Alaska Busted Mugshots
Alaska busted mugshots are booking photos taken when someone is arrested and jailed in the state. These arrest records live in court files, jail rosters, and police logs. You can search Alaska busted mugshots and booking details through CourtView, the Alaska Department of Corrections offender lookup, and local police portals. This page walks you through the main ways to search for arrest records, find inmate information, and pull up court filings from any borough or census area in Alaska. Use the tool below to start a lookup, or pick a location further down the page.
Alaska Arrest Records at a Glance
Search Alaska Busted Mugshots on CourtView
The Alaska Court System runs CourtView as its main case lookup tool. CourtView is free. It pulls non-confidential civil and criminal trial records going back to about 1990. You can search by case number, party name, or ticket number. Busted mugshots are not posted on CourtView, but the case file tells you where the person was booked and what they were charged with. Once you know the facility, the jail roster or the Alaska DOC offender page can give you more details on the inmate.
CourtView lets you pull up misdemeanors and felonies under the Criminal case type. Each case shows the case caption, the judge, the case status, docket entries, and charge information. You must click the case number to see Party Charge Information. Do not assume a person was found guilty of the first charge. Always check the Party Charge Disposition to see if the case ended in a conviction, a plea, a dismissal, or a not guilty finding. The system holds up to 500 records per search, so use date ranges or add a middle name if a name brings back too many hits.
Case numbers in Alaska use a strict format. A typical number looks like 3AN-12-00001CR. That stands for the Third Judicial District, Anchorage location, filed in 2012, with a five-digit sequence and the CR suffix for a criminal case. Other suffixes include CI for civil, MO for minor offense, PR for probate, and SC for small claims. You must include the dashes and the leading zeros or the system will not find the case.
The CourtView search page above shows the three main lookup methods. The alternate portal at records.courts.alaska.gov works the same way and is what most clerks send people to first. You can also read the CourtView information page for the rules on what is and is not shown in the public index.
Note: Under Alaska Statute 22.35.030, court records of criminal cases must come off public websites 60 days after an acquittal or a full dismissal in certain situations.
Alaska Busted Mugshots and Arrest Records
When a peace officer in Alaska books a suspect, they take front and profile booking photos. Those are the busted mugshots. The jail also pulls ten-finger prints, a DNA cheek swab, and a full inventory of personal items. An arrest record in Alaska usually holds the full legal name, date of birth, a physical description, the arrest date and time, the arresting agency, the officer name, statute citations for the charges, bail amount, and a booking number. Some of this is public. Some of it is redacted or sealed.
State rules on arrest records fall under the Alaska Public Records Act, AS 40.25.110 through AS 40.25.295. The Act says every person has a right to inspect a public record, but it also lists exceptions. Juvenile arrests, open investigations, victim identities, sealed records, and certain law enforcement files stay confidential. Police can also refuse to release a report that has pending charges under AS 40.25.120(a)(6)(B). You can read more on the rules in the Alaska Department of Law APRA page.
Many arrests in Alaska are made by the Alaska State Troopers. The Troopers run a daily dispatch blotter so the public can see new arrests, DUI stops, warrant pickups, and search and rescue calls. The daily dispatch logs show each entry with an incident number, a location, a crime type, and a short narrative. You can search by date range or by incident number. The posts cover the whole state, but some rural posts run thin on staff so not every arrest makes the public log right away.
The daily dispatch screen shown above is the fastest way to get a read on what the Troopers have been handling in the last 24 hours. For booking photos from a specific city police department, you have to file a public records request with that agency. Many of the larger cities, like Anchorage and Fairbanks, use online portals. Smaller towns take written requests in person or by mail.
Alaska Inmate Lookup and Booking Photos
Alaska runs a unified correctional system. That means pretrial detainees and sentenced inmates share the same 13 state facilities. Most states split the two. In Alaska, everybody goes through the same Department of Corrections system, which makes the inmate lookup simple. Use the Alaska Department of Corrections offender locator to find out where a person is held, what their release date looks like, and what charges they face. The DOC also posts facility directories, visitation rules, and bail info on the same site.
The DOC home page above links out to the offender search, VINE, and the facility list. Alaska's biggest facilities are the Anchorage Correctional Complex, the Fairbanks Correctional Center, the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility in Palmer, the Wildwood Correctional Complex in Kenai, Lemon Creek in Juneau, Yukon Kuskokwim in Bethel, and the Goose Creek Correctional Center in Wasilla. Each has its own phone line and visitation calendar.
VINE is the other big tool. Short for Victim Information and Notification Everyday, VINE is run by the Alaska Department of Corrections with local law enforcement. It has been live since 1998. You can call 1-800-247-9763 or visit vinelink.com to pull up an offender's current location and tentative release date. You can also sign up for free alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. VINE is confidential. The inmate does not know who is registered to get calls. Some alerts come in the middle of the night, which can be a shock the first time.
The VINE search page above lets you look up any Alaska inmate by name or booking number. To register for notifications, you need the person's name, a booking number, and a four-digit PIN. Email alerts do not need a PIN. Per AS 18.65.087, Alaska also runs the Sex Offender Registry, which lists more than 3,600 registered offenders with a map-based search and name lookup.
