Ketchikan Deed Records

Deed records for Ketchikan are filed at the Alaska Recorder's Office, First Judicial District, at 415 Main Street, Room 400, Ketchikan, AK 99901. Ketchikan is the largest city in Southeast Alaska and the county seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. You can search Ketchikan deed records in person at the First Judicial District Recorder's Office at 415 Main Street or use the Alaska DNR online index at dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff. The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assessor also provides property ownership, valuation, and parcel data.

Ketchikan Deed Recording Office

The Ketchikan Recording District has a local recorder's office at 415 Main Street, Room 400. This is one of the few recording district offices physically located outside Anchorage or Fairbanks, meaning Ketchikan residents can record and retrieve deed documents locally. The office handles deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and other real property instruments.

The local Ketchikan recorder's office serves the Ketchikan Recording District, which covers the City of Ketchikan, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, and surrounding Prince of Wales area communities. Certified copies can be ordered in person or by calling the office directly at (907) 225-3188.

The City of Ketchikan's website at ketchikan.gov provides city government information and links. For deed records, the local recorder's office at 415 Main Street is the correct contact, not the city.

Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assessor

Property assessment records for Ketchikan are maintained by the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assessor's Office. Assessor Adam Thompson leads this office. The assessor database is useful for confirming current ownership and parcel details before searching the deed index.

The City of Ketchikan Clerk's Office at (907) 228-6615 handles city records, ordinances, and resolutions. For deed documents, use the recorder's office at 415 Main Street rather than the City Clerk.

How to Search Ketchikan Deed Records

You can search Ketchikan deed records online or in person. The Alaska DNR free online grantor-grantee index covers 1970 to present. Visit dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff and select the Ketchikan Recording District. Search by grantor or grantee name, or by document number if you have it.

For in-person research, visit the local recorder's office at 415 Main Street, Room 400, Ketchikan. Staff can pull documents and make copies. Call (907) 225-3188 to confirm hours before visiting. The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assessor at (907) 228-6640 can assist with property identification and ownership verification.

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough also provides an online property search at kgbak.us/assessor/property-search where you can search by owner name, address, or parcel number for assessment information. The Alaska Mapper GIS at mapper.dnr.alaska.gov shows parcel boundaries and legal descriptions.

Recording Fees

Recording fees for the Ketchikan Recording District follow Alaska Statute under AS 40.17.030. The base fee is $20 for the first page and $5 for each additional page. Non-standard documents add $50. Copies are $1.25 for the first page and $0.25 per additional page. Certified copies cost an additional $5. E-recording through authorized vendors is available for attorneys and title professionals.

Chain of Title Research in Ketchikan

Ketchikan has one of the oldest recorded property histories in Alaska. The city was established in the late 19th century, and some properties in the downtown and waterfront area have ownership histories going back well before Alaska statehood. Tracing a full chain of title for a Ketchikan property requires both the online DNR index for records from 1970 forward and in-person research at the local recorder's office for older documents.

To start a chain-of-title search for a Ketchikan property, confirm the current owner and parcel number through the KGB Assessor at (907) 228-6640 or at kgbak.us/132/Assessment. Then search the DNR Ketchikan Recording District grantor-grantee index for that owner's name. Each deed will show the prior owner, and you work backward through the chain. The local recorder at 415 Main Street can pull physical document files for records not in the online index.

Many Ketchikan properties near the waterfront involve tidelands patents and early territorial land conveyances. These records may appear in federal land records as well as the DNR system. The Alaska Mapper GIS at mapper.dnr.alaska.gov shows current parcel boundaries and helps verify the correct legal description before you run a deed search. For complex title research, contacting a local title company or real estate attorney in Ketchikan is often practical given the age and complexity of some historical property records.

Ketchikan Gateway Borough Deed Records

Ketchikan is the main city in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. All deed records for the borough are filed through the Ketchikan Recording District. For more details on the borough-wide system, visit the Ketchikan Gateway Borough deed records page.

View Ketchikan Gateway Borough Deed Records

Nearby Cities

These cities in Southeast Alaska also file deed records through the Alaska DNR recording system.