Search Alaska Bankruptcy Records
Alaska bankruptcy records are federal court files kept by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Alaska in Anchorage. Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13 cases all get filed at the same court. You can search Alaska bankruptcy records online through PACER, by phone through McVCIS, or in person at the clerk's office. Most case files from January 2000 onward sit on public terminals at the courthouse. Older files are held by the National Archives in Seattle. This page shows you where to look, what the fees are, and how to get copies of a case.
Alaska Bankruptcy Records Overview
Where Alaska Bankruptcy Records Are Filed
Bankruptcies in Alaska are filed in federal court, not state court. That is a key point a lot of people miss. The Alaska Court System handles state civil and criminal cases, but all Alaska bankruptcy filings go to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Alaska. This is the one court in the state that handles every Chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13 case. It sits in Anchorage, and it covers the whole state.
The court is in the Old Federal Building at 605 W. 4th Avenue, Suite 138, Anchorage, AK 99501. You can reach the clerk at (907) 271-2655 or the in-state toll free line at (800) 859-8059. The main visit hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM, closed on federal holidays. For more details on the court, see the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Alaska site.
The clerk of court is Janet Stafford, and the chief deputy is Donna Williams. Chief Judge Gary A. Spraker's chambers take calls at (907) 271-2667. Cases filed since January 2000 stay on public terminals in the clerk's office at no cost, so anyone can walk in and pull a docket. Closed cases from before 2000 get sent to the Federal Records Center in Seattle for long term storage. You can see the official filing rules and forms on the Bankruptcy Court site before you visit.
The bankruptcy court is a federal agency, while the Alaska Court System handles state cases through its trial and appellate branches.
This is the court where every Alaska bankruptcy case begins and ends, no matter where in the state you live.
Note: Alaska has just one federal bankruptcy court, and it covers all 30 boroughs and census areas across the state from its Anchorage office.
How to Search Alaska Bankruptcy Records Online
PACER is the main way to look up Alaska bankruptcy records online. PACER stands for Public Access to Court Electronic Records. It lets you search dockets, pull up case details, and view filings for every federal court in the country. The system is run by the federal Judiciary. To use it, you need a free account. Sign up at pacer.uscourts.gov or call (800) 676-6856.
The Alaska details page on the court website gives you a quick start guide for the system.
Read this page before you try to run your first search so you know what you will be charged and what you can find. More on the fee side is at the PACER info page for Alaska.
PACER costs $0.10 per page, capped at 30 pages per document. That means the most you pay for any one paper is $3. You get charged each time you open a new document. If your total charges for a quarter are under $30, the fee is waived. When the court sends you a Notice of Electronic Filing, the first look at the linked paper is free. That link dies after 15 days or after the first view.
Signing up for PACER takes a few minutes.
You can register on the national PACER portal with a valid email and a payment method on file. Multifactor Authentication is now required for filers and is an option for read only users.
If you do not want to pay, Alaska also has a free phone system called McVCIS. The toll free number is 1-866-222-8029. The local Anchorage line is (907) 271-2658, and the Alaska toll free line is 1-888-878-3110. McVCIS is open 24 hours a day. It tells you the debtor name, the case number, the trustee name, and the case status. You can search by case number or by name. It is free to use.
Alaska Court System and Bankruptcy Records
The state court system does not handle bankruptcy cases, but it is still helpful in a few ways. If you are trying to track down civil judgments, liens, or lawsuits that later show up in a bankruptcy filing, you may need to use the state court tools.
The main state court portal points to forms, locations, and search tools.
You can read about the state court structure, find self help resources, and check filing rules at courts.alaska.gov.
The state court also runs CourtView, which is the statewide index for trial court cases. CourtView is not a bankruptcy search tool, but it often helps when you are looking for related civil cases. It covers most case types going back to 1990, though older files live on paper index cards at each courthouse.
CourtView is free and open to the public.
Try a name or case number search at records.courts.alaska.gov. Results are capped at 500 per search. For older files and case types not in CourtView, you have to call the local court where the case was heard.
If you need blank forms for a related state matter, the Alaska court forms site has hundreds of them ready to download.
Grab what you need from courts.alaska.gov/forms. For a blank bankruptcy petition, you still have to go through the federal Bankruptcy Court site, since state court does not supply those.
Alaska Bankruptcy Laws and Exemptions
Alaska bankruptcy cases are filed under federal law, but state rules still matter. Alaska Statute 09.38.010 through 09.38.510 is the Alaska Exemptions Act. It spells out what property a debtor can keep when they file. Under Alaska Statute 09.38, the homestead exemption is $72,900. That is more than twice the federal homestead amount of $31,575. The motor vehicle exemption is $4,050. Household goods, books, and clothes are covered up to $4,050. Tools of the trade get $3,780. The Permanent Fund Dividend is exempt up to $1,500 per person.
The Alaska State Legislature keeps the full text of every state law online.
Browse or search the code at akleg.gov. This is the place to read the Alaska Exemptions Act, the Alaska Trust Act at AS 34.40.110, or AS 40.25 (the Alaska Public Records Act).
To use the Alaska state exemptions, you must have lived in Alaska for at least 730 days before filing. That is a rule from 11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3). If you do not meet it, you look back farther to the state where you lived most of the 180 days before that. The 910 day rule kicks in when you did not live in your old state for the full 730. Venue in Alaska takes 180 days under 28 U.S.C. § 1408, and there is a 91 day rule that shortens the look back for venue purposes.
