Obtain Death Records & Autopsy Reports
State and local jurisdictions set the laws regulating the release of documents related to an individual's death. Death certificates are considered public records and are usually easy to obtain. The availability of autopsy reports, however, varies with the jurisdiction and the circumstances. In California, for example, anyone may order an autopsy report from a county coroner. If the autopsy is performed privately, however, or performed in a jurisdiction that does not regard a coroner's autopsy as a public document, you may have difficulty obtaining the report.
Instructions
1. Determine where the individual died. The county and state where the death occurred are responsible for keeping a record of the death.
2. Contact either the county health department or the state's office of vital statistics (see Resources) to determine the fees and procedures for obtaining a death certificate. Most will accept a request by mail and some offer an online ordering service.
3. Follow the local requirements for your request. You must include the required fee, along with the person's full name, date of death and city and county of death. It is helpful to include the person's city of birth and Social Security number for identification purposes.
4. Examine the death certificate to find out if an autopsy was performed. If there was an autopsy, the name of the individual who performed the autopsy, the office responsible and contact information are generally provided.
5. Contact the office that performed the autopsy for information on obtain a copy of the autopsy report. If a county coroner performed the autopsy, the document may be a public record that you can obtain by filing a request and paying the fee. Ask if there are any restrictions on who may request the report. If a private entity performed the autopsy, you may need to meet specific relationship requirements to be allowed access to the confidential document. Ask for a written explanation of their policies if you need further information.
6. Follow the directions provided to request the autopsy report. In addition to a fee, you may be required to provide a copy of the death certificate and identifying information to document your relationship to the subject of the report.
