Kodiak Island Borough Property Records
Deed records for Kodiak Island Borough are maintained through the Kodiak Recording District and the Alaska DNR Recorder's Office. The borough sits off the southern Alaska coast and includes the city of Kodiak along with several smaller communities spread across Kodiak Island and nearby islands. If you're searching for property deeds, title history, or recorded land documents in the borough, the state recording system handles all formal filings under Alaska Statute 40.17, while the local assessor maintains tax and ownership data separately.
Kodiak Island Borough Overview
Kodiak Recording District
The Kodiak Recording District is where all property deed filings for Kodiak Island Borough are processed. This district is served by the Anchorage DNR Office, which handles physical submissions, searches, and copies for all communities in the borough. The Anchorage DNR Office is at 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 108, Anchorage, AK 99501, phone (907) 269-8876.
The screenshot below is from the DNR Recorder's Office, which maintains all Kodiak Island Borough deed records through the Kodiak Recording District.
The DNR is the central state authority for deed recording in Alaska. All instruments affecting title to real property in Kodiak Island Borough must be filed here to be effective against third parties under AS 40.17.
Communities served by the Kodiak Recording District include Akhiok, Chiniak, Karluk, Kodiak, Larsen Bay, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie, and Port Lions. If you own or are buying property in any of these areas, your deed records go through this district.
| Recording District | Kodiak Recording District |
|---|---|
| Serving DNR Office | Anchorage DNR Office |
| Address | 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 108, Anchorage, AK 99501 |
| Phone | (907) 269-8876 |
| DNR Office Info | dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff/info/anchorage |
Kodiak Island Borough Assessor
The borough assessor handles property tax assessment and maintains ownership records tied to the borough's tax rolls. The assessor's data is separate from deed recording but relies on it. When a deed is recorded, the assessor updates ownership to reflect the transfer. The two systems work together but are managed by different offices.
Assessor Seema Garoutte leads the Kodiak Island Borough Assessor's Office. You can reach the office at 710 Mill Bay Rd., Kodiak, AK 99615, phone (907) 486-9353, fax (907) 486-9395, email sgaroutte@kodiakak.us. The office maintains property assessment records for all parcels within the borough, including those in the more remote communities on and around Kodiak Island.
The screenshot below shows the recording process applicable to Kodiak Island Borough deeds.
Understanding how the Alaska recording process works helps property owners and researchers know where to file and how to retrieve deed documents for properties in Kodiak Island Borough.
Note: The borough assessor and the DNR recording office are separate. Contacting the assessor will get you tax and value data. For the actual deed documents, you need the DNR Recorder's Office for the Kodiak Recording District.
Finding Kodiak Island Borough Deed Records
The Alaska DNR Recorder's Office is the main place to search deed records for Kodiak Island Borough. The statewide online system lets you search by name, document type, district, or date range. This covers all recorded deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, liens, easements, and plat maps going back decades.
For GIS-based parcel lookups, the Alaska Mapper at mapper.dnr.alaska.gov lets you view parcel boundaries and pull up document references tied to each parcel. This is useful when you have an address or parcel number but not a party name. The tool works statewide, including for island communities that are harder to locate by street address alone.
You can also contact the Anchorage DNR office directly by phone or mail to request a document search or certified copies. The fee schedule covers copy costs, and the FAQ page answers common questions about how to get records and what each record type contains.
Electronic recording is available for eligible document types. The e-recording page at the DNR site explains the process. Many title companies serving the Kodiak area use e-recording to submit documents quickly without the need for physical mail to Anchorage.
Deed Recording Requirements
Deeds recorded in the Kodiak Recording District must meet state format requirements under AS 40.17. The document preparation page covers required margins, legible text standards, signature and notarization rules, and how grantor, grantee, and legal description information must be formatted. Documents that fail to meet these standards may be rejected or flagged with a non-standard notation.
A deed must be signed by the grantor and notarized before it can be recorded. The legal description of the property, as it appears on the current recorded plat, must match exactly. Any mismatch in the legal description can create title problems and may require a corrective deed later.
The recording district list at the DNR site confirms which district covers each area of Alaska, including the Kodiak Island Borough communities. If you're unsure which district applies to a specific parcel, this list helps clarify it. For Kodiak Island Borough, all areas fall under the Kodiak Recording District served by the Anchorage DNR office.
Note: Recording a deed does not guarantee it is legally valid. If the grantor lacked ownership rights, had liens against the property, or the transfer was otherwise improper, recording does not cure those defects. A title search through a licensed title company is the best way to confirm clean title before any real estate transaction.
Cities in Kodiak Island Borough
Kodiak is the main city and the seat of the borough. Other communities in the borough include Akhiok, Chiniak, Karluk, Larsen Bay, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie, and Port Lions. All deed filings for the borough go through the Kodiak Recording District.
Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas
These areas are near Kodiak Island Borough. Each has its own recording district for deed filings.