Alaska was the first state in the country to pass a usable Domestic Asset Protection Trust law back in 1997. That law is at AS 34.40.110. It created the Alaska Trust Act, which gives self settled trusts some creditor protection if they meet the rules. Fraudulent transfer claims have a general four year look back in Alaska. These rules interact with bankruptcy in complex ways, so most people who want to use them hire a lawyer.
AS 40.25 is the Alaska Public Records Act. It applies to state and municipal records, not federal court files, but it is worth knowing when you are pulling records from a borough clerk or a city office along the way.
The U.S. Trustee Program in Alaska
The U.S. Trustee Program is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice. It oversees the way bankruptcy cases are run. Alaska falls under Region 18, which also covers Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The regional office is in Seattle at 700 Stewart Street, Suite 5103, Seattle, WA 98101. The phone is (206) 553-2000. The acting U.S. Trustee is Jonas V. Anderson.
The U.S. Trustee page has a full rundown of Region 18 services and trustee listings.
Visit justice.gov/ust/ust-regions-r18 to find panel trustees, the Chapter 13 trustee, and help pages for debtors and creditors.
The U.S. Trustee also picks private trustees, looks at cases for fraud, and runs the 341 meetings of creditors. Since 2024, most 341 meetings in Alaska are held by Zoom for Chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases. You get a notice with the video login after you file. Chapter 11 cases have a bit more oversight from the trustee.
Required Credit Counseling for Alaska Filers
Every individual who files bankruptcy has to complete a credit counseling course first. The rule is in 11 U.S.C. § 109(h). You must finish the class within 180 days before you file your petition. After your debts get discharged, you also have to take a second class called pre-discharge debtor education. Both classes run about 1 to 2 hours. Costs range from $10 to $50 for credit counseling and $50 to $100 for debtor education. Fee waivers are available for low income filers.
Only agencies approved by the U.S. Trustee can provide the course for Alaska filers.
The current list is at justice.gov/ust/list-credit-counseling-agencies-approved-pursuant-11-usc-111. Alaska falls under Region 18 on the list. Approved providers include Consumer Debt Counselors, InCharge Debt Solutions, Money Management International, and Springboard Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management.
Note: Keep the certificate of completion from your credit counseling class. You must file it with your bankruptcy paperwork or the case will not move forward.
Legal Help for Alaska Bankruptcy
You do not need a lawyer to file unless you are filing for a business entity. Still, many people want help. Alaska Legal Services Corporation is the main free legal aid provider in the state. ALSC runs a free bankruptcy class in Anchorage and Fairbanks that teaches you how to file your own Chapter 7 paperwork. The class is by appointment only. To set one up, call (907) 452-5181.
The ALSC main page has intake info, office hours, and a list of the 11 offices across Alaska.
Read the intake rules and apply at alsc-law.org. The main office is at 1016 West Sixth Avenue, Suite 200, Anchorage, AK 99501. Toll free intake is 1-888-478-2572. ALSC serves low income Alaskans with incomes up to 125 percent of federal poverty, and up to 200 percent in some cases.
The Alaska Bar Association runs a Lawyer Referral Service.
Call (907) 272-0352 or the Alaska toll free line at 1-800-770-9999. The full details are on the bar site at alaskabar.org. The first half hour of consult is capped at $125. The bar lists lawyers by area of law, including bankruptcy.
Alaska Free Legal Answers is another option. It is a free online clinic where licensed Alaska lawyers answer civil legal questions for low income users. You can ask up to three questions a year. Bankruptcy, consumer debt, and housing questions are all welcome. Visit alaska.freelegalanswers.org to post a question.
Alaska Attorney General Consumer Protection
The Alaska Attorney General Consumer Protection Unit watches out for scams tied to bankruptcy and debt. The office is at 1031 W 4th Ave, Ste 200, Anchorage, AK 99501. You can file complaints by email at consumerprotection@alaska.gov. The current Attorney General is Treg Taylor.
Recent actions include the 23andMe bankruptcy settlement from June 2025, where the office alerted Alaskans to the right to request data deletion during the corporate case.
Get the latest alerts and file a complaint at law.alaska.gov/department/civil/consumer. The office also joins multi state settlements when a national bankruptcy affects Alaska consumers.
Archived Alaska Bankruptcy Records
Older bankruptcy files do not stay at the court forever. Cases filed before 2000 are generally held by the Federal Records Center in Seattle. That office is part of the National Archives and Records Administration. The Pacific Alaska Region site is at 6125 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115-7999. The phone is (206) 336-5115. Email is specific.reference@nara.gov.
You can ask NARA for case files, but you need the case number first.
Visit archives.gov to start a request. The clerk at the Anchorage bankruptcy court can tell you if a case has been sent over and can give you the exact NARA box number you need. Retrieval fees start at $70 for the first box, $43 for each extra box, and $11 for an electronic pull. Delivery takes about four weeks.
The Alaska State Archives is a different agency. It keeps state and territorial records, not federal bankruptcy files. Still, if you are tracing old property, naturalization, or probate papers that tie into a bankruptcy story, it can be worth a visit.
The State Archives sits at 395 Whittier Street, Juneau, AK 99801. Phone is 907-465-2270. You can file a research inquiry through archives.alaska.gov. The archives hold almost 24,000 cubic feet of records, covering state, territorial, and district government files going back to 1884.
Alaska Bankruptcy Records by Borough
Alaska has 30 organized boroughs and census areas. The federal bankruptcy court in Anchorage covers all of them. Pick a borough below to find local clerk info, court resources, and links for bankruptcy records in that area.
Alaska Bankruptcy Records in Major Cities
All Alaska bankruptcy cases get filed at the federal court in Anchorage, no matter where you live in the state. Pick a city below to find the nearest clerk office, local legal aid, and resources to help with your search.