How to get a coroner's report in California

When someone dies suddenly, unexpectedly, or from an injury, California law requires the county coroner or medical examiner to investigate. The office's report is usually the single most complete record of what happened — and most families have never had to request one before.

What's in the report

A completed file may include an investigator's narrative, autopsy findings, toxicology results, and conclusions about the cause of death and manner of death. The contents vary by county and case, and photographs, active investigative material, sealed records, or other protected information may be excluded.

Who can request it

There is no single statewide next-of-kin rule for every part of a coroner's file. Many counties treat completed reports as public records available to an interested requester; other material may be limited to specified people or withheld under an exemption. Check the county's current instructions and the case's status.

How long it takes

A death certificate may initially list the cause as pending. A complete coroner or medical-examiner report can take weeks or months, particularly when laboratory testing is required. Each office publishes its own estimates, and a complex or active investigation may take longer.

How to request it

Each county has its own process — some take requests online, some by mail with a form and a copy fee, some require a records request letter. The steps that matter everywhere:

1. Identify the right office (in some counties it's the Sheriff-Coroner; in others an independent medical examiner).
2. Review the office's eligibility, identification, fee, and request-form requirements.
3. Submit the request and keep the confirmation or case number.
4. Follow up at a reasonable interval if the office does not provide a status date.

Our records-request assistance is free. We can identify the office, submit a request, follow up on status, and explain any records obtained. The agency controls availability, timing, fees, and redactions.