Unless a death is under investigation, in most cases an autopsy report is a public document.
There is no fee for first-degree family members -- a spouse, parent, child, or sibling -- and $50 for all others. An autopsy report request form is here. At present, the OCME cannot accept payment by cash or credit card. Please send a check or money order made payable to MDH-OCME to:
Records
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
900 W. Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21223
Written reports take time to complete. About 90 percent of reports are completed within 90 days of the determination of cause and manner of death. If a case is still pending, your request will be kept on file and the report mailed out as soon as it is available.
The OCME does not issue or send out death certificates. When a body is released from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the funeral director receives the death certificate information. Families who need certified copies should contact their funeral director or reach out directly to the Division of Vital Records.
Except in a case of a finding of homicide, a "person of interest", may request the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to correct findings and conclusions on the cause and manner of death recorded on a certificate of death under § 4-502 of the General Provisions Article within 180 days after a medical examiner files those findings and conclusions.
The request to correct the findings and conclusions on a death certificate shall:
- Be in writing to the Chief Medical Examiner;
- Describe the requested change precisely; and
- State the reason for the change.
The request to correct the findings and conclusions on a death certificate should be hand-delivered or delivered by certified mail, return receipt requested, to:
Chief Medical Examiner
900 W. Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21223
As defined in § 4-101(g)(3) of the General Provisions Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland: A "person of interest" is the spouse, adult child, parent, adult sibling, grandparent, or guardian of the person of the deceased at the time of the deceased's death.
