Search Alaska Booking Releases
Alaska Booking Releases track who gets booked into and let out of jails and police holding cells across the state. You can search Alaska Booking Releases by name, date, or facility through the Alaska Department of Corrections Offender Locator and the daily press logs kept by the Alaska State Troopers. Local police in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Mat-Su also post booking details for recent arrests. Use this page to find the right office, the right form, and the right online tool to look up booking info in any borough.
Alaska Booking Releases Overview
Where to Find Alaska Booking Releases
Most Alaska Booking Releases start at the arresting agency. Alaska State Troopers, city police, and Village Public Safety Officers (VPSOs) book people into state jails or short-term community holding cells. From there, booking data moves into the Alaska Department of Corrections system. The DOC runs the statewide offender lookup, and it is the main stop when you need to know if a person is still in jail or has been let out.
The state has more than a dozen adult facilities run by the Alaska Department of Corrections. Anchorage Correctional Complex, Fairbanks Correctional Center, Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau, and Mat-Su Pretrial Facility in Palmer handle most pretrial bookings. Smaller community jails in places like Homer, Seward, Petersburg, and Wrangell hold people for a short time before transfer. Booking logs, mugshots, and release dates can be pulled from each facility under the Alaska Public Records Act.
The Alaska Department of Corrections keeps the main booking and inmate files. Visit the main DOC site to find facility contact info and forms. We captured a screenshot of the DOC homepage below so you can see the layout before you click through to doc.alaska.gov.
The DOC page links to every state jail, the offender locator, and the public records request portal. Bookmark it as your starting point for any Alaska Booking Releases search.
Note: For the most current booking releases, check the state DOC offender locator first, then follow up with the local police department or trooper post that made the arrest.
How to Search Alaska Booking Releases Online
Alaska gives you a few online tools for booking releases. The fastest is the VINE inmate search, which pulls live data from the Alaska Department of Corrections. It shows current custody status, facility, and projected release date. You can set up free alerts that page you when a booking status changes.
Run a lookup with the tool at vinelink.vineapps.com/search/AK. Type the first and last name, and the system will return every matching record in the state. The screenshot below shows the search form for Alaska Booking Releases on VINE.
VINE is run at the national level by Appriss. Alaska data is pushed from the DOC every few minutes, so the info is fresh. If you want to get release alerts by email, phone, or text, sign up free at vinelink.com. The VINE portal gives you victim notification on any Alaska Booking Releases tied to the offender.
Set up alerts on more than one person at a time. The system also works if the inmate is moved from one Alaska jail to another.
To search booking info through VINE, you need:
- Full name of the person
- Rough date of arrest (if known)
- County or facility (optional but helpful)
- Date of birth (helpful for common names)
For court case details linked to a booking, use the Alaska Court System search. CourtView lets you pull the charging papers and court dates for any Alaska Booking Releases case. The press release log from Alaska State Troopers, called the Daily Dispatch, also shows booking info for arrests made by troopers.
Alaska State Troopers Booking Releases
Alaska State Troopers post daily arrest logs on their own press site. The Daily Dispatch feed lists booking releases from troopers across the whole state. Each entry has the name, age, town, charge, and release status. Check it every day for fresh booking data.
Read the log at dailydispatch.dps.alaska.gov. The Daily Dispatch is the closest thing Alaska has to a statewide booking blotter. The screenshot below shows the layout.
Use the date filter to find a specific day. Older entries stay online. You can also search by name with your browser's find tool.
Alaska Court Records and Booking Releases
Court files link up with jail booking data. Once a person is booked in Alaska, the charging papers get filed in the nearest district or superior court. The Alaska Court System runs a public portal called CourtView. You can search Alaska Booking Releases case files by name, case number, or filing date.
Visit the court case search at courts.alaska.gov/main/search-cases.htm. The system shows the charge list, hearing dates, bail amount, and case status. The screenshot below shows the main search page.
CourtView is free and open to the public. For more detailed case info, head to the second search tool at public.courts.alaska.gov.
This tool lets you pull up the full docket for any Alaska Booking Releases case. Printed copies carry a small fee at the court clerk.
