Search Ketchikan Gateway Borough Arrest Records
Ketchikan Gateway Borough arrest records are maintained by two primary agencies: the Ketchikan Police Department for incidents within city limits, and the Alaska State Troopers Ketchikan Post for unincorporated areas of the borough. Once charges are filed in court, the Alaska Court System takes over the record. You can search Ketchikan Gateway Borough arrest records through the CourtView online portal, the DPS public records request system, or by contacting the Ketchikan Police Department directly. This guide covers all the available methods for locating arrest records in Ketchikan Gateway Borough.
Where to Find Ketchikan Gateway Arrest Records
Ketchikan Gateway Borough sits in southern Southeast Alaska. Ketchikan is the borough seat. The Ketchikan Police Department serves the City of Ketchikan. Alaska State Troopers at the Ketchikan Post at 7366 North Tongass Highway, Ketchikan, AK 99901, phone (907) 225-5118, cover the areas outside city limits. Arrest records from both agencies flow into the statewide criminal history system run by the DPS Criminal Records and Identification Bureau.
Start any search for Ketchikan Gateway arrest records with the CourtView public access portal. This free tool shows criminal cases filed in Ketchikan Superior Court and District Court by name, case number, or citation. It does not include police reports or booking photos, but it gives you charges, docket entries, and case status. Below is a screenshot from the CourtView online search portal.
CourtView runs around the clock and is free to use. Ketchikan cases fall under the First Judicial District.
For police-side documents, you go directly to Ketchikan PD for city arrests or to the DPS portal for trooper arrests. These two systems do not share a common public-facing interface. You need to know which agency made the arrest before submitting your request.
Note: Arrests that happen within the City of Ketchikan go to Ketchikan PD. Arrests in areas outside city limits, such as Ward Cove or Saxman, typically go to the Troopers or tribal law enforcement, depending on the specific location.
Ketchikan Police Department Arrest Records
The Ketchikan Police Department keeps all arrest records for incidents within city limits. The department is located at 334 Front Street, Ketchikan, AK 99901. The non-emergency phone is (907) 225-6631. For emergencies, call 911. Written requests are required for records access. The department does not release arrest records by phone or in response to informal inquiries.
To request Ketchikan PD arrest records, submit a written request that includes the full name of the subject, the date and location of the arrest if known, a case number if you have it, and a copy of your government-issued photo ID. Fees for record copies are charged per the Alaska Public Records Act. Processing typically takes 10 to 30 days depending on the complexity of the request and whether any review for exemptions is required.
The Alaska Public Records Act at AS 40.25.110 gives agencies 10 business days to respond to public records requests. An extension of up to 10 additional business days is allowed if the file needs legal review. Under AS 40.25.120, agencies may withhold records related to open investigations, records that would endanger an individual, or records covering juvenile arrests. Expect redactions on any file tied to an active criminal proceeding.
In 2015, a Ketchikan case drew statewide attention to public records obligations. In KMXT v. City of Ketchikan, a Superior Court judge ordered the City of Ketchikan to comply with the Alaska Public Records Act and release records related to a police use-of-force incident. The court rejected the city's argument that third-party investigations or privacy concerns could exempt them from disclosure. This case reinforced that APRA applies broadly to police records even when agencies push back.
Ketchikan Trooper Post and Borough Records
The Alaska State Troopers Ketchikan Post covers law enforcement for Ketchikan Gateway Borough outside city limits. The post is at 7366 North Tongass Highway, Ketchikan, AK 99901. The fax is (907) 225-6568. Trooper incidents from this post include arrests in outlying communities and on the roads and waterways connecting them. All trooper arrests are documented in incident reports that go to the central ASPIN database managed by DPS.
To request trooper arrest records from Ketchikan Gateway Borough, use the DPS public records portal. Select Alaska State Troopers as the agency, describe the incident with date and location details, and list the names of people involved. You will receive a tracking number for follow-up. The screenshot below shows the public portal interface.
Trooper records feed into the same statewide criminal history system as city police records. Once you have the report, you can cross-reference it with CourtView to see whether charges were filed and how the case proceeded.
Note: For records about Alaska Wildlife Trooper incidents in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, such as hunting or fishing violations that led to arrests, those requests also go through the same DPS public records portal, selecting Alaska Wildlife Troopers as the agency.
