Alaska Vital Records Apostille for Use Abroad
Alaska vital records are apostilled by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Juneau, not a Secretary of State. The fee is $5 per certificate when you send your own certified copy. Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records will also order the apostille for you for $12. The office only authenticates original certified copies with wet-ink signatures from officials still on its books, so an old copy is the most common reason Alaska says no.
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In Alaska, a signature can expire
Picture someone who divorced in Fairbanks decades ago and now needs the divorce certificate for a marriage registration in Granada. They still have a certified copy in a drawer. The Lieutenant Governor will not apostille it if the official who signed it has left state service. The office checks signatures against the officials it has on file today.
That rule shapes everything in this guide. It also means the safest Alaska file starts with a new certified copy, ordered close to the date you need the apostille. Below you will find the two routes the state offers, the fees, and the delays that matter when you live overseas. Where the state pages left a gap we say confirm with the office.
Alaska at a glance
- Apostille office
- Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Authentications Department, P.O. Box 110015, Juneau, AK 99811.
- State fee
- $5 per certificate when you send your own certified copy.
- Order it for you
- Health Analytics and Vital Records adds $12 for the first copy and $2 for each extra copy, and needs the destination country.
- Published speed
- The Lieutenant Governor’s office typically mails documents back within 48 hours of receiving them.
- Copies come from
- Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records, Juneau and Anchorage.
- Who may order
- Records are restricted for 50 years. Either party named on a divorce certificate may order it.
- What Alaska refuses
- Photocopies, copies with signatures of officials no longer employed, and most court-issued vital record copies from before 2005.
Birth, marriage, death and divorce side by side
Fees for the divorce certificate come from the health office’s April 2026 divorce order form. Marriage and death fees come from a federal listing and an older state fee page, so treat them as the figure to confirm.
| Record | Who issues the certified copy | What it must show | Copy fee | Extra step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth. | Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records, in Juneau or Anchorage. | A current wet-ink signature. Older copies may carry signers no longer on file. | $30 for one standard copy. | None. |
| Marriage. | Health Analytics and Vital Records, restricted until 50 years after the event. | An original certified copy. The office names marriage as an example. | $30 first copy and $25 for each extra, per the state listing. Confirm with the office. | None. |
| Death. | Health Analytics and Vital Records, restricted for 50 years. | An original certified copy. The Lieutenant Governor does not name death records on its page. Confirm with the office. | $30 first copy and $25 for each extra, per the state listing. Confirm with the office. | None found. |
| Divorce. | The health office issues a certificate for divorces from 1950. The clerk of the court issues the full decree. | Certificate: an original from Vital Records. Decree: the clerk’s printed name under the signature. | Certificate: $30 for the first and $25 for each extra. Decree fee: confirm with the court. | Whether the Lieutenant Governor accepts a clerk-certified decree directly: confirm with the office. |
How the Lieutenant Governor’s office takes your documents
The Lieutenant Governor’s authentications page says only official certified copies issued directly by Alaska Vital Statistics can be authenticated. Photocopies cannot. Signatures must be wet ink, and the signing official must still be employed. The page asks you to name the destination country. The fee is $5 per certificate.
Regular mail goes to P.O. Box 110015, Juneau, AK 99811, with the word “Authentications” on the envelope. FedEx and other couriers use a different street address: 240 Main Street, Room 301, Juneau, AK 99801. A courier will not deliver to the post office box. In-person service is by appointment at (907) 465-4081. The office accepts screening questions by email at apostille@alaska.gov. We found no e-apostille on the pages we read.
Vital Records has offices at 5441 Commercial Blvd. in Juneau and 3901 Old Seward Hwy., Suite 101, in Anchorage. Its main page points to online ordering through VitalChek only. Orders placed through Govmore cannot be filled. Fax orders are accepted.
Alaska gives you a choice, and they are not equal
Vital Records orders the apostille
You pay $12 for the first copy and $2 for each additional copy, on top of the $30 certified copy. You name the destination country on the order form. This is the simpler route from abroad because one office handles both steps.
You send your own certified copy
You order the certified copy, receive it, then send it to the Lieutenant Governor with the $5 fee. It costs less per copy and gives you control over timing. It needs a U.S. address where the copy can land, which is where we help.
If your copy is more than a few years old, choose Route A or order a new copy first. The Lieutenant Governor’s own page warns that older copies may carry signatures no longer on file.
Where an Alaska record travels
Ordering and shipping from outside the United States
- 1
Check you are allowed to order
Marriage and death records are restricted until 50 years after the event. Either party named on a divorce certificate may order it. Everyone else must call (907) 465-3391.
- 2
Allow for the slow part
The April 2026 divorce form says standard processing is three months and offers no expedite by mail. A web alert on the site says one to two months. Start the order before you book a consulate appointment.
- 3
Order from Juneau or Anchorage
Use VitalChek online, a mailed form or fax. From overseas, a U.S. address for delivery is essential. Tell us early and we can receive the copy for you.
- 4
Pick Route A or Route B
Route A has Vital Records order the apostille. Route B has you send the copy to the Lieutenant Governor. We will recommend one in the free review based on the age of your copy.
