Aleutians East Borough Property Records

Property records for Aleutians East Borough are maintained through the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Recorder's Office in Anchorage. The borough spans the eastern Aleutian Islands chain and the Alaska Peninsula, covering a large but sparsely settled region. If you need to find deeds, liens, mortgages, or other recorded documents for land in this area, the DNR statewide recording system is where those records live. You can search the online land records database or contact the Anchorage Recording District office directly to look up recorded instruments tied to property in this part of the state.

Where Aleutians East Borough Records Are Filed

Unlike most states where county clerks handle deed recording, Alaska uses a centralized state system. All property records for Aleutians East Borough go through the Alaska DNR Recorder's Office. The borough itself does not run a local recorder's office. Instead, the Aleutian Islands Recording District covers this area, and that district is administered from the Anchorage office.

The Anchorage Recording District office handles all deed recording, lien filings, mortgage recordings, easement documents, subdivision plats, and UCC fixture filings for Aleutians East Borough. About 1,000 documents are recorded statewide each day across all 34 recording districts. The Anchorage office processes the largest share of that volume, covering more than 20 recording districts including the Aleutian Islands district.

Note: The borough administration in Sand Point handles local government functions but does not record deeds or property instruments. All recording goes to the DNR office in Anchorage.

How to Find Aleutians East Property Records

The DNR runs an online land records portal at dnr.alaska.gov/landrecords. You can search by owner name, document type, file number, or legal description. The online system covers documents recorded from 1970 to the present. Records before 1970 are in historic books at the Anchorage office and require an in-person visit or written request to access.

The Grantor/Grantee index is the main search tool for property research in Aleutians East Borough. A grantor search finds documents where a person or entity transferred or encumbered property. A grantee search finds documents where a person received an interest in property. You can also search by legal description using the township, range, and section system or by subdivision name if the property has been platted.

To search in person, go to the Anchorage office at 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 108. Staff can help you navigate the index, but they are not authorized to do full title searches due to liability limits. You can view documents on the computer terminals at the office or make copies. Printing costs $1.25 for the first page and $0.25 for each additional page.

The district list page on the DNR site confirms which office covers each recording district. Aleutians East Borough falls under the Aleutian Islands district, served by Anchorage.

The DNR Recorder's Office portal at dnr.alaska.gov provides access to the statewide recording index, including all Aleutians East Borough property documents.

What These Property Records Show

Property records filed for Aleutians East Borough cover a range of document types. The most common are warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds that transfer ownership from one party to another. Deeds of trust and mortgages show financing arrangements tied to real property. Releases and reconveyances show when loans have been paid off. Liens including mechanics liens, judgment liens, and tax liens are also part of the record.

Each recorded document gets a serial number, date, and time stamp when it comes into the DNR office. The grantor and grantee names and the legal description of the property are added to the online index. The index entry shows you the document type, date of recording, serial number, and the parties involved. To read the full text of a document, you use the serial number or book and page reference to pull the image.

Subdivision plats and survey documents are also on file. These show how land has been divided into lots, blocks, and tracts. Easements, covenants, and conditions that run with the land are recorded here as well. UCC fixture filings that attach security interests to items like fishing equipment mounted to structures may also appear in the Aleutians East records.

Property documents in Aleutians East Borough span deed transfers, mortgages, liens, and plat records, all indexed in the DNR statewide recording system.

The Aleutian Islands Recording District

Alaska divides the state into 34 recording districts for property record purposes under Alaska Statutes Title 40, Chapter 17. Each district corresponds to a geographic area, and documents must be recorded in the district where the property sits. For land in Aleutians East Borough, that means the Aleutian Islands Recording District.

The Anchorage office administers more than 20 of these 34 districts, including the Aleutian Islands district. The other office, in Fairbanks, handles the northern and interior districts. When you send a document to be recorded for Aleutians East Borough, it goes to Anchorage. Under AS 40.17.010, documents affecting title to real property must be recorded in the recording district where the property is located. Sending a deed to the wrong district can cause title problems.

Under AS 40.17.060, a recorded document serves as constructive notice to all later buyers and lenders. This means that once your deed or mortgage is in the system, the world is legally on notice of your interest in that land. If you buy land in Aleutians East Borough and do not record your deed, a later buyer who records first could gain priority over you. This is the race-notice recording system Alaska uses.

Note: Documents must clearly state the recording district name on the face of the document. Writing just a city or borough name is not enough under AS 40.17.030(a)(9).

Recording and Copy Fees

The DNR fee schedule sets the cost to record documents in all Alaska recording districts including the Aleutian Islands district. The base recording fee is $20.00 for the first page of any document. Each additional page of the same instrument costs $5.00 more. A non-standard document fee of $50.00 applies when a document does not meet the margin requirements. Alaska does not charge a real estate transfer tax, so that cost does not apply here.

Other fees you may encounter include $5.00 to certify a copy of a recorded document and $2.00 for a conformed copy made at the time of recording. After recording, plain photocopies cost $1.25 for the first page and $0.25 per page after that. Plat copies on paper are $5.00 per sheet and $12.00 per sheet on mylar. Checks should be made payable to the Department of Natural Resources.

Electronic recording through services like Simplifile, CSC, or ePN is available for qualifying submitters such as title companies and lenders. Private individuals submitting only a few documents each year typically cannot use e-recording directly but can work through a title company to submit electronically. E-recording fees are paid to the provider and are on top of the standard DNR recording fees.

Property Tax in Aleutians East Borough

Aleutians East Borough is an organized borough, which means it does levy property taxes on land and structures within its boundaries. The borough administration handles tax assessment and collection locally. For assessment and tax questions, contact the Aleutians East Borough offices directly in Sand Point. The borough seat is Sand Point, and the main office number for borough administration can help you reach the right department for property tax matters.

Note that many properties in the Aleutians East region involve complex title issues. A large portion of Alaska land was conveyed to Alaska Native corporations under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. ANCSA land may have split surface and subsurface ownership, with village corporations holding the surface and a regional corporation holding subsurface rights. The presence of 17(b) easements under Section 17(b) of ANCSA can also affect how land is used and accessed. These factors make a title search in this region more involved than in the Lower 48.

Preparing Documents for Recording

Before you send a deed or other instrument to be recorded for Aleutians East Borough land, check that it meets the formal requirements under AS 40.17.030. Documents must be on white paper no larger than 8.5 by 14 inches. The top margin of the first page must be at least two inches. All other margins must be at least one inch. Type must be at least 10-point font and clearly legible.

Every deed must include the full names and mailing addresses of all parties, the name of the recording district where the land sits, a complete legal description of the property, and return address information. The grantor must sign in front of a notary public. If the document amends or releases a prior recorded document, it must cite the original serial number or book and page reference. Missing any of these items will cause the recorder to reject the document.

You can mail documents to the Anchorage office along with a check for the recording fee. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope or return shipping label if you want the document sent back after recording. Many title companies in Alaska also offer mail-in and e-recording services for a fee.

Cities in Aleutians East Borough

Aleutians East Borough includes several communities spread across the Aleutian Islands and Alaska Peninsula. Most are small villages and fishing communities. None currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page, but property records for all of these communities are filed through the Aleutian Islands Recording District in Anchorage.

Communities in the borough include Sand Point, King Cove, Cold Bay, False Pass, and Nelson Lagoon. All property transactions in these areas go through the same DNR recording system described on this page.

Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas

These areas border or are near Aleutians East Borough. Property records for all of them also go through Alaska's DNR recording system.