Nome Census Area Family Court Records

Family court records for Nome Census Area are kept by the Alaska Court System at the Nome Trial Courts on West 5th Avenue. The Nome court sits in the Second Judicial District and handles family law cases for the Nome area including divorce, dissolution, child custody, child support, adoption, and domestic violence protective orders. Nome also serves as Superior Court for North Slope Borough. You can search most Nome family court records through CourtView online, or reach out to the courthouse directly for copies of case documents and historical records.

Nome Trial Courts

The Nome Trial Courts serve Nome Census Area for all family law matters under Alaska's unified court system. The Superior Court at this location has authority over divorce, dissolution, child custody and visitation, child support orders, adoption, and probate cases. District Court handles misdemeanors, civil cases under $100,000, small claims, and domestic violence protective orders. Both levels are at the Nome courthouse on West 5th Avenue. Nome's Superior Court also serves as the Superior Court for North Slope Borough, handling cases from that region as well.

The Nome court uses TrueFiling for electronic submissions in criminal, minor offense, civil, and small claims cases. Attorneys and government agencies file through TrueFiling. People representing themselves are also encouraged to use it. For protective orders, child-in-need-of-aid cases, probate, and juvenile delinquency cases, email 2NOmailbox@akcourts.gov instead of TrueFiling. The court can also advise you by phone if you are unsure how to file your case.

The image below is from the Nome Trial Courts directory page on the Alaska Court System website.

Confirm hours and filing procedures on this page before contacting the court or submitting documents.

Note: The Nome courthouse has a midday closure from noon to 1:00 PM every day. Plan calls and visits around this schedule to avoid missed connections.

Search Nome Family Court Records

CourtView is the online search database for Nome family court records. You can reach it at records.courts.alaska.gov. It covers most case types from 1985 onward. Search by the name of either party, the case number, or an attorney. The results show case type, court, filing date, and docket entries. Most divorce and custody cases show up in CourtView. More information about what CourtView contains is at courts.alaska.gov/trialcourts/cvinfo.htm.

For historical Nome court records, there is another resource worth knowing about. The AKGenWeb Nome page at akgenweb.whalen-family.org/AKNome/court.html includes historical probate records from the Nome area going back to the early 1900s. These are not court records you can get certified copies of, but they are useful for genealogical research and historical lookups that predate the Alaska Court System's electronic records.

The screenshot below shows the historical Nome court records page from AKGenWeb.

Visit the AKGenWeb Nome court page if you need historical probate or estate records from Nome that predate modern electronic systems.

Requesting Copies of Nome Court Records

To get copies of Nome family court records, contact the Nome Trial Courts. You can call (907) 443-5216 or email 2NOmailbox@akcourts.gov. Include the case number, names of the parties, the year the case was filed, and what documents you need. The standard fee is $5 for the first page and $3 for each additional page. Certified copies cost $10 for the first page and $3 for each additional page. If staff have to do a manual name search, a search fee of $15 per name per year may apply.

Nome is a remote coastal community on the Seward Peninsula. Many Nome Census Area residents live in outlying villages with no road access to the city. For those residents, requesting records by mail or email is usually the best approach. Send your written request with a check or money order to P.O. Box 1110, Nome, AK 99762. Allow time for processing and return mail.

The resource below from publicrecordcenter.com provides a directory of public record sources for Nome Census Area.

If you cannot afford copy fees, use form TF-920 to ask the court to waive them. All forms are at courts.alaska.gov/forms/index.htm.

Nome Family Law Cases

All family law cases in Nome Census Area follow Alaska state law. Key statutes include AS 25.24 for divorce and dissolution, AS 25.20 for child custody and visitation, AS 25.27 for child support, AS 25.30 for the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, and AS 25.35 for domestic violence protections. Alaska uses a no-fault divorce ground called incompatibility of temperament. You do not need to prove that either spouse did something wrong to file for divorce.

Child custody decisions in Nome, as everywhere in Alaska, are based on the best interest factors listed in AS 25.24.150. Courts look at the child's needs, each parent's ability to care for the child, the child's ties to their home and community, and several other factors. In Nome Census Area, some of these communities have deep Alaska Native cultural roots, and courts may consider a child's cultural connections as part of the best interest analysis.

Child support in Alaska is calculated under Civil Rule 90.3. This is a formula-based rule that uses the income of both parents and the number of overnights each parent has with the child. The Child Support Services Division at 1-800-478-3300 handles enforcement of support orders statewide. Their website is at dor.alaska.gov/cssd.

The Family Law Self-Help Center provides free procedural information at (907) 264-0851 or (866) 279-0851. They can help you understand what forms to use and how the process works. More self-help information is at courts.alaska.gov/shc/family/shclaws.htm.

Electronic Filing at Nome Courts

The Nome courthouse uses TrueFiling as its platform for electronic document submission. Attorneys and government agencies use TrueFiling for criminal cases, minor offense cases, civil matters, and small claims. Self-represented people are also encouraged to file through TrueFiling when possible. The system allows you to file documents from anywhere without traveling to Nome, which is a real benefit given how remote many Nome Census Area communities are.

For certain case types, you should not use TrueFiling. If you are filing for a protective order, a child-in-need-of-aid case, a probate matter, or a juvenile delinquency case, email 2NOmailbox@akcourts.gov instead. The court staff will let you know what to do next after you contact them.

When a family law case is opened in Alaska, Standing Orders take effect right away. These are automatic court orders that apply the moment a case is filed. They cover things like not taking children out of state without permission and not selling or disposing of marital property during the case. You do not need a judge to issue them separately. They apply by operation of rule as soon as the case starts.

Communities in Nome Census Area

Nome Census Area has no cities that meet the population threshold for individual pages on this site. The city of Nome is the main population center. Other communities in the area include White Mountain, Elim, Golovin, Shaktoolik, Koyuk, Brevig Mission, Teller, Wales, and Diomede. All family court cases from these communities go through the Nome Trial Courts.

Nearby Areas

These census areas border or are near Nome. Each has its own page explaining how family court records work in that location.