- 5
Ship abroad
Courier times to Europe usually run two to five business days. Use tracking and signature on delivery. Never mail an irreplaceable original in a plain envelope.
- 6
Call at the right hour
Alaska is about ten hours behind Madrid and about five or six behind Buenos Aires. A morning call in Juneau is a night call for Spain. Email apostille@alaska.gov instead and keep the thread.
Copy first, or us first? With no recent copy, order a fresh one. A copy issued recently by Vital Records can come to us for a check before it goes to Juneau. If the state allows an authorized third party to request the record, we can help obtain it, and the free review confirms that first.
Six reasons Alaska turns a record away
An old copy with a former official’s signature
Alaska only authenticates signers still employed. A copy from years ago can fail even though it is a real certificate. Order again.
A court-issued copy from before 2005
The Lieutenant Governor says court-issued vital record copies from before 2005 generally cannot be authenticated. Get a fresh Vital Records copy instead.
A photocopy or a scan
Only originals count. The office asks for wet-ink signatures, so a printout of an emailed PDF will not do.
Courier sent to the post office box
Couriers cannot deliver to P.O. Box 110015. Use the Main Street courier address in Room 301.
Govmore or an unauthorized order
Vital Records says orders via Govmore cannot be filled, and divorce certificates go only to the parties. A relative ordering for you may be refused.
A clerk-certified divorce decree sent straight in
The Lieutenant Governor wants the clerk’s printed name under the signature. Whether it will apostille a decree directly is unconfirmed. Ask first.
Where Alaska records usually end up
Spain. Spain is a Hague apostille country. The Boston consulate’s residency checklist asks for civil and marriage documents issued in the last 12 months, and not for birth certificates. That window collides with Alaska’s three-month divorce processing, so order early. The consulate wants Spanish translations, and for the FBI check it asks for a sworn translator. The apostille and the translation do not need to be processed together.
Argentina. Argentina is a Hague country as well. Its migration pages ask for original documents and want foreign-language papers translated by a traductor publico nacional, with the translation legalized by the translators’ college. For translations we offer ATA certified versions that are then notarized. A sworn translator is a different job, and we are not one and do not arrange it. When Madrid or Buenos Aires insists on a sworn translation, hire that translator there and we will send the apostilled set to them. Check any other country on the HCCH status table and read our apostille versus legalization guide when it is not a member.
What we do for you, and what it costs
Boston Apostille Service is a private document preparation and courier service based in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. We have no connection to the Alaska Lieutenant Governor, Alaska Vital Records or any consulate. Once you order, we read your record for free, pick Route A or Route B with you, prepare the Juneau paperwork and follow each leg in ApostilleDesk.
The Massachusetts apostille prices on our site are Economy $149.95, Express $199.95 and Rush $385.95 per document, state fee and return postage included. They do not apply to Alaska. Your Alaska quote arrives as one flat rate before you pay, after we confirm the state fee and how fast Juneau is moving. The one to two day Rush window belongs to Massachusetts and New Hampshire only. Transit is extra. More is on our pricing page and process page, or go ahead and start your order.
Alaska apostille FAQ
How do I get an Alaska record apostilled from abroad?
Order a fresh certified copy from Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records, then choose whether Vital Records orders the apostille for $12 or you send the copy to the Lieutenant Governor for $5. You need a U.S. delivery address. We handle that step and ship the finished set overseas.
How much is an Alaska apostille?
The Lieutenant Governor charges $5 per certificate. Vital Records charges $12 for the first copy and $2 for each extra copy if it orders the apostille for you. The divorce certificate itself is $30 for the first copy and $25 for each extra. Our own quote is flat-rate and sent before you pay.
How long does an Alaska apostille take?
The Lieutenant Governor typically mails documents within 48 hours of receipt. The slow part is the certified copy. The April 2026 divorce form says standard processing is three months with no mail expedite, while a site alert says one to two months. Confirm current timing before you book appointments.
Why did Alaska reject my old certified copy?
Alaska authenticates only officials still employed. An older copy may carry a signature no longer on file. Court-issued vital record copies from before 2005 generally fail as well. Order a new certified copy directly from Vital Records and send that one.
Who can order an Alaska divorce certificate for me?
Either party named on the certificate. Everyone else must call (907) 465-3391 to ask what is possible. Marriage and death records are restricted until 50 years after the event. Tell us your relationship to the record in the free review so we order it correctly.
Does Alaska apostille a divorce decree from a court clerk?
Unconfirmed. The Lieutenant Governor says court documents should show the clerk’s printed name below the signature, but its page does not name divorce decrees. A divorce certificate from Vital Records is the clearer path. Email apostille@alaska.gov or let us ask for you.
Do I need a translation after the apostille?
That depends on the receiving country. Spain wants Spanish translations and Argentina wants a public translator. Ask the receiving office before you order. Our translations are ATA certified and notarized. We are not a sworn translator, and sworn translations are something we do not arrange.
Neighbouring and related guides
Our team has handled documents since 2007 and answers the phone Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm Eastern, on (978) 424-4629.
From a Juneau office to your foreign authority
Tell us the record, the year and the country. We pick the right Alaska route in a free review and send one flat-rate quote before you pay.