Alaska Background Checks and Criminal Records
The Alaska Department of Public Safety runs the state's criminal history repository through the Criminal Records and Identification Bureau at 5700 East Tudor Road in Anchorage. This is APSIN, the Alaska Public Safety Information Network. APSIN holds adult arrest and conviction data for misdemeanor and felony offenses. Infractions, violations, and most juvenile cases are not part of the report. The report shows convictions, dismissals, and not-guilty findings.
A name-based check costs $20. A fingerprint check costs $35 and is the most accurate of the two. Extra copies are $5 if you order them at the same time. Checks are paid by money order or check to the State of Alaska. Walk-in hours are 8:15 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday. You can also fax a name-based form to (907) 269-5091 or mail it to the Criminal Records and Identification Bureau. Under AS 12.62.160, any person can request criminal justice information, though misuse can bring criminal charges.
Fingerprint requests use the FBI FD-258 card. The Department may reject fingerprints on other forms. You must include a recent mailing address, a short letter explaining why you need the record, and the $35 fee. If a record has an error, you have the right to review your file and challenge the bad data. Under AS 12.62.180, a criminal justice agency can seal information that came from mistaken identity or a false accusation.
Note: The Alaska Public Records Act requires agencies to respond to records requests within 10 working days under AS 40.25.120.
How to Request Alaska Court Records
Not every piece of a case file is online. For the full file, a certified copy, or an audio recording, you have to send a request to the records department or the clerk of the court where the case was filed. The main form is TF-311, which is available on the Alaska Court System site. Anchorage uses TF-311 ANCH. Fairbanks uses TF-311 FBKS. Palmer uses TF-311 PA. Every other location uses the standard TF-311.
Copy fees under Administrative Rule 9(d) are set in state. Certified copies are $10 for the first copy and $3 for each extra copy of the same document in the same order. Plain copies are $5 for the first document and $3 for each extra. Exemplified or authenticated copies are $15 each. Research services run $30 per hour, and a deposit may be required up front. Audio recordings on CD are $20 each. For confidential files, only the parties to the case can get copies, and you must show a photo ID to the court clerk.
Processing times depend on the court and the staffing. Fairbanks runs 4 to 6 weeks for online requests. Palmer runs 2 to 4 weeks. Anchorage is usually faster. Appellate-level cases can be searched through the Alaska Appellate Case Management System, which covers the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. You can look up an appeal by case number, party name, or trial court case number.
- Case number, ticket number, or party name for the lookup
- Full legal name and date of birth for a criminal file
- Type of document needed (petition, judgment, order, transcript)
- Delivery method (mail, fax, pickup) and payment method
The trial courts records page shown above links to each judicial district and the forms they use. You can also check the CourtView information page for details on what is public and what has been pulled for privacy reasons.
Alaska Victim Notification and Warrant Search
Victims of crimes in Alaska have a right to get updates at each step of a case. The Alaska Violent Crimes Compensation Board points victims to VINE for custody status and to local law enforcement for investigation updates. The Board also tracks notifications about court dates, sentences, and release dates.
The victim notification page above lists hotlines and resources for crime survivors. If you have trouble reaching the agency that has your case, the Alaska Office of Victims' Rights can help at 1-844-754-3460. Outstanding warrants in Alaska can be found through CourtView. Every criminal case starts with a warrant, so CourtView is the best free tool to check if a warrant was issued against a name. Some city police also post active warrant lists, such as Juneau Police warrants, which are updated weekly from public court records.
Alaska Public Records Act and Mugshot Access
The Alaska Public Records Act is the main rule that lets the public see arrest records, booking photos, and court files. AS 40.25.110 sets up a presumption that government records are open. Agencies have to respond within 10 working days. Fees for search and copying are limited to actual costs. If a request takes more than five staff hours in one month, the agency can charge for personnel time over that point.
The statute text above is posted on the Alaska Legislature site. The Alaska Supreme Court has held that APRA creates a presumption in favor of disclosure and courts must read exemptions narrowly. The APRA procedures page from the Department of Law spells out how to write a good request and how agencies are supposed to handle it. Bad or vague requests slow things down.
The APRA procedures page covers the regulations at 2 AAC 96.100 through 2 AAC 96.900. Know what you want and be specific. The more detail you give, the faster the request gets filled and the cheaper it is.
Note: Under AS 12.61.110, the residence and business addresses and phone numbers of a crime victim or witness are confidential and will be redacted from any public records release.
Browse Alaska Busted Mugshots by Borough
Alaska uses boroughs and census areas instead of counties. Each one has its own mix of state trooper posts, tribal public safety officers, city police, and clerks. Pick a borough below to see the local arrest records contacts and the online lookup tools that serve that area.
Alaska Busted Mugshots by City
Each Alaska city and CDP has its own police department or is served by the State Troopers. Pick a city below for local arrest records contacts, booking photo procedures, and links to the court that hears the case.