Medical examiner data and records

Death certificates are not created or distributed by the Medical Examiner’s Office. You can apply for vital records through Hennepin County Service Centers.

Learn who can get a death certificate and how to apply.

Data maintained by the Medical Examiner’s Office are defined as public or nonpublic by Minnesota Statute §13.83. 

Public and nonpublic data

Active investigations

The Reportable Death List contains preliminary public data on deaths reportable to the medical examiner under Minn. Stat. 390.11, subd. 1, for which there is an active death investigation. Upon completion of the investigation, all available public data will be available through the public information database.

Reportable Death List 

Closed investigations

All publicly available information about a decedent (specifically outlined in Minn. Stat. §13.83, subd. 2) can be found in the searchable database. Information about a decedent appears in this database after a death certificate is signed; until the certificate is signed, the information is nonpublic and will not appear in the searchable data. There is no cost to access these public data.

Medical examiner public information database

Authorized access

Nonpublic information is available to those with statutory authorization to access those data (see Minn. Stat. §13.83, subds. 5 and 8). Nonpublic information can be requested using the data request form. Costs vary depending on the type of report.

Medical examiner data request form

Reports

Autopsy report: $50

Only the deceased person's next of kin, the physician who treated the deceased person at the time of death, and authorized attorneys can request an autopsy report. Next of kin is usually a spouse, children, parents or siblings. The person making the request must submit legal authorization to obtain this information. Autopsy reports may also become part of a court record or be released by court order. The fee for an autopsy report may be waived for the next of kin.

Cause of death hierarchy: $30

This report provides the cause and manner of death, and toxicology results. This report has nonpublic data and the person requesting it must submit legal authorization to obtain this information.

Medical examiner final: $30

This is a summary of case details including cause and manner of death, brief history, summary concerning the demise. This report has nonpublic data and the person requesting it must submit legal authorization to obtain this information.

Medical examiner investigative reports: $60

Investigative reports contain the deceased person’s name, age, race, gender, home address, the legal next of kin, location of death, injury detail, narrative and additional reports. This report has nonpublic data and the person requesting it must submit legal authorization to obtain this information.

Photos: $100

When photos are available, next of kin, the physician who treated the deceased person at the time of death, and authorized attorneys can request photos of the death scene and autopsy. Next of kin are usually a spouse, children, parents and siblings. The person requesting photos must submit legal authorization to obtain this information. Photos may also become part of a court record or be released by court order. 

Complete medical examiner file: $325

This report has nonpublic data and the person requesting it must submit legal authorization to obtain this information.