Haines Borough Background Check

A Haines Borough background check pulls from the Alaska state court system, the DPS criminal history portal, and the Haines Police Department, which handles local law enforcement in town. The borough sits in northern Southeast Alaska, with the small town of Haines as the main hub. This page walks through how to search a Haines background check, where the records sit, and which Alaska law sets the rules.

Haines Borough Background Check Steps

The Alaska Department of Public Safety runs the main Haines Borough background check program. DPS keeps the state-level adult arrest and conviction file. A name-based check is $20. A fingerprint-based check is $35. The state will mail the result, or send a secure email link, once the request clears. Anyone may file a request under AS 12.62.160.

The DPS Criminal Records Bureau sits at 5700 E Tudor Road in Anchorage. The phone is 907-269-5767. For Haines residents, the online portal is the easiest path. Open backgroundcheck.dps.alaska.gov and submit your email. The system sends you a secure link to the form. You will need a Social Security number and an Alaska driver's license number.

For the fingerprint path, DPS uses the FD-258 FBI card. The state keeps a list of approved fingerprinting locations. Haines Police can sometimes roll prints by appointment. Cards must be clean. Smudged cards get bounced.

Haines Court Records

The Haines Court is part of the Alaska Court System and sits in town at the state office building. It hears most local cases. Higher-level matters move to the Juneau Superior Court. Court files form the heart of any solid Haines Borough background check. Public records include misdemeanor and felony cases, civil suits, small claims, and probate.

Use the free Alaska Court System case search to look up a Haines background check by name. The CourtView portal returns case number, party names, charges, and basic case status. The site warns that a court hit is not a full criminal history record. Always confirm the date of birth before you act on a result. Some cases drop off the public site under court rules.

The Haines Borough records page above gives a quick map of the main state and local sources for a background check. It lists the state court system, vital statistics, AST, and the DPS background check portal.

For paper copies of a Haines case, call the Haines court clerk and give the case number. A certified copy is $10 for the first page and $3 for each one after. Court research is $30 per hour. Audio files run $20 per CD. The Haines court is small, so a paper request may take a few weeks.

Haines Police Department

The Haines Borough Police Department covers the town of Haines and the wider borough. The chief and a small group of officers handle calls, arrests, and traffic. The department keeps its own records, which form a key part of any local Haines background check. To request a police record, file a public records request with the department under AS 40.25.110. Fees apply for copies and staff time.

For the parts of the borough that fall outside the police service area, the Alaska State Troopers cover law enforcement. AST handles felony cases and crashes on the Haines Highway and on the more remote stretches. Some cases get worked by both the local department and AST.

The Alaska State Troopers Most Wanted list can flag a Haines person with an open warrant. Use it as one more layer in any Haines background check that needs to spot a warrant.

Sex Offender Registry and Inmate Lookup

A full Haines Borough background check should also pull the state sex offender registry and the prison inmate lookup. Both are public and free. Each one fills a gap that a court search may miss.

The Alaska Sex Offender/Child Kidnapper Registry is one of the more open such lists in the country. Under AS 18.65.087, you can search by name, town, or offense. Entries show full name, photo, address, and conviction. Under AS 12.63.020, people with non-aggravated offenses register for 15 years. Those with aggravated offenses register for life. The Alaska Supreme Court upheld the rule in Doe v. State, 189 P.3d 999 (Alaska 2008).

The Alaska Department of Corrections tracks state inmate data. Use VINElink at (800) 247-9763 to find a Haines person in custody. Most local bookings move to the Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau, since Haines has no full state jail.

• DPS portal for state-level criminal history
• CourtView for state court files in Haines
• Sex offender registry under AS 18.65.087
• VINElink inmate lookup through DOC
• Local Haines Police records under AS 40.25.110

Public Records Act in Haines

The Alaska Public Records Act, at AS 40.25.110 to 40.25.125, sets the rules on access to state and local files in Haines. State and local offices must reply to a public records request within 10 business days. The Alaska Department of Law oversees how the act gets used. The Department can be reached at 907-269-5100 for guidance on the law.

Under AS 12.62, misuse of state criminal history data can lead to a criminal inquiry. Sealing of an arrest record under AS 12.62.180 may apply when a case ended in acquittal, dismissal, or no formal charge. Alaska has no general expungement law, so a sealed file is not the same as a wiped file. For care roles tied to kids or vulnerable adults under AS 47.05.310, the state Health Department runs a separate Haines background check process.

A CourtView search and a DPS background check serve different roles in a Haines Borough records search. CourtView is free and pulls from the trial court case index. It shows charges, case numbers, and docket dates. The DPS report costs $20 for a name search or $35 for a fingerprint check, and it draws from the Alaska Public Safety Information Network. That network logs every adult arrest and conviction filed by a law enforcement agency in the state. For a thorough Haines Borough background check, run both tools. The DOC inmate search at doc.alaska.gov will tell you if a person is in state custody. VINElink at (800) 247-9763 can push alerts when an inmate moves or gets released from any Alaska facility, which is useful when a Haines case sends someone to Lemon Creek in Juneau.

Communities in Haines Borough

Haines is the main town. Other small spots include Mosquito Lake, Lutak, Mud Bay, Excursion Inlet, and Klukwan, a Tlingit village near the borough line. None are large enough for a stand-alone background check page. The borough police and AST cover them all.

Nearby Boroughs and Areas