Search Northwest Arctic Jail Roster
The Northwest Arctic Borough jail roster is the main way to find a person held in Kotzebue or nearby state sites. The borough sits above the Arctic Circle and is served by the Kotzebue Police Department and the Alaska State Troopers. Bookings pass through the Kotzebue community jail before any longer DOC hold. This page walks you through the steps to look up an inmate, check court cases, and reach the right offices. Use the search tool just below to start your Northwest Arctic jail roster search. The rest of the page lists phone numbers, court links, and public records portals.
Northwest Arctic Jail Roster Overview
Kotzebue Police and State Troopers
The Kotzebue Police Department is the local police force for the Northwest Arctic region. Officers patrol the city of Kotzebue and respond to calls from nearby villages when needed. The Alaska State Troopers also cover the borough from posts in Kotzebue and Nome. The two agencies share data on arrests, and both feed the state jail roster system. That shared setup is common in rural Alaska because most villages are too small to run a full police force on their own.
After an arrest, officers book a person into the Kotzebue community jail. Staff take prints, photos, and a short personal history. The data then flows to the Alaska Department of Public Safety and to the Department of Corrections. From there it shows up on VINE, the public lookup tool. For direct contact with state trooper records, call the DPS Records and Identification Bureau at 907-269-5767 or write to 5700 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99507. The DPS external links page has more on the forms and fees.
Kotzebue Jail Contact Info
The Kotzebue community jail is the main short-term holding site in the Northwest Arctic Borough. You can reach the jail at 907-442-3351. Staff can confirm if a person is booked and give basic case info. The jail is part of the state community jail program and works hand in hand with DOC. Most inmates only stay for a short time before they move to a state site like Anvil Mountain in Nome or Fairbanks Correctional Center. Transport uses regular flights or state charter.
Note: Call VINE at 1-800-247-9763 before you call the jail direct. VINE is often faster for a simple lookup.
VINE is the main statewide inmate search tool in Alaska. It runs 24/7 and is free to use. Search by name or offender ID. You can also sign up for alerts by phone or email. VINE will tell you when a person moves, is released, or escapes. The service asks for a four-digit PIN to confirm the alerts, so pick one you can remember. The Alaska inmate records portal has full visit info and links to VINE.
For state DOC contacts tied to the region, Anvil Mountain Correctional Center in Nome is at 907-443-2241. The Fairbanks Correctional Center is at 907-458-6700. The Anchorage Correctional Complex is at 907-269-4100. Which site holds an inmate depends on the charge, the court date, and the bed space at each facility. Transport from Kotzebue to any of these sites goes by air.
Northwest Arctic Court Records
Court records for the Northwest Arctic Borough are kept by the Alaska Court System. The state uses one online portal called CourtView. You can search by party name, case number, or hearing date. Click a case to see charges, bail, and the next hearing. Not every record is online, so some items may need a trip to the clerk's office. The Kotzebue Courthouse is the main court site for the region. It falls under the Second Judicial District along with Nome and Utqiagvik.
The Second Judicial District covers most of northwest Alaska. Judges rotate through the court sites on a set calendar. That means hearing dates can depend on the travel plan for the judge. Staff at the clerk's office can tell you when the next judge will be in town for a case.
The Alaska Court System home page links to CourtView, forms, and self-help resources for Northwest Arctic Borough cases.
CourtView shows hearing dates and case status for the Kotzebue area. Court form CR-300 handles bail review requests, and CIV-670 covers prisoner fee exemptions. Both are at courts.alaska.gov/forms/index.htm.
Public Records Act Access
The Alaska Public Records Act at AS 40.25.110 through AS 40.25.125 governs most jail roster data in the Northwest Arctic Borough. Agencies must reply within 10 business days. The law is run by the Alaska Department of Law at 907-269-5100. You do not have to give a reason for your request. The Alaska Public Records Act page explains fees, exemptions, and appeal rights.
Criminal history held by DPS has a tighter rule. Under Alaska Statute 12.62.160 most of that data stays confidential. The subject of the record can still get a copy. A court order or a specific legal need can also allow release. The Reporters Committee Alaska guide covers how the act plays out in practice, including the main exemptions.
Note: Agencies may charge reasonable fees for copies, staff time, and mailing.
For DPS records, use the portal at dpsalaska.justfoia.com. The tool lets you submit new requests or track ones already filed. For background checks, use backgroundcheck.dps.alaska.gov. A name-based report costs $20 for the first copy and $5 for each extra copy. A fingerprint search is $35. You need a social security number and a state ID to confirm who you are.
What Northwest Arctic Jail Records Show
Northwest Arctic jail roster records list basic facts about a person held in custody. That includes the full name, age, race, holding site, and charges. Most records also list a booking number and a tentative release date. The Alaska inmate records guide walks through the steps to search them. The state DOC runs the main database, and VINE is the public front end for that data.
Mugshots are rare in Alaska. State rules only allow release of booking photos in two narrow cases. One is when police want other victims to come forward. The other is when they need public help to find a person. Kotzebue Police and State Troopers both follow that rule. There is no public mugshot database for the Northwest Arctic region or for the state as a whole.
For a person held in a state prison, you can visit the facility, send a written request, or call the DOC Chief Classification Officer at 907-269-7426. The Alaska records page sums up the main rules and links to VINE.
Nearby Boroughs and Census Areas
The Northwest Arctic Borough shares borders with a few other regions. Each has its own jail roster page on this site.
The Northwest Arctic Borough has no qualifying cities that get their own pages. Kotzebue, Kiana, Noatak, and the other villages are all served by the borough-level tools listed above. For federal cases, the BOP inmate locator is the right tool. Alaska does not have sheriffs like most states. AST fills the role outside city limits. Call 907-269-5976 for recent arrest questions in the Northwest Arctic region.