Search Northwest Arctic Borough Background Check
A Northwest Arctic Borough background check draws from state and local files held by the Alaska Department of Public Safety, the Kotzebue Police Department, and the Alaska Court System. The borough sits in the far northwest of the state, with Kotzebue as the main hub. To search a Northwest Arctic Borough background check, you can ask the state DPS for a name or print check, look up open files on CourtView, and use the state sex offender registry. This page lists each path with direct links and contact info.
Northwest Arctic Borough Background Check Overview
Kotzebue Police and Borough Records
The Kotzebue Police Department is the main local source for a Northwest Arctic Borough background check. The department covers the city of Kotzebue and works with the Alaska State Troopers on cases that reach across the borough. The department keeps arrest reports, incident reports, and booking data for the local jail. Most of the smaller villages in the borough get their patrol from Village Public Safety Officers and from the troopers post in Kotzebue.
To see a list of contact paths and local sources, open the Northwest Arctic Borough records page. The page is a quick guide to who handles what for a Northwest Arctic Borough background check. It also points to the Alaska Sex Offender Registry, the state DPS portal, and the Alaska Department of Corrections.
The page above shows the main contact paths for the borough and points you to the Kotzebue Regional Jail for inmate lookups.
The Kotzebue Regional Jail is the main short-term holding spot in the borough. The jail keeps a list of current inmates and recent bookings. There is no city online lookup, so you may need to call the jail or the Kotzebue Police Department for same-day status. For the longer state inmate list, use the Alaska Department of Corrections.
Note: Cell service in some borough villages is patchy, so allow extra time when you call to confirm an inmate or arrest record.
Alaska DPS Background Check Path
The state DPS Criminal Records and Identification Bureau handles the official Northwest Arctic Borough background check. Under AS 12.62.160, anyone can ask for a name-based check on themselves or another person. The fee is $20 by name or $35 with a fingerprint card. The fingerprint check pulls from FBI data as well, which matters when a person has lived in more than one state. Most local prints in the borough are rolled by the Kotzebue Police Department or by the local Village Public Safety Officer.
The DPS main office is at 5700 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99507. The phone is 907-269-5767. You can mail the form with a check or money order, walk in with two forms of ID, or start the request online. The portal sends a secure link to your email so you can fill in the form and pay the fee. Reports come back by mail or email, depending on the request type.
The same DPS index also feeds the Alaska Sex Offender/Child Kidnapper Registry. Under AS 18.65.087, the registry is open and free to search by name, location, or offense. You can pull listings tied to the borough by city or zip.
Northwest Arctic Borough Court Records
The Alaska Court System trial court for the borough sits in Kotzebue, in the Second Judicial District. CourtView is the free state index of trial court cases. It is the main online tool for a Northwest Arctic Borough background check that focuses on case history. The site shows case number, party names, and case type. You can search by name across the state, then narrow by court location.
Open the Alaska Court System case search to start. The state notes that a court search is not a full criminal history check. Some cases never make it to CourtView, and some files drop off after a set time. Sealed, juvenile, and dismissed matters get pulled under Administrative Rule 37.6. Always confirm a date of birth before you act on a hit.
Two laws cap what shows online. 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 stay off the public site as well. For sealed files, you must visit the Kotzebue court in person.
Paper copies of a court file cost $10 for the first and $3 for each one after. Court staff research runs $30 per hour. Audio recordings are $20 per CD.
Public Records Act and Privacy Rules
The Alaska Public Records Act, at AS 40.25.110 to 40.25.125, controls how borough offices handle a public records request. Local offices must reply within 10 business days. For the borough, you can file a request with the Northwest Arctic Borough clerk or with the Kotzebue Police Department for arrest and incident records. Fees may apply for staff time and copies.
Under the act, much of a Northwest Arctic Borough background check is open to the public. Court files, arrest reports, sex offender data, and conviction records are all open under state law. Birth records within 100 years and marriage or divorce records within 50 years stay confidential. Alaska has no broad expungement law. Under AS 12.62.180, sealing is rare and only granted in narrow cases.
For people who work with kids or vulnerable adults, the Alaska Department of Health runs a separate barrier crime check under AS 47.05.310 and 7 AAC 10.900. This path is required for foster parents, care staff, and many volunteers in the borough. The check pulls from the same state index plus FBI data and the federal LEIE list. The Health Department then decides if a barrier crime exists. People can ask for a variance under 7 AAC 10.930 or ask for redetermination under 7 AAC 10.927.
The Alaska Department of Law oversees how state and local agencies apply the Public Records Act. The department can be reached at (907) 269-5100 for any question on the law, fee waivers, or denied requests. Fee waivers may be open to nonprofits and journalists. For police reports tied to a Northwest Arctic Borough background check, most requesters file with the Kotzebue Police Department or with the Alaska State Troopers Records and Identification Bureau under AS 40.25.110.
Note: Sealing is not the same as expungement, so a sealed file may still appear in some federal background checks tied to FBI data.
Cities in the Northwest Arctic Borough
The Northwest Arctic Borough has no cities that meet the population threshold for a separate page. Kotzebue is the largest community and the borough seat. Other villages include Ambler, Buckland, Deering, Kiana, Kivalina, Kobuk, Noatak, Noorvik, Selawik, and Shungnak. Most local police service across these villages comes from Village Public Safety Officers and the Alaska State Troopers.