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King County Washington home

Medical examiner records requests (autopsy and investigator reports)

How to order autopsy and investigator reports

To obtain an autopsy and/or investigator report, you must be a family member of the deceased. See Revised Code of Washington RCW 68.50.105 

  • An autopsy report is the medical finding (cause and manner of death)
  • An investigator report is the field report (investigator's finding at the scene)

  • Records request form

    Complete the records request form (1 MB) and email it along with a COPY OF YOUR LEGAL PHOTO IDENTIFICATION to admin.meo@kingcounty.gov

  • Payment process

    Once your request has been reviewed, an electronic payment link will be sent via email as specified in the completed request form. Payment must be completed before the payment link expires; a receipt will be automatically sent via email.

    • Debit/credit cards, e-checks