Search Valdez Background Check

A Valdez background check pulls data from the Valdez Police Department, the Valdez Court, the Valdez Municipal Jail, and the Alaska Department of Public Safety. You can search a court case, ask for a local police report, or file a state DPS request to obtain a Valdez background check on yourself or someone else. The city sits at the south end of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and is part of the Chugach Census Area. This page walks through where to start and how to search a Valdez background check.

Valdez Police Department Background Check

The Valdez Police Department is the main local agency for any Valdez background check on a city resident. The department handles patrol, traffic, and criminal cases inside the city limits. Officers respond to calls for help, run cases, and work with the Alaska State Troopers on bigger ones. VPD operates on a one week on, one week off shift pattern that gives officers strong time off and lets the department keep round the clock coverage. The department also runs the Valdez Municipal Jail and an in-house dispatch unit through its Public Safety Technician staff.

VPD runs a deep job screen on each new hire. Each police job applicant must complete a city application and an F-3 personal history form. They must pass a written test through Public Safety Testing with a score of at least 70 percent. They must pass a fitness test, an EyeDetect exam, an oral board, a full background investigation, and a pre-employment physical. The full Valdez background check on a new hire pulls from local files, state files, and the FBI national check.

To see the full hiring path, you can read the Valdez Police Department FAQ on the join site.

The page above gives a clear view of how the department vets each new officer. The same kinds of records, though, drive any Valdez background check on a private person, since they all flow from the Alaska Public Safety Information Network under AS 12.62.

Note: The Valdez Police records clerk works city business hours, so plan a call or visit on a weekday for the fastest reply on a record request.

Valdez Court Records

The Valdez Court is part of the Alaska Court System. Files at this court go into the statewide CourtView index, so you can search them online for free. A Valdez background check that does not include the court file is not done. The court holds the case number, the charge, the plea, and the final result for each case in the city. Due to staffing, the Valdez court has noted that records requests can take 4 to 6 weeks to process.

To search a Valdez case, open the Alaska Court System case search and pick Valdez as the court site. You can search by name or by case number. Some cases never make it online. Under AS 22.35.030, the court site cannot show a case after 60 days from a full dismissal or an acquittal that was not part of a plea deal.

For paper copies, the court clerk in Valdez charges $10 for the first certified copy and $3 for each one after that in the same order. Court staff research costs $30 per hour. Audio recordings of a hearing run $20 per CD. Most basic court searches for a Valdez background check are free online and do not need any clerk help.

The CourtView information page spells out the case types you will not find online. Sealed files, juvenile cases, mental health cases, adoption cases, and Child in Need of Aid cases stay off the site under Administrative Rule 37.6.

Alaska DPS Background Check for Valdez

For a full criminal history report on a Valdez resident, the Alaska Department of Public Safety runs the official statewide check. A name-based DPS check costs $20. A fingerprint check costs $35 and is the most complete. You can start a name-based Valdez background check online through the DPS self-service portal. You will need a valid email, your Social Security number, and your Alaska driver's license number.

Under AS 12.62.160, anyone may ask for their own record. The fingerprint check is the only way to add the FBI national file to a Valdez background check. Many port jobs and oil terminal jobs ask for the fingerprint version since the work falls under federal facility rules. Misuse of criminal history data can lead to a charge under AS 12.62.

The Alaska Sex Offender Registry is the next stop on a Valdez background check. Under AS 12.63.020, people with a non-aggravated offense register for 15 years. People with an aggravated offense register for life. The registry is free and lets you search by name, by city, or by ZIP. Under AS 47.05.310, the Alaska Department of Health runs a separate background check for foster parents, adoptive parents, and care staff.

Inmate and State Records

The Valdez Municipal Jail holds people for short stays after a city or state arrest. For longer holds, people are moved to a state facility. The Alaska Department of Corrections runs the inmate lookup for all state prisons. You can call VINElink at (800) 247-9763 to get the current status of an inmate. The DOC site lists the booking date, the charges, the facility, and the release date when set.

The Alaska Public Records Act, at AS 40.25.110 to 40.25.125, sets the rules for public access in Valdez. State and local offices have 10 business days to reply to a request. The Alaska Department of Law oversees how the act is used. Most parts of a Valdez background check are public, but birth records within 100 years and marriage or divorce files within 50 years stay closed.

Note: Plan ahead on any Valdez background check that needs court paper copies, since the local court has noted longer wait times on records requests.

Record sealing is rare in Alaska. Under AS 12.62.180, a person can ask to seal an arrest record only if the case ended in an acquittal, a full dismissal, or a release with no charge filed. A conviction blocks the seal. Alaska has no broad expungement law. A sealed Valdez arrest record still sits in the state file, but it drops from public view. Law enforcement can still see it for certain checks. The DPS bureau in Anchorage handles seal requests. You must list the case dates, the charges, and the outcome. Court papers that show the dismissal or acquittal help move the ask along.

Chugach and Nearby Cities

Valdez is the largest city in the Chugach Census Area. For a wider Valdez background check that covers the whole region, see the census area page. You can also check nearby Alaska cities for more local records.