Anchorage Arrest Records

Arrests are made when law enforcement officers have a warrant authorizing them to bring a person before a judge. Alaska law also permits law enforcement to make arrests without warrants under certain circumstances (Alaska Statutes AS 12.70.130). Arrested individuals are booked into the Anchorage Correctional Complex, where their personal data, information about the charges that led to the arrest, and the arrest incident are documented. Anchorage Municipality arrest records created in this facility are fed into larger statewide and national criminal justice databases, for example, databases maintained by the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Corrections, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Are Anchorage Arrests Public Record?

Under Alaska Statutes AS 12.62.160, criminal justice information is not public. However, arrest records and certain criminal justice information are available to the record's subject and may only be provided to a third party when and only to the extent necessary. Furthermore, agencies are allowed to publicize commonly public information that may aid in identifying, locating, and apprehending wanted persons. This statute further cites additional instances when a record can be made public, such as for:

• A use authorized by statute or court order
• Criminal justice employment purposes
• Management purposes
• Statistical and research purposes

Anchorage Crime Rate

Based on UCR data, the Anchorage Police Department published the following Crime Statistics for 2021: 19 homicides, 495 forcible rapes, 433 robberies, 1,974 aggravated assaults, 1,395 burglaries, 5,664 larceny/theft, 1,039 motor vehicle thefts, and 3,583 non-aggravated assaults.

Find Anchorage Arrest Records

The Anchorage Police Department (APD) is the primary law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in the area. This agency operates a records department in charge of all arrest records and handles public requests. Record seekers can submit a record request to the records department by mail or online. It is important to have the arrestee's full name to furnish a request or search. Additional information that may enhance a record search includes the inmate's ID number and the date of arrest.

Free Arrest Record Search in Anchorage

Anchorage arrest records may be obtained for free through third-party aggregator databases. However, free users are often limited to basic arrest information, since many websites require a paid subscription to access site features and arrest information. Only use third-party resources for informational purposes.

Criminal Background Check in Alaska

In Alaska, any individual can conduct criminal background checks, although certain entities, including licensing agencies and specific employers, may be privy to additional information. Criminal justice information may only be disseminated per Alaska Statute AS 12.62.160 rules. Note that such privileged access is only authorized if the individual under scrutiny is being screened for positions in which they shall be responsible for dependent adults or children. Alaska Administrative Code (AAC) further sets forth procedures to obtain criminal history information.

Record subjects are expressly permitted to view or obtain copies of their criminal records. The Department of Public Safety, Criminal Records and Identification Bureau is the state's primary repository for criminal records and is responsible for public requests and background checks. Interested persons may obtain records by conducting a name-based or fingerprint-based request with this agency, although the latter is recommended. Name-based requests cost $20 while fingerprint-based requests cost $35. Additional copies obtained on the same day cost $5.

Requests may be made in person, online, or by mail. Mail-in requests are responded to by mail or fax. Note that requesters will be required to perform an identity verification using their social security number and a state identification number issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles or driver's license. Direct all record requests to:

Criminal Records and Identification (R&I) Bureau
Division of Statewide Services
State of Alaska, Department of Public Safety
5700 East Tudor Road
Anchorage, Alaska 99507
Phone: (907) 269-5767
Fax: (907) 269-5091
Email: dps.criminal.records@alaska.gov

Anchorage Inmate Search

Anchorage residents who are inmates at any Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC) correctional facility may be found using the Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) portal. VINE is an automated inmate information and notification service that can be used to know an inmate's current holding facility and tentative release date. Searches may be done using an inmate's full name or ID number.

Anchorage Police Record Lookup

The Anchorage Police Department's Public Records Center is responsible for furnishing members of the public with public police records during normal business hours. While adults can request records about themselves, they may only obtain information about another person with the person's written consent. Appropriate consent forms are available on the Public Records Center homepage. To request records online, a person is required to create an APD Public Records Center Account. Further inquiries and in-person requests should be directed to the records department at:

Anchorage Police Department - Headquarters
716 West 4th Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (907) 786-8600

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record in Anchorage?

It depends. Per Alaska Statutes AS 12.62.190, a criminal justice agency has the discretionary authority to "purge" criminal justice information, such as arrest records, if it determines that the information is no longer useful to the agency or the general public. This decision may be subject to a record subject's death, the information's age, the offense's nature, or record management considerations due to the volume of an agency's records.

How Can I Get My Record Expunged for Free in Anchorage?

Alaska does not have a law that regulates the expungement of arrests or other criminal records. However, record subjects may be able to seal their records if the arrest was due to mistaken identity or false accusation. Alaska Statutes AS 12.62.180 governs the sealing of criminal justice information. Record subjects should start by submitting a request to the head of the agency in custody of the arrest record, asking them to seal information about the arrest in question.

An adverse decision by the agency may be appealed to a court of competent jurisdiction under any applicable court rules of procedure, in which case, they bear the burden of showing that they are innocent and the agency's decision was not justified. Suppose the court or agency grants the petition. In that case, the affected records will be sealed, and the record bearer may deny the occurrence of such arrest or any associated records, moving forward. Concerned individuals should complete the Request to Seal Criminal Justice Record form and mail it to:

Alaska Department of Public Safety
R&I - Quality Assurance Unit
5700 East Tudor Road
Anchorage, AK 99507.

Anchorage Warrant Search

The Anchorage Police Department has the authority to execute all arrest and bench warrants issued within its jurisdiction and typically keeps a record of all warrants. Access to active warrants may be regulated if a wanted person tends to escape. Public warrants are available on the APD website. Furthermore, interested persons may contact APD for further warrant-related inquiries.

In-person arrest warrant searches at the police headquarters are ill-advised, as persons with an outstanding warrant in their name risk being arrested on sight. They should have their attorney search on their behalf or resort to online alternatives, pending when they are sure they are clear or their warrant gets resolved.

Do Anchorage Warrants Expire?

No. As long as a complaint is pending before the court, the arrest warrant remains active until executed, recalled, or cancelled. According to the Alaska Rules of Criminal Procedures, Anchorage arrest warrants may be executed in any city within the State of Alaska at any time the individual named on the warrant is found.