North Slope Borough Background Check
A North Slope Borough background check pulls from state and local files. The borough sits at the top of Alaska and runs its own police force out of Utqiagvik. To search a North Slope Borough background check, you can ask the Alaska Department of Public Safety, look up open court files on CourtView, or call the North Slope Borough Police Department for local arrest data. This page shows the main steps to find and request a background check in the borough, with links to each office and source.
North Slope Borough Background Check Overview
North Slope Borough Police Records
The North Slope Borough Police Department is the main local source for a North Slope Borough background check at the local level. The department covers Utqiagvik (Barrow) and the small villages across the North Slope. It is one of the few borough-run police forces in Alaska. Most other rural areas in the state get patrol from the Alaska State Troopers or Village Public Safety Officers, but the North Slope Borough hires its own sworn officers. The department holds arrest reports, incident reports, and booking records for the borough.
For a quick view of the borough's law enforcement page, check the North Slope link at North Slope Borough Public Records. The page lists the main contact paths for borough records and points you to state tools for the rest of a North Slope Borough background check.
The department works with the Alaska State Troopers on big cases and major crimes. For local police records, you can call or visit the department in Utqiagvik. The borough also follows the Alaska Public Records Act when it comes to public records requests, and most arrest data is open unless a case is sealed or still under active review.
Open the North Slope Borough records guide to see contact info for the borough police and the local court.
The page above gives a plain list of the North Slope Borough background check sources and how to reach each office. It is a good first stop before you call any state line.
Alaska DPS Background Check for the Borough
For the full state-level North Slope Borough background check, the main path runs through the Alaska Department of Public Safety. The DPS Criminal Records and Identification Bureau keeps the Alaska Public Safety Information Network. This is the central index for adult arrest and conviction data in the state. Anyone can ask for a check on themselves or another person under AS 12.62.160.
A name-based North Slope Borough background check costs $20. A fingerprint-based check costs $35 and gives the most full record. Most North Slope residents who need prints rolled work with the borough police or with a local Village Public Safety Officer. The bureau then ships the report by mail. You can also start the request online and get a secure link by email. Walk-in service is also open at the main DPS office on East Tudor Road in Anchorage.
Note: Mail and air freight from the North Slope can run slow in winter, so build extra time into the request.
The borough also has a strict background check policy for its own sworn officers, posted on the borough resource page. The policy requires court records, driving records, credit checks, and prior employer interviews for any new hire.
Court Records in the North Slope Borough
Court records form the second key part of a North Slope Borough background check. The borough sits in the Second Judicial District, with the trial court in Utqiagvik. The Alaska Court System runs CourtView, a free statewide index of trial court cases. You can search by name and pull case number, party names, and case type. CourtView gives you a quick way to spot any open or closed criminal case in the borough.
Use the Alaska Court System case search to start. The state warns that a court case search is not a full criminal history check. Some cases never make it to CourtView, and some files drop off after a set period. Sealed, juvenile, and dismissed matters get pulled under Administrative Rule 37.6. Always confirm a date of birth before you act on a CourtView hit. Common names match many people across the state.
Two state laws cap what the court site shows. Under AS 22.35.030, the court system cannot list a criminal record after 60 days have passed since an acquittal or full dismissal that was not part of a plea deal. Under AS 04.21.078, some minor alcohol and small marijuana cases also stay off the public site. For sealed files, you must visit the court in person.
Sex Offender Registry and Inmate Lookup
The Alaska Sex Offender/Child Kidnapper Registry is open to the public and free. It is one of the most open such lists in the country. Under AS 18.65.087, the database lets you search by name, location, or offense. You can see entries for the North Slope Borough by city or zip. Each record shows full name, photo, physical details, home and work address, the crime of conviction, and the status of the listing. Under AS 12.63.020, people with non-aggravated offenses must register for 15 years. Those with aggravated offenses or more than one offense must register for life.
The Alaska Department of Corrections runs the inmate lookup. The DOC list is helpful for any North Slope Borough background check that needs current jail status. Most borough arrestees get held first at the Anvil Mountain Correctional Center in Nome or move on to a state facility on the road system. You can use VINElink at (800) 247-9763 to find an inmate's current location and status. Inmate data may list name, booking date, charges, and facility.
Note: The DOC search may not show short-term holds in village lockups, so call the borough police if you need same-day status.
Borough Public Records Act Requests
The Alaska Public Records Act, at AS 40.25.110 to 40.25.125, sets the rules for public access to state and local files. State and local offices must reply to a public records request within 10 business days. For the borough, you can file a request with the North Slope Borough clerk's office or with the police department for any incident or arrest report. Fees may apply for staff time and copies. The borough follows state rules on what is open and what stays off the public side.
Under the act, criminal history, sex offender status, court filings, and arrest records can all be part of a North Slope Borough background check. Birth records within 100 years and marriage or divorce records within 50 years stay confidential to the general public. Alaska has no broad expungement law, so most adult records stay on file for life unless sealed under AS 12.62.180.
For care roles with kids or vulnerable adults, the Alaska Department of Health runs a separate check under AS 47.05.310 and 7 AAC 10.900. This barrier crime check pulls from the same state index plus FBI data.
Cities in the North Slope Borough
The North Slope Borough has no cities that meet the population threshold for a separate page. The main hub is Utqiagvik, which is the borough seat and the largest community. Other small villages include Anaktuvuk Pass, Atqasuk, Kaktovik, Nuiqsut, Point Hope, Point Lay, and Wainwright. For a background check tied to any of these places, use the borough police department and the state DPS portal.