Ketchikan Court Records and CourtView
The Ketchikan Superior Court at 415 Main Street, Room 400, Ketchikan, AK 99901, phone (907) 225-3195, handles felony cases, appeals, and major civil matters for Ketchikan Gateway Borough. District court cases are handled at the same location. Both courts are part of the First Judicial District. All cases from both levels of court are searchable through CourtView.
To get physical copies of court documents, use form TF-311, which covers all Alaska trial courts outside Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Palmer. You can mail or deliver the form to the Ketchikan Courthouse. Copy fees are $5 for the first document and $3 for each additional. Certified copies run $10 for the first, then $3 each. Authenticated or exemplified copies are $15 each.
The Alaska Court System website links to the full directory of trial courts, fee schedules, and self-help forms. If you are unsure about the process for getting Ketchikan court records, the court system's administrative office at (907) 264-0616 can answer questions. Below is a screenshot from the court system's main site.
Court records and police arrest records are separate. A CourtView search shows court filings. A request to Ketchikan PD or through the DPS portal gets you police-side documents. For a complete record from arrest to disposition, you need both.
Ketchikan Gateway Borough Arrest Records Inmate Lookup
People arrested in Ketchikan Gateway Borough are generally held at the Ketchikan Correctional Center at 1201 Schoenbar Road, Ketchikan, AK 99901. The operations phone is (907) 228-7363. Ketchikan Correctional Center is operated by the Alaska Department of Corrections and serves as the primary detention facility for the borough, holding both pretrial detainees and sentenced inmates.
To look up current inmate information, use the VINElink Alaska inmate search. Search by last name or offender ID number. VINElink shows the person's full name, gender, race, current facility, custody status, and ID number. You can also register for free notifications that alert you to any change in a person's custody status, including releases and transfers. The service is available around the clock.
VINElink covers Alaska state correctional facilities. It does not track people held at small local lock-ups or police station holding cells prior to formal booking. For very recent bookings, call Ketchikan Correctional Center directly at (907) 228-7363 to confirm whether a person has been formally booked into the facility.
Background Checks and Ketchikan Arrest Records
For a full Alaska criminal history rather than a single police incident report, contact the DPS Criminal Records and Identification Bureau at 5700 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99507, phone (907) 269-5767. This bureau manages the ASPIN database and provides name-based and fingerprint-based criminal history checks for the entire state. A name-based Alaska criminal history check costs $20. A fingerprint check costs $35. Additional copies are $5 each.
The online self-service portal handles name-based requests. You fill out the request form online and receive results by email. For fingerprint-based checks, you need to submit physical fingerprints either at a walk-in location or through an approved channeling agency. Walk-in hours at the Anchorage bureau are 8:15 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Bring two forms of photo ID, one government-issued.
AS 12.62.160 governs how Alaska's criminal justice information system works and who can access what level of detail. Public requests get access to conviction records and current offender information. Non-conviction data has more limited disclosure rules. If a Ketchikan arrest resulted in a conviction, that will appear in a standard name check. If charges were dropped or the person was acquitted, the criminal history may show the arrest but no conviction.
Note: Alaska does not have broad expungement options for adult convictions. Records of arrests, even those that did not lead to conviction, generally remain in the system unless a specific legal action is taken to remove them.
Sealed Records and Exemptions in Ketchikan
Not all Ketchikan Gateway arrest records are public. Juvenile arrest records are sealed under Alaska law. Records tied to open investigations can be withheld. Information that would endanger a witness, reveal an informant's identity, or compromise an undercover operation is exempt from public release under AS 40.25.120. Personnel files and internal disciplinary records about police officers are also exempt from standard public records requests.
The 2015 KMXT case confirms that agencies cannot broadly invoke privacy or third-party exemptions to avoid releasing police records. The court made clear that APRA applies even in politically sensitive situations. If an agency denies your request, they must provide a written reason citing the specific statutory exemption. You can appeal a denial under the procedures described on the Department of Law's APRA page.
For historical Ketchikan records from decades past, the Alaska State Archives may hold files no longer in active agency use. Genealogy researchers and legal historians use the Archives for older criminal case documents. Call or visit the Archives in Juneau to inquire about specific historical records from Ketchikan Gateway Borough.