Court-issued forms, including release paperwork and bail bond papers, can be found on the Alaska Court System forms page. We included a screenshot of courts.alaska.gov/forms/index.htm below.
Pick the form you need, fill it in, and file it with the clerk in the district where the case is heard.
Requesting Alaska Booking Releases Records
You can file a public records request for Alaska Booking Releases under Alaska Statute 40.25.110-120, the Alaska Public Records Act. The act covers most police and jail files. A request can ask for the booking sheet, mugshot, release date, bail info, and the arrest report.
The Department of Public Safety runs an online portal for records requests at dpsalaska.justfoia.com. You can file online, upload ID, and pay small copy fees by card. The screenshot below shows the request form.
Name the agency, the person, and the date range. The DPS will route it to the right office.
Alaska publishes the full text of its public records rules on the Department of Law website. Read the summary and case law at law.alaska.gov/doclibrary/APRA.html before you file. The screenshot below shows the APRA page.
The APRA has a few limits. Juvenile booking data, ongoing cases, and some crime victim info may be held back. The rest of the Alaska Booking Releases file should be open.
Tip: Most APRA requests are answered in 10 working days. Booking sheets and mugshots are usually the fastest records to get back.
Federal Booking Releases in Alaska
Not every Alaska arrest lands in a state jail. Federal charges send people into the Federal Bureau of Prisons system. To track a federal booking or release, use the BOP Inmate Locator. The tool covers all federal holding sites and prisons.
Search by name or BOP register number at bop.gov/inmateloc. The screenshot below shows the search form.
The locator shows current housing, age, race, and release date. Federal cases filed in Alaska are heard in U.S. District Court in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, or Nome.
Types of Alaska Booking Releases
A booking release file is not one single paper. It is a set of records made at the time a person is booked and when they are let out. Each Alaska Booking Releases file can hold several items.
A full Alaska Booking Releases record can have:
- Booking sheet with name, age, and alleged offense
- Mugshot and side profile photo
- Fingerprint card (FBI and state level)
- Intake medical screening
- Property inventory
- Bail or bond paperwork
- Release date and release type (bail, own recognizance, time served)
Some items are held back from public view. Juvenile records stay sealed under Alaska law. Medical screening info is also private. The rest is public under APRA.
Short-term holding cells keep fewer records. A community jail in Haines, Skagway, or Bristol Bay may only log the name, charge, and release time. For a full booking file, you need to check the state DOC facility that got the transfer.
Legal Help With Alaska Booking Releases
If you or a loved one is booked into an Alaska jail, a few groups can help. The Alaska Court System runs a self-help center with forms and contact info. Alaska Legal Services Corporation handles civil matters tied to arrest, including housing and family law fallout.
The Alaska Public Defender Agency steps in on most criminal cases. If a person booked in Alaska cannot pay for a lawyer, the court will appoint one. Contact the local public defender office in the borough where the case is filed. The Office of Public Advocacy takes cases when the public defender has a conflict.
The Alaska Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service. Call the state bar to get a name in the area where the booking happened. Many firms give a short first meeting for free or a small fee.
Are Alaska Booking Releases Public
Yes. Alaska Booking Releases are public records under the Alaska Public Records Act (AS 40.25.110 to 40.25.220). You do not need to be a party or a relative to ask for them. You do not need to give a reason. Most booking sheets, mugshots, and release dates are open to anyone.
There are a few limits. Juvenile booking info is sealed. Sealed cases and expunged records are not open. Some medical and mental health info is cut out. A few items may be redacted while a case is still being worked. The rest of the Alaska Booking Releases file is open to the public.
Note: Alaska Booking Releases are presumed open under APRA. The agency has to cite a legal reason to hold back any part of a file.
Browse Alaska Booking Releases by Borough
Each Alaska borough and census area handles booking releases in its own way. Pick a borough below to find local jail, police, and trooper info for that area.
Booking Releases in Major Alaska Cities
City police in Alaska's biggest towns post their own booking and release info. Pick a city below to find local contact info and booking release resources.