered in Juneau and serves all Alaska residents.

The Juneau HAVRS office handles more marriage record requests than any other office in the state because it holds the central statewide repository.

Alaska State Archives in Juneau

The Alaska State Archives is located at 141 Willoughby Avenue in Juneau, just a short distance from the HAVRS office and the Trial Courts. The Archives holds about 1.1 million digitized vital records covering the mid-1800s through 1998. This collection includes marriage records from the territorial period that predate the formal statewide registration system. If you are looking for a marriage from the early 1900s or earlier, the Archives may have what HAVRS does not.

The FamilySearch Alaska Vital Records guide is a useful companion for genealogical research. It covers what is available in each collection, which records were never formally registered, and how to navigate territorial-era gaps. Many pre-1930 marriages were never submitted to the state, so family or church records may be the only source. The Archives staff can help you find those alternative sources when official records do not exist.

Alaska State Records also maintains a Juneau City and Borough public records directory that lists agencies and search tools for the borough. This can help you identify the right office for a specific record type.

The image below shows the Alaska State Records Juneau directory, which maintains a resource listing for public records in the Juneau City and Borough.

Using the state records directory alongside the Archives can save significant time when searching for older Juneau marriage records that span multiple agencies.

Alaska Marriage Law Overview

Alaska marriage law is found in Title 25 of the Alaska Statutes. The core eligibility rules sit in AS 25.05.021, which covers who may marry and what the licensing officer must verify. AS 25.05.011 defines the license as mandatory before any marriage ceremony can take place. AS 25.05.031 spells out the three-day waiting period requirement that applies statewide.

Alaska does not recognize common law marriage. If you live with a partner and consider yourself married without a license and ceremony, that relationship has no legal standing in Alaska under AS 25.05.171. Courts will not recognize it for property, inheritance, or next-of-kin purposes. Getting a formal license is the only way to establish a legal marriage in this state.

AS 25.05.121 governs solemnization, meaning who can perform a valid ceremony. Ordained ministers, civil officers, and court-appointed marriage commissioners all qualify. The Alaska Courts marriage FAQ has a plain-language rundown of the rules that apply at each step of the process. The Alaska Bar Association marriage guide is another reliable reference if you have legal questions about your specific situation.

The CDC vital statistics page for Alaska provides statewide marriage data and points to the HAVRS program as the authoritative source for Alaska marriage records. That data is used for public health research and demographic reporting at the federal level.

Cities in Juneau City and Borough

Juneau is a unified city and borough, meaning the municipal government covers the entire borough area. All marriage license applications within the borough are processed at HAVRS or the Juneau Trial Courts.

Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas

These areas border Juneau City and Borough. Marriage license rules are the same statewide, but each area has its own local office or court location for in-person applications.