Sitka Deed Records
Deed records for Sitka are filed through the Alaska DNR Sitka Recording District, administered by the Anchorage Recorder's Office. Sitka is a consolidated city-borough in Southeast Alaska and has its own local assessor's office and municipal clerk. Sitka deed records include warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, mortgages, and liens recorded through the state DNR system. Search the Sitka Recording District index online at dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff. The City and Borough of Sitka Assessor's office also maintains property tax records, ownership data, and parcel maps.
Sitka Overview
Sitka Deed Recording Office
The Sitka Recording District is administered by the Anchorage DNR Office at 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 108. All deeds, mortgages, liens, and easements for Sitka properties are submitted to and indexed by this office. There is no local DNR recorder's office in Sitka -- all recording is handled remotely through Anchorage.
The City and Borough of Sitka Municipal Clerk's Office at 100 Lincoln Street also maintains some real property-related municipal records, but the official deed recording function belongs to the state DNR. The grantor-grantee index for the Sitka Recording District is available online going back to 1970.
| Recording District | Sitka Recording District |
|---|---|
| Recording Office | Alaska DNR - Anchorage Recorder's Office |
| DNR Address | 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 108 Anchorage, AK 99501 |
| DNR Phone | (907) 269-8876 |
| Municipal Clerk | 100 Lincoln Street, Sitka, AK 99835 |
| Clerk Phone | (907) 747-1811 |
Sitka Assessor's Office
The Sitka Assessor's Office maintains property assessment records for all parcels in the City and Borough of Sitka. The assessor's office is at 100 Lincoln Street, the same building as other city services. The Assessor can be reached at (907) 747-1820 or (907) 747-1822, fax (907) 747-6138, email assessing@cityofsitka.org.
The Sitka Assessor's website at cityofsitka.com/departments/Assessing provides an online property information search. Use this to find parcel numbers and legal descriptions before searching the DNR deed index. Assessment data is current ownership and value information; the deed index is the historical record of all recorded instruments.
The Alaska DNR Recorder's Office administers the Sitka Recording District. All deed documents for Sitka are indexed in the statewide grantor-grantee system under this district.
How to Search Sitka Deed Records
The Alaska DNR free online grantor-grantee index is the primary search tool for Sitka deed records. Visit dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff and select the Sitka Recording District. Search by grantor or grantee name, document type, or date range. The online database covers 1970 to present.
The Sitka Assessor at (907) 747-1820 can help with parcel identification and legal descriptions. The Alaska Mapper GIS at mapper.dnr.alaska.gov shows parcel boundaries for Sitka properties. For copies of recorded documents, contact the Anchorage DNR at (907) 269-8876 or use the online ordering system. The Municipal Clerk at (907) 747-1811 can assist with city records outside the deed index.
Recording Fees
Recording fees for the Sitka Recording District are set by Alaska law under AS 40.17.030. The standard fee is $20 for the first page and $5 for each additional page. Non-standard documents carry an additional $50 fee. Copies are $1.25 for the first page and $0.25 per additional page. Certified copies add $5. E-recording through authorized vendors is available. Document requirements are at dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff/PreparingDocs.
Chain of Title Research in Sitka
Sitka has one of the longest and most layered property histories in Alaska. The city served as the Russian capital of Alaska from 1808 until the United States purchased the territory in 1867. Sitka was also the first state capital after Alaska achieved statehood in 1959 before Juneau took over. Properties in the old city core near the harbor and Russian Bishop's House area may have ownership chains going back to the territorial era or earlier.
For a Sitka deed search, start at the Sitka Assessor's Office at cityofsitka.com/departments/Assessing or call (907) 747-1820 to get the current owner and parcel number. Then search the DNR Sitka Recording District grantor-grantee index under that name and work backward through each prior owner. The online index covers 1970 to present. For older records, contact the Anchorage DNR at (907) 269-8876. Sitka's Municipal Clerk at (907) 747-1811 may also hold relevant municipal conveyance records for city-owned land.
Properties near the waterfront or on former tidelands in Sitka may involve federal patents or territorial-era conveyances. These older conveyances appear in the DNR system once they were recorded, but some pre-1970 records require a direct request from the Anchorage DNR. The Alaska Mapper GIS at mapper.dnr.alaska.gov shows current parcel boundaries and helps confirm the correct legal description before beginning a deed search. For complex title chains, a local title company in Sitka is often the most efficient resource. Copy fees for the Sitka Recording District are $1.25 for the first page and $0.25 per additional page, with $5 added for certified copies required in legal proceedings.
Sitka City and Borough Deed Records
Sitka is a consolidated city-borough. All deed recordings for Sitka go through the Sitka Recording District. For more details on the recording system, visit the Sitka City and Borough deed records page.
Nearby Cities
These Southeast Alaska cities also file deed records through the Alaska DNR recording system.