Alaska Probate Records

Record Synopsis
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.” Various records may be found in probate files. These may include wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. For further information about the probate process, types of probate records, analyzing probate records, and to access a glossary of probate terms, see United States Probate Records. see also Guide to the Probate Records of Alaska 1888-1972.

History
Probate records of Alaska were kept by the district courts prior to statehood. The superior court now has jurisdiction over probate matters.

Availability
Check in the FamilySearch Catalog for digital images of probate records from Alaska. They are also available at the archives and offices mentioned in Alaska Court Records.
 * Alaska State Archives, Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums, Guide to the probate records for Alaska, 1885-1960Juneau, Alaska : Alaska State Archives, c2000 FS Library 979.8 P22g

Selected Collections located in the FamilySearch Catalog
 * Office of the Attorney General, probate files, 1936-1968
 * Petersburg Precinct, probate records, 1925-1959
 * Port Clarence, estate records, 1928-1941
 * Wrangell, probate records, 1890-1960
 * 1st Division, Ketchikan Precinct, probate records, 1915-1968
 * 1st Division, Sitka Precinct, probate records, 1883-1959
 * 3rd Division, Aleutian Islands Precinct, Aleutian Islands, probate records, 1909-1960
 * 3rd Division, Anchorage, probate records, 1900-1974
 * 3rd Division, Chitina Precinct, probate records, 1922-1962
 * 3rd Division, Cordova Precinct, probate records, 1908-1960
 * 3rd Division, Kenai Precinct, probate records, 1901-1972
 * 3rd Division, Kodiak, probate records, 1901-1965
 * 3rd Division, Kvichak Precinct, probate records, 1933-1961
 * 3rd Division, Seward Precinct, probate records, 1913-1960
 * 3rd Division, Valdez Precinct, probate records, 1900-1960
 * 3rd Division, Wasilla Precinct, probate case files, 1944-1960
 * 4th Division probate records, from Barrow, Central, Eagle, Fairbanks, Fort Yukon, Healy, Hughes, Koyukuk, McGrath, Noatak, Nulato, Otter, Rampart, Ruby, Selawik, Tanana, and Tok precincts., 1899-1968
 * 4th Division, Kuskokwim Precinct, Aniak, probate records, 1920-1958 Chiefly from the community of Aniak
 * 4th Division, Fairbanks Precinct, probate records, 1904-1976
 * 4th Division, Nenana Precinct, probate records, 1900-1959

On-line Index
Index represents about 17,000 probate cases from the district court system from 1884 until the Alaska State Court system was established in 1960. Index is arranged alphabetically and includes last and first name, case number if available, precinct, type of case, date, whether docket or a case file, and the location of either or both if available. Alaska Probate Records Index