Northwest Arctic Borough Property Records
Northwest Arctic Borough deed records are processed through the Kotzebue Recording District, with the Fairbanks DNR office handling document recording for this remote northwest Alaska borough. Property ownership transfers, warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, easements, and other land documents filed in the borough fall under Alaska state recording law. Researchers can access the DNR's statewide records system online or contact the Fairbanks office directly. The borough itself does not levy a property tax, which sets it apart from most other organized boroughs in the state. For land records and deed searches in Northwest Arctic Borough, the state recording system is the place to start.
Northwest Arctic Borough Overview
Northwest Arctic Borough Clerk
The Northwest Arctic Borough is headquartered in Kotzebue, accessible at www.nwabor.org. The borough is an organized second-class borough covering a large area of northwest Alaska. Most services are centralized in Kotzebue, though the many small communities spread across the borough are served remotely. The borough office at P.O. Box 1110, Kotzebue, AK 99752 can be reached by phone at (907) 442-2500.
The Borough Clerk's Office is responsible for maintaining an indexed file for public inspection. This file holds municipal ordinances, resolutions, rules, regulations, and codes. The Clerk also attests deeds and other documents and has the power to administer oaths required by law. In addition, the Clerk supervises all Northwest Arctic Borough municipal elections. For deed attestation or records tied to the borough's own files, this is the right contact point.
One key fact about the borough: it does not levy a property tax. Under Section 11.03 of the Borough Charter, any borough property tax must first be approved by voters. Because of this, the Finance Department does not maintain a property tax roll, property sale lists, assessments, or similar records. Researchers looking for property value data or sale history should not expect to find it at the borough level.
| Office | Northwest Arctic Borough |
|---|---|
| Address | P.O. Box 1110, Kotzebue, AK 99752 |
| Phone | (907) 442-2500 |
| Website | nwabor.org |
| Clerk | Borough Clerk's Office |
Deed Recording in Northwest Arctic Borough
Real property deed recording for Northwest Arctic Borough takes place through the Kotzebue Recording District, which is served by the Fairbanks DNR Office at 3700 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709. The phone number for the Fairbanks office is (907) 452-3521. All deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, liens, and other land documents must go through this office to be recorded in the state system.
Alaska Statute AS 40.17 governs the recording of real property documents across the state. Under these rules, a deed must be submitted in proper form, with the correct fees, to be accepted for recording. The document goes into the statewide index once it is processed. Any document not recorded may still be valid between the parties but does not provide legal notice to third parties who may later have an interest in the land.
The DNR Recorder's Office handles all deed types that affect land in the borough. This includes warranty deeds used in standard property sales, quitclaim deeds used to transfer whatever interest a grantor holds, deeds of trust securing loans, and easement documents granting rights of way across land. Subdivision plats and survey documents also go through this system. The full list of recording districts and their assigned offices is available at the district list page.
Note: The Northwest Arctic Borough does not maintain property tax records or sale histories. All deed and land document recording runs through the state DNR Recorder's Office, not the borough directly.
The official Northwest Arctic Borough website serves as a starting point for learning about the municipality. Shown here is a screenshot of the borough's main page, which links to the Clerk's Office and Finance Department resources.
The borough's site provides contact information and department pages, including the Clerk's Office that attests deeds and maintains public records.
No Property Tax in Northwest Arctic Borough
The Finance Department page for Northwest Arctic Borough makes clear that the borough does not assess or collect property taxes. This is one of the few organized boroughs in Alaska that has not enacted a property tax. The screenshot below shows the Finance Department page, which confirms that no property tax roll, sale information, or assessment lists exist at the borough level.
Because no local property tax is assessed, researchers cannot rely on the borough's Finance Department for valuation records or sale data. The state's DNR system remains the primary source for deed and land document access.
This matters when you are trying to research property ownership. In most Alaska boroughs, the assessor's office provides a secondary source of property information through tax rolls and assessed value records. In Northwest Arctic Borough, that source does not exist. Your search begins and ends with the state recording system and any title records that may be held privately.
