Wrangell City and Borough Property Records

Wrangell City and Borough property records are maintained through the Ketchikan Recording District, which serves the First Judicial District of Alaska. Recorded instruments for land within Wrangell's boundaries are filed through either the Ketchikan office or the Anchorage Recording District office, both operated by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. The city and borough government also maintains local administrative records and adopted resolutions. This guide explains how to access Wrangell property records, which offices hold recorded documents, how to use online search tools, and what types of instruments you can expect to find when researching land in this borough.

Ketchikan Recording District for Wrangell

Wrangell falls within the Ketchikan Recording District, part of the First Judicial District of Alaska. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources operates this district and handles the recording of all real property instruments for Wrangell and surrounding areas. You can submit documents and request copies at either the Ketchikan office or the Anchorage Recording District office, depending on which is more convenient.

The Ketchikan office at 415 Main Street, Room 400, handles document recording and copy requests for this part of southeast Alaska. The phone number is (907) 225-3188. The Anchorage Recording District office at 550 West 7th Avenue, Suite 108, Anchorage, AK 99501-3564, phone (907) 269-8876, also processes Wrangell recording district documents. Either office can assist with your request. The full list of recording districts across Alaska is maintained at dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff/distlist.

Recording fees are set by the DNR statewide schedule. The current fee schedule is posted at dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff/Fees. Standard recording costs $20 for the first page and $5 for each page after that. Certified copies are $5 for the certification plus the copy fee per page.

Online Property Record Search for Wrangell

The Alaska DNR screenshot below, from the official recording district directory at dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff/distlist, shows the recording districts that serve southeast Alaska including Wrangell.

The Alaska Land Records Information System (ALRIS) at dnr.alaska.gov/landrecords provides free online access to recorded property documents statewide, including those from the Ketchikan Recording District serving Wrangell. You can search by grantor name, grantee name, document type, or recording date. Most documents can be viewed as PDFs for a nominal per-page fee. ALRIS is the quickest way to check whether a deed has been recorded or whether a lien exists on a property without calling the office.

Documents available through ALRIS go back several decades. Older records from before the system's cutoff date may only be available in paper form at the recording office. For those, contact the Ketchikan or Anchorage office directly to request a manual search.

Property Records Filed in Wrangell Borough

The types of documents recorded for Wrangell City and Borough property include warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, judgment liens, mechanics liens, easements, rights-of-way, and subdivision plats. Warranty deeds are used in standard sales and include a guarantee of clear title from the seller. Quitclaim deeds are used for family transfers, clearing title issues, or situations where no title guarantee is needed. Both types transfer ownership and must be recorded to give public notice of the change in ownership.

Liens are another major category of records you may find when researching a Wrangell property. A mechanics lien can be filed by a contractor or supplier who did work on the property but was not paid. A judgment lien attaches to property owned by a person who lost a court case and owes money. Both types of liens show up in a title search and must be addressed before the property can be sold or refinanced without issues.

All recorded documents must meet the standards in Alaska Statute Title 40, Chapter 17. This statute sets formatting requirements and establishes the legal effect of recording. A document that is properly recorded gives constructive notice to all future buyers and lenders.

Wrangell Borough Local Records

Beyond the recorded instruments held at the DNR recording offices, the Wrangell City and Borough government maintains its own administrative records. The borough keeps adopted resolutions, ordinances, meeting minutes, and local government documents. These records can be relevant when researching zoning decisions, subdivision approvals, easement grants made by the borough, or local land use matters.

The city and borough also maintains records related to property tax assessment and collection within its boundaries. Assessment data shows ownership, land and improvement values, and tax history. The median property tax in Wrangell City and Borough is $1,174. Property tax records can be requested through Wrangell's local government offices.

For title research purposes, you generally need to check both the DNR recording system for instruments affecting private land and the borough's own records for local government actions that may affect property use or ownership. Permits, plat approvals, and vacated easements may appear in local records rather than the DNR recording system.

Note: Contact the Wrangell City and Borough offices directly for questions about local zoning, permits, and tax assessment. Contact the Ketchikan Recording District at (907) 225-3188 for questions about recorded deeds and title documents.

Communities in Wrangell City and Borough

Wrangell is a unified city and borough, so the entire borough is the city. There are no other incorporated places within its boundaries that meet the population threshold for separate city pages. All property records for land within Wrangell City and Borough are handled through the Ketchikan Recording District.

Nearby Areas in Southeast Alaska

These nearby areas also use the Ketchikan Recording District or neighboring DNR offices for property record filing.