How to Get an Autopsy Report
Autopsy records are generally treated as confidential documents. Thus, obtaining an autopsy report may not be possible if you're not the deceased's next-of-kin, physician or an authorized representative of an investigative agency. Access to autopsy reports is controlled on a state basis, and each state has its own laws about how these reports are handled. If you need to obtain a copy of an autopsy report for a valid reason, following this process will allow you to receive it as long as you are legally able.
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Instructions
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Determine in which county the individual died. In many states, that county's medical examiner's office would have been in charge of the autopsy. In other states, the state medical examiner's office is in charge of autopsies.
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Find the medical examiner's office website, which will list its address and may also include a process for you to obtain a copy of the autopsy report. If it does not include a process for obtaining the report, you can use the following steps.
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Write a formal request for the autopsy report in which you identify the deceased, explain your relationship to the individual and indicate where to send the report. Get the request notarized to ensure that the office will release the autopsy report to you, if you are legally able to receive it.
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Include an easy way for the medical examiner's office to contact you, such as your phone number or email address. The office may need to contact you to request payment before it sends the report.
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Call the medical examiner's office if you haven't heard from it in 2 weeks. When a request for an autopsy report is rejected, the office will usually contact you, but some medical examiner's offices may not.
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Engage the help of a lawyer if there is a pressing reason you need the autopsy report and you are not legally able to receive it. If the reason is pressing enough, a lawyer may be able to help you obtain the report.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are not the deceased's next-of-kin, write your request on your company's letterhead and clearly indicate why you need the autopsy report.
Generally, a medical examiner's office will send the first copy of an autopsy report to the deceased's next-of-kin for free, but may charge other individuals a fee and may also charge a fee for multiple copies.