For those buying or selling land in the Kotzebue area or the surrounding communities, a title search through a licensed title company is often the practical approach. They can pull the chain of title directly from the DNR's recorded documents and give you a full ownership history for the parcel in question.
Clerk Records and Deed Attestation
The Northwest Arctic Borough Clerk's Office plays a specific role in the deed process. The Clerk attests deeds and other documents as part of municipal duties. This means the Clerk can verify and officially confirm certain documents. The Clerk also has the power to administer oaths, which is useful when affidavits or sworn statements are part of a property transaction.
The Clerk's indexed file of public records includes municipal ordinances, resolutions, and codes, but it is not the same as a deed recorder. For actual recorded property documents under AS 40.17, the state DNR system is the authoritative source.
In practical terms, if you need to confirm that a deed was recorded, you search the state's system. If you need a document attested or an oath administered in connection with a property matter, the Clerk's Office in Kotzebue can help. The two functions are separate but work together in the overall process of recording land ownership in the borough.
Note: Deed attestation by the Clerk is not the same as recording a deed. Recording happens at the DNR Recorder's Office, which maintains the official state land records index.
Search Northwest Arctic Deed Records Online
You can search for recorded deeds and land documents in Northwest Arctic Borough through the DNR's online system at dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff. The system allows searches by grantor and grantee name, document type, and recording district. The Kotzebue Recording District covers the borough, so filter by that district when you search.
The Alaska Mapper tool at mapper.dnr.alaska.gov provides a GIS-based view of land parcels across the state. For remote areas like Northwest Arctic Borough, this can help you identify parcel boundaries and ownership based on recorded data. Some parcels in this area involve federal and state lands, Native allotments, and Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) lands, all of which have their own records systems.
For documents you want to submit for recording, review the document preparation guidelines on the DNR site before you submit. The DNR also offers e-recording for eligible documents, which allows submission without mailing physical paper. This is especially useful for transactions in remote areas like Kotzebue where traveling to the Fairbanks office is not practical. Check the current fee schedule before submitting any document.
Alaska Recording Law and Northwest Arctic Borough
Alaska's deed recording law under AS 40.17 applies throughout the state, including Northwest Arctic Borough. The statute defines what types of instruments must be recorded, how they must be prepared, and what fees apply. Under AS 40.17.030, a conveyance of real property is not valid against a subsequent purchaser for value without notice unless it is recorded. This is the core reason why recording matters.
AS 40.17.150 sets out the requirements for a document to be accepted for recording. The document must identify the parties, describe the property, be signed and notarized, and include the correct fees. Documents that do not meet these requirements will be returned. The Fairbanks DNR office reviews documents before they enter the index. If a document is rejected, the submitter gets it back with a reason for the rejection.
Land ownership in Northwest Arctic Borough can be complex. Much of the land in the area is held by the state, the federal government, or Native corporations under ANCSA. Privately held fee-simple parcels do exist, especially in and around Kotzebue. When you are researching a parcel, it helps to know what type of land it is before starting a deed search, because some land types have separate recording systems or title structures.
Note: Many parcels in Northwest Arctic Borough involve Native corporation lands or federal and state holdings. Not all land transfers for these types go through the standard DNR deed recording system. Check with the relevant agency or corporation if a standard deed search returns no results.
Cities in Northwest Arctic Borough
Northwest Arctic Borough covers a large area of northwest Alaska. The borough seat of Kotzebue is the largest community. Other communities in the borough include Buckland, Kiana, Kobuk, Koyuk, Noatak, Noorvik, Selawik, and Shungnak. None of these communities currently have individual city deed records pages. All deed recording for property located in the borough runs through the state DNR system under the Kotzebue Recording District.
Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas
Northwest Arctic Borough borders several other Alaska boroughs and census areas. Deed records for each area run through the state DNR recording system, though different recording districts and offices may apply depending on location.