Search Matanuska-Susitna Borough DUI Records
Matanuska-Susitna Borough DUI records are accessible through the Palmer Superior and District Court, the Alaska Court System's CourtView portal, and state agency databases including DPS criminal history and the Alaska State Troopers Daily Dispatch. The Mat-Su Valley is Alaska's second most populous borough, and DUI cases here move through a busy court system that covers both Wasilla and Palmer. This page explains how to find DUI case filings, arrest records, and license history tied to the Mat-Su area.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Overview
How to Search Mat-Su DUI Records Online
The Alaska Court System's CourtView public access portal is the fastest way to search DUI records in Matanuska-Susitna Borough. CourtView is free for basic case lookups and covers all Alaska courts, including Palmer. You can search by name, case number, or date. Most DUI misdemeanor cases filed in the borough appear here after they have been docketed at the Palmer District Court. Felony DUI cases, which apply to a third or subsequent DUI within 10 years under Alaska law, go to the Palmer Superior Court and also appear in CourtView. A single name search will return results from both court levels and any other Alaska court where the person has a case on file.
CourtView shows charges, hearing dates, case status, and disposition. It does not always include the full text of court documents, but it confirms whether a case exists and what court is handling it. If you need certified copies of DUI court records from Palmer, you will need to contact the courthouse directly or submit a written request.
The Palmer Superior Court is at 435 South Denali Street, Palmer, AK 99645. Phone: (907) 746-8181. Fax: (907) 746-8152. Email for record requests is 3PACopy@akcourts.us. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Palmer Court Copy Fees and Records Requests
Certified copies of court records at Palmer cost $10 for the first copy and $3 for each additional document. Regular uncertified copies are $5 for the first page and $3 for each additional page. These are standard Alaska Court System fees that apply at courts throughout the state. If you need a name search and do not have a case number, a research fee may apply depending on how many years of records are searched.
The email address 3PACopy@akcourts.us is specifically for court record requests at Palmer. This is a convenient option if you cannot visit in person and prefer not to use mail. Include the full name of the subject, approximate date range, the type of records you need, and any case number you have. Court staff will respond with available records or a fee estimate for larger requests.
Standard records request forms are at courts.alaska.gov/forms. Use form TF-311 for Palmer courthouse requests. This form works for all Alaska courts and covers both district and superior court records.
Law Enforcement and Arrests in Mat-Su Borough
Matanuska-Susitna Borough does not operate its own police department. The borough's own website states plainly that the borough does not have police powers. Within incorporated cities, Wasilla Police and Palmer Police handle DUI enforcement. Chickaloon also has a tribal police department. Outside city limits, which covers most of the borough's 24,707 square miles, Alaska State Troopers are the primary law enforcement agency. Only about five to six troopers patrol the entire Mat-Su Valley at any given time, covering an area roughly the size of West Virginia.
For recent DUI-related incidents anywhere in the borough, the Alaska State Troopers Daily Dispatch is updated regularly with arrest summaries from around the state. This is a useful first check if you are looking for a recent arrest that may not yet appear in CourtView. The dispatch is public and free to access.
When someone is arrested on DUI charges in the Mat-Su area, they may be booked at the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility at 339 East Dogwood Avenue, Palmer, AK 99645, phone (907) 745-0943. This facility handles bookings from throughout the borough and houses pre-trial detainees from Palmer, Wasilla, and surrounding areas. The Goose Creek Correctional Center at 22301 West Alsop Road, Wasilla, AK 99623, phone (907) 864-8100, is another state facility in the area. Inmate status for either facility can be checked through the Alaska Department of Corrections VINE system or at doc.alaska.gov.
Borough Public Records and the Clerk's Office
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough website is the hub for borough administrative records. The Borough Clerk handles public records requests for administrative documents including meeting minutes, ordinances, and property records. The clerk's office is at 350 E Dahlia Ave, Palmer, AK 99645, phone (907) 861-7801, hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Recording fees for documents are $20 for the first page and $5 for each additional page. Property information is available through the borough's online property portal.
Borough administrative records are separate from DUI court records, which are held by the Alaska Court System. The Borough Clerk's office is not the right contact for DUI case documents. Use the Palmer courthouse or CourtView for court records, and DPS for criminal history.
Borough Public Records Portal
The Mat-Su Borough public records request page covers the process for requesting borough-level administrative documents. This is separate from court records. If you are looking for information about a specific DUI case, the Borough Clerk is not the right source. But if you need government documents, meeting records, or property filings, this is the place to start. The borough's online property portal allows public property searches without a formal request.
For background check and criminal history purposes, use the DPS portal or the Alaska Court System's CourtView, not the Borough Clerk's office.
DPS Criminal History Records
The Alaska Department of Public Safety maintains a statewide criminal history database. The DPS self-service background check portal allows a name-based criminal history request for $20 or a fingerprint-based check for $35. Results are returned by email. A DUI conviction in Mat-Su Borough will appear in this database if it resulted in a criminal conviction. The FBI crime data shows 203 DUI arrests recorded in the Mat-Su Borough in recent reporting years, giving a sense of how active DUI enforcement is in the area.
A DPS check covers the full state, not just Mat-Su or the Third Judicial District. One request returns any Alaska DUI conviction tied to the person's identity. Under Alaska law, DUI convictions are permanent. There is no standard expungement option, so old Mat-Su DUI convictions still appear in a current DPS search.
In-person and mail requests go to the DPS Records and Identification Bureau at 5700 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99507, phone (907) 269-5767. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:15 AM to 4:00 PM.
Mat-Su DUI Laws and Penalties
Alaska DUI law applies throughout Mat-Su Borough. Under AS 28.35.030, a DUI occurs when a driver's blood alcohol content reaches 0.08% or higher or when the driver is impaired by alcohol or drugs. Commercial drivers face a lower limit of 0.04% under AS 28.33.030. A first DUI brings a minimum 72-hour jail term, a $1,500 fine, and a 90-day license revocation. A second offense means at least 20 days in jail, a $3,000 fine, and a one-year revocation. A third or later DUI within 10 years is a Class C felony with a minimum 120-day jail sentence, a $10,000 fine, and permanent revocation of driving privileges.
Refusing to submit to a breath or blood test is a separate criminal offense under AS 28.35.032. Penalties for refusal equal those for a standard DUI conviction. Alaska's implied consent law means all drivers on state roads are treated as having agreed to chemical testing as a condition of using a vehicle in Alaska.
When a DUI arrest happens in Mat-Su, the DMV starts an administrative revocation process separate from the criminal case. The driver receives a 7-day temporary license from the time of arrest. They must request a hearing within that window to contest the revocation. Details are on the DMV DUI revocation page. Getting a license back after a DUI requires SR-22 insurance, completion of the Alaska Safety Action Program, and ignition interlock device installation in many cases. The DMV reinstatement page has current requirements and steps.
DMV Driving Records
The Alaska DMV driving record service lets you request a record showing license actions, revocations, and reinstatement history for a specific driver. The fee is $10 per record. A driving record shows the administrative side of a DUI, including any license suspension tied to an arrest in Mat-Su, separate from criminal court records. Both sources are useful, but they capture different aspects of the same DUI event. A court record shows charges and disposition; a DMV record shows what happened to the license.
Because Alaska DUI convictions are permanent on a driving record, a DMV record for a Mat-Su resident will show every DUI-related license action going back to the start of their driving history in Alaska. Administrative hearings to contest a revocation can be requested at the DMV hearing information page. A limited license allowing restricted driving during a revocation may be available under certain conditions through the DMV limited license page.
Mat-Su Borough Court Information
The Palmer courthouse serves both Superior Court and District Court functions for the borough. Superior Court handles felony DUI charges, civil matters over $100,000, domestic relations cases, and probate. District Court handles misdemeanor DUI cases, civil cases up to $100,000, traffic matters, and small claims up to $10,000. The Mat-Su area also has a Palmer therapeutic court site. This is one of Alaska's DUI treatment court locations, offering eligible defendants an alternative path focused on treatment and accountability. Information on therapeutic court programs is at the Alaska therapeutic court programs page.
The Mat-Su Borough police information page explains the borough's law enforcement structure, including which cities have their own departments and where state troopers provide coverage across the broader borough.
Cities in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Several Mat-Su Valley communities have their own pages with local DUI records information:
Nearby Boroughs
If the DUI record you need may involve a neighboring area, check these nearby borough pages: