To begin a court case, you must be able to find the person whom the case is against. Below you will find lots of tips on how to locate someone. If you are having a difficult time finding someone, you will need to do something called alternate service. If you think you might have to do alternate service, please read carefully the information at www.courts.alaska.gov/shcforms.htm#shc-pac2.
Common SenseLast Known Address
Attempt service by process server or certified mail if you know the defendant's
last known address.
Friends and Relatives
Contact any known relatives or friends of the defendant.
Employers
Contact the defendant's employer or last known employer.
Phone Directories
Check phone directories and city directories in all towns or cities where you
think the defendant may live. Your public library may have phone directories
for other cities, and many city phone directories are available on the Internet.
Municipal Tax Departments
Contact the municipal (city) tax department in all cities where you think the
defendant may live.
Utility Companies
Call telephone information and utility companies in all cities where you think
the defendant may live.
Letters of Inquiry
Send a letter of inquiry to any person who you think might have some knowledge
or information as to the defendant's whereabouts. You are more likely to get
a response if you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the person
to respond.
Military
If you think the defendant is in the military, you may contact the military
locator service:
You may be able to find out if someone is on active duty by typing in their specific personal information at: https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/scra/scraHome.do. This won't give you their contact information but may help you to figure out where to keep looking.
If you are a dependent, you also may be able to locate the member by contacting the First Sergeant of the last known unit.
Incarcerated - Alaska state or municipal custody
If you believe the defendant may be in Alaska state or municipal custody, you
can contact the Chief Classification Officer of the Department of
Corrections to find out where the defendant is being held including those
being held in Colorado. The phone number of Chief Classification Officer
is (907) 269-7425 (Anchorage number). You can also check the VINE website
to see where the defendant is being held.
Probation - state/municipal misdemeanor probation
If you believe that the defendant is on misdemeanor probation, you can check
their court file for their address. They are responsible for maintaining their
current address with the court. You can also check with the Anchorage City
Prosecutor's office at 343-4250 to see if they have a current address
for the party. If the crime was domestic violence, the victim/witness program
coordinator at the prosecutor's office may have a current address.
Probation - state felony probation
If the person is on felony probation and you can't locate this person's address
anywhere else, please call Family Law Self-Help Services for information
on how to file a motion to request this information from the Alaska Department
of Corrections. You can also check the VINE website to see if the defendant is in on probation.
Incarcerated - federal facility
To find someone in a federal facility check the online inmate locator website
at
www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp. If the party is between trial and sentencing,
contact the Chief Classification Officer of the Department of Corrections
to find out where the defendant is being held. The state houses federal
prisoners until they are sentenced and flown to a federal facility outside of
Alaska. The phone number of Chief Classification Officer is (907) 269-7425
(Anchorage number). You can also check the website for the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Probation - federal probation
If the person you are trying to find is on federal probation and you can't locate
this person's address anywhere else, please call Family Law Self-Help Services
for information on possible ways to receive this information from federal parole
agencies.
Incarcerated outside Alaska
If the person you are trying to find is incarcerated outside Alaska and you can't locate their address,
you can check the VINE website to see which prison the
defendant is in.
Department of Motor Vehicles
(DMV)
If you can certify that you are trying to find the information for a court case,
DMV may provide a printed copy of the vehicle record, which provides the name
and mailing address of the owner and lien holder (if any), year, make, model,
VIN, color and license plate number. To apply for this information complete
DMV Form 851, Request for Research of Motor Vehicle Record, available on the
DMV website at
doa.alaska.gov/dmv/forms/pdfs/851.pdf. The cost is $10
per request.
Licenses
National Sex Offender Directory
Homepage for national website of registered sex offenders
Property Taxes
You can search the property tax listings in different areas by the person’s name to see the address of property they own.
State Recorder's
Office
You can search the State Recorder's Office website to find out what property
a person owns. This service is free. Every state has the equivalent of the Recorder's
Office, although the department may go by other names, such as the Register
of Deeds.
Alaska Court System Records
You can search the Alaska Court Systems records on-line to see whether the person is involved
in any court cases. This service is free. If you do find a case number, you can contact the
local court and ask to see the court file to find the person's address.
Alaska Process Servers
A process server is a specially licensed person who is authorized to serve certain
types of legal documents. While fees vary, it generally costs about $65. Process servers can serve legal documents just about anywhere,
not just at someone's home. If the process server has a good physical description,
he or she can wait at the airport, a bar, or other places for someone to show
up. Some process servers can do address research on Alaska residents. The cost
for an address search starts at about $25. The Department of Public Safety keeps a current
list of process servers.
Private Investigator
Hiring a private investigator is your most expensive option, but they may be
able to do more detailed searches. You can find private investigators in the
yellow pages. If you are trying to find one in another state, you may also try
doing an internet search for "private investigator" and the name of
whatever state you are interested in. Many states require a PI to be licensed,
however Alaska does not (although some Alaskan cities may). There is a professional
association for Alaska, which you can learn more about at
http://www.akinvestigators.com.
Motznik
Motznik Information Services is a private information company in Alaska
that maintains databases on all sorts of statewide information. Call to see
whether they might be helpful to you. The cost for an address search starts
at about $15.
Motznik Information Services
7999 Jewel Lake Road
Anchorage, AK 99502
(907)344-6254 FAX (907)344-1759
www.motznik.com
Reverse Directories
A reverse directory, sometimes also called a Polk directory, lets you look up someone by phone number to get an address. Reverse directories are available at your local library and may be available at your phone company. Many web-based search services also provide reverse directory services that you can find by searching for "reverse directory."
Other Internet Resources
Internet search engines and web-based businesses may be able to assist you in
locating an individual throughout the United States. For example, search for
a person's name using Google (www.google.com), or search the topic locating
people or missing people to get a list of websites that can provide additional
pointers.
Here is a list of websites that can help you find people. You can also search the Internet for additional websites.
You can search the social networking websites such as:
| Rev. 12 April 2012 © Alaska Court System www.courts.alaska.gov |
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