Coroner Investigations Explained: When They Happen, What to Expect and Your Options

A coroner or medical examiner investigates deaths that are sudden, violent, suspicious or unattended, to establish the cause and manner of death. It does not mean anyone is suspected of a crime. The government pays for the investigation, the body is normally released to your funeral home once the examination is finished, and the final results can take weeks or months.

What is the difference between a coroner and a medical examiner?

Both offices investigate certain deaths and complete the medical part of the death certificate when a doctor cannot. The difference is who they are and how they get the job. The CDC explains that each state sets its own standards for which deaths require investigation and who investigates them. Medical examiners are typically physicians, often forensic pathologists, and are usually appointed. Coroners are usually elected, and in most states they are not required to be physicians or forensic pathologists. Some states use one system, some the other, and some a mix, so the answer can change from one county to the next.

Our guide to coroners and medical examiners explains the differences in more depth. The practical point is that either office can order an autopsy and will decide what testing the death needs.

Which deaths get investigated?

State laws vary, but the CDC's handbook for medical examiners and coroners says deaths that typically require investigation are:

• deaths from unusual or suspicious circumstances
• deaths from violence, meaning accidents, suicides and homicides
• deaths from natural disease when the person died suddenly and without warning, was not being treated by a physician, or died unattended

Some states also set a time limit for how recently a physician must have treated the person to be authorized to certify a death that was not an accident, suicide or homicide.

Being referred is not the same as being investigated in full. In 2018, US offices were referred more than 1.3 million deaths and accepted 605,000 for further investigation. More than eight in ten offices conducted their own death scene investigations (85%) and medical record reviews (83%), and on average the offices did one full autopsy for every seven cases referred. Many deaths are resolved with a records review and an external examination, without an autopsy. Our guide to post-mortem examinations explains what an autopsy involves.

What happens during a coroner investigation?

Practice differs between offices, but the usual order is:

1. Report. The office receives a death report and a medicolegal death investigator starts gathering information. Johnson County, Kansas, notes that this may or may not include a scene visit.
2. Information gathering. Investigators collect medical records, medication lists and the circumstances of the death. Be ready to give them the person's doctors, medicines and recent health, and tell them about any concerns about how the death happened.
3. Deciding the scope. The office decides whether an external examination, a full autopsy or just a records review is enough. Autopsies are covered in our post-mortem guide.
4. Tests. Toxicology (testing for drugs, alcohol and other substances) and tissue tests can take the longest.
5. Certification. The medical examiner or coroner records the cause of death and the manner: natural, accident, suicide, homicide or undetermined. If the cause is not settled in time, the certificate is filed as pending and later updated.
6. Release of the body. The office releases the body to the funeral home you choose.

How long does it take, and when can you hold a funeral?

The body is usually released after the examination is complete, which is before the final report. Johnson County tells families to contact the funeral home to set up a viewing after the autopsy has been completed.

Results take longer. The National Association of Medical Examiners sets accreditation benchmarks that 90% of an accredited office's autopsy reports be completed within 60 calendar days of the autopsy, with a lesser benchmark of 90 days, and similar benchmarks for toxicology. A county medical examiner in Washington says pending certificates can take two to three months. Complicated cases can take longer.

If the cause is still being determined, the CDC handbook says the death certificate can be filed with the cause "deferred pending further investigation" so that a permit for disposal can be obtained. A supplemental report is filed when the cause is known. Our guide to the cause of death certificate explains what you will see.

What does it cost?

The government pays for the investigation itself. Johnson County says there is no charge for autopsies its Medical Examiner's Office performs, and that fees are paid by tax dollars. Offices set their own policies on fees for records and other services, so ask. Your funeral home's charges are separate and start once the body is in its care.

What can you do if you have concerns?

• Tell the investigator what you know. Medical history, recent changes in health and anything unusual about the circumstances can all matter.
• Ask about alternatives to an autopsy. Johnson County says families can request alternatives for religious, cultural or other reasons, although some autopsies are required by law. New York, for example, bars an autopsy over a religious objection except in cases such as a homicide investigation or public health threat, and requires the least intrusive procedure. See our guide on whether a family can refuse an autopsy.
• Request the report. The rules on access vary by state, and many offices have a records request process.
• If you think the finding is wrong, see our guide to contesting a cause of death.

How does it work in England and Wales?

England and Wales have a different system, where coroners are independent judicial office holders and also hold inquests. The UK government's guide for bereaved people and official statistics give the following picture.

• How often. In 2025, 147,814 deaths were reported to coroners, 26% of registered deaths, down from 31% in 2024. A statutory medical examiner system, introduced in September 2024, is designed to focus coroners' resources. Post-mortems were ordered in 51% of reported deaths, and inquests were opened in 24%.
• Why a coroner investigates. The cause of death is unknown, the death was violent or unnatural, or the person died in prison, police custody or other state detention. A coroner's investigation does not mean a crime is suspected.
• Your contact. The coroner's officer, who updates you at least every three months during a long investigation.
• The body. The coroner has temporary legal control, but lets the next of kin have the body for burial or cremation as soon as possible. If it cannot be released within 28 days, the coroner must tell the next of kin the reasons.
• Registering the death. You cannot register it until the investigation is finished, but the coroner can give a certificate of the fact of death (an interim certificate) to help with administrative matters.
• Inquests. An inquest is a public court hearing to decide who died and how, when and where. It is inquisitorial, not a trial, and the coroner or jury cannot find anyone criminally or civilly responsible. It should happen within six months or as soon as reasonably possible, and the 2025 average was 31.3 weeks. If a coroner has not finished within 12 months, they must report to the Chief Coroner. A jury sat in 527 inquests (1%).
• Your rights. Close relatives and personal representatives are "interested persons". They can receive documents and evidence, attend hearings and ask relevant questions. You do not need a lawyer, and free support is available from the Coroners' Courts Support Service. Legal aid for representation is limited to certain circumstances, such as inquests where the state is involved.
• Prevention of Future Deaths reports. A coroner who sees a risk of further deaths must write to the organization concerned, which must respond within 56 days. In 2025, 654 such reports were issued.

If someone is charged with a criminal offense in connection with the death, the coroner must suspend the investigation until the trial ends. Our guides on coroner involvement in the UK and arranging a funeral after an inquest cover this in more detail.

What to do next

1. Ask the office for a release date, and tell your funeral home before you set a date.
2. Write down the name and number of your contact at the office and the date of each call.
3. Ask how to get the report and the death certificate, and keep the funeral home informed.