Alaska Document Translation Services
Apostille Authentications provides certified document translation for Alaska residents from $65 per page, and most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days. Each one comes with a signed certificate of accuracy. We do not have an office in Alaska. Our office is in Lake Oswego, Oregon, in the Portland area, so you upload your documents through the quote form and receive the translation electronically or by mail. We work in 100 languages.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
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What a certified translation is, and the federal rule behind it
A certified translation is a full translation with a signed statement from the translator that it is complete and accurate. For immigration filings the requirement comes from federal regulation 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3): any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, along with the translator’s certification of competence to translate from that language into English.
Our certificate of accuracy is written to cover those points. If the receiving office asks for a notarized translator’s statement, we can add that. Each agency decides what it accepts, so check its instructions before you order.
Who issues apostilles in Alaska, and what the office accepts
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor issues apostilles and certificates of authentication, and its website says the Lieutenant Governor is currently the only source of these certifications in Alaska. Apostilles are used between countries that are party to the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961. For other countries the office issues a certificate of authority instead.
| Fee | $5.00 per certificate |
|---|---|
| Mailing address | Office of the Lt. Governor, Authentications Department, P.O. Box 110015, Juneau, AK 99811 |
| Courier and in-person address | 240 Main Street, Room 301, Juneau, AK 99801 |
| In person | Juneau only, by appointment. Call (907) 465-4081 first |
| Payment | Personal check, money order, cashier’s check, Visa or Mastercard. Checks payable to State of Alaska |
| Order form | Required with every request. It asks for your contact details, the destination country and a return address |
| Processing | The office says it does its best to return orders the same day it receives them. Another page on its site says orders are typically processed and mailed within 48 hours |
| Return mail | First Class USPS, which the office says takes 2 to 3 days within Alaska and longer to other states |
- Notarized documents. The document must carry the principal’s signature, a notarial certificate, the notary’s signature, the commission expiration date and a seal impression that can be reproduced. Photocopies of signatures are not accepted.
- Vital records. Certified copies issued by Alaska’s vital records office can be authenticated. The office states that it is against the law to photocopy Alaska Vital Statistics documents and that it will not authenticate photocopies of them.
- Court documents. Official certified copies of court documents can be authenticated when the court official’s signature is on file with the office.
- Copies of other documents. A notary may not certify a photocopy directly. The office describes a ‘Copy Certification By Document Custodian’, in which the person holding the document signs a statement about the copy and a notary notarizes that signature.
- School records. A school registrar can include a notarial certificate in the school’s normal certification, which produces a notarized original.
Where Alaska certified vital records come from
Birth, death, marriage and divorce records are issued by Health Analytics and Vital Records, part of the Alaska Department of Health. You can order in person at the Juneau or Anchorage office, by mail or fax using the state’s forms, or online through VitalChek, which the state says is its only online ordering partner.
| Juneau office | 5441 Commercial Blvd., Juneau, AK 99801. Phone (907) 465-3391. Mail: PO Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99811 |
|---|---|
| Anchorage office | 3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101, Anchorage, AK 99503. Phone (907) 269-0991 |
| Office hours on the request form | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Certified copy | $30 for the first copy, $25 for each additional copy |
| Apostille ordered with the record | $12 for the first copy and $2 for each additional, on top of the certified copy fee |
Alaska courts and foreign-language documents
The Alaska Court System says language assistance is available at all court locations. Under Administrative Rule 6 the court provides and pays for an interpreter during court proceedings for parties, witnesses and victims with limited English proficiency. You request one with the Notice of Need for Interpreter, form TF-985, or through the Interpreter Services Coordinator at (907) 264-0891.
Written documents are a separate matter. The court’s guidance for lawyers describes legal translators as the people who prepare written translations of items such as divorce decrees, foreign judgments, contracts and medical or forensic reports, and it says a true and accurate translation must be produced at all times. It points to the Language Interpreter Center for referrals to qualified translators.
Driver licenses, notaries and other state rules
- Driving on a foreign license. The Alaska DMV says you may drive with an out-of-country license for up to 90 days. If the license is not in English, the DMV asks you to carry a translation and says it should be an official translation provided by your embassy.
- DMV translation certificate. The DMV publishes a Certificate of Accuracy of Translation. The translator states competence in the language, certifies the English translation and signs it. The form says the translator and the applicant cannot be the same person.
- Notaries and foreign-language documents. State notary guidance says the notary and the signer must be able to communicate directly, without a translator. A notary who cannot read the document may proceed or decline, but the notarial certificate must be in a language the notary understands.
Languages in Alaska
Census Reporter’s profile of American Community Survey 2024 one-year data puts Alaska’s population at 740,133. About 15.1 percent of residents speak a language other than English at home and 7.7 percent were born outside the United States.
State law names English and 20 Alaska Native languages as official languages, among them Inupiaq, Central Alaskan Yup’ik, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. The court system’s 2024 Language Access Plan lists the interpreter languages requested most in fiscal year 2023: Spanish, Samoan, Tagalog, Somali, Korean and Arabic.
Our most requested translation languages are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech.
How to order from anywhere in Alaska
Upload a scan or clear photo of each document through the quote form as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file. We confirm the price and timing, translate the document, and send the certified translation electronically or by mail. Nothing has to be dropped off, and we do not offer pickup or in-person service in Alaska.
We also help with apostilles. Call (971) 514-3743 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to talk through what your document needs.
Translation pages for Alaska cities
We have a page for each of these Alaska cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:
Anchorage · Fairbanks · Juneau
- Alaska apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
- All document translation services
Alaska document translation questions
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Juneau issues apostilles and certificates of authentication. Its website says the Lieutenant Governor is currently the only source of these certifications in Alaska.
The Lieutenant Governor’s office charges $5.00 per certificate. If you order an apostille together with a vital record from Alaska’s vital records office, the state request form lists $12 for the first copy in addition to the certified copy fee.
Yes. Apostille Authentications serves Alaska remotely from the Portland, Oregon area: you upload the document through the quote form and receive the certified translation electronically or by mail.
Our certified translations start at $65 per page, and most are ready in 1 to 2 business days.
Yes. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), any foreign-language document submitted to USCIS needs a full English translation certified by the translator as complete and accurate, with a statement of the translator’s competence.
The Alaska DMV says you may drive on an out-of-country license for up to 90 days and asks you to carry a translation if it is not in English. The DMV says this should be an official translation provided by your embassy.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Alaska Lieutenant Governor: Authentications and Apostilles
- Alaska Lieutenant Governor: Foreign Authentications
- Alaska Lieutenant Governor: Notary FAQ
- Alaska Department of Health: Vital Records Orders
- Alaska Vital Records birth certificate request form
- 8 CFR 103.2 (eCFR)
- Alaska Court System: Language Access
- Alaska Court System: Information for Lawyers
- Alaska Court System Language Access Plan (June 2024)
- Alaska DMV: International Driving Permit
- Alaska DMV: Certificate of Accuracy of Translation
- Alaska Legislature: official languages bill text (HB 216)
- Census Reporter: Alaska profile
Get your Alaska translation started
Upload your document for a quote, or call (971) 514-3743 and tell us where the translation is going. We confirm the level of certification you need before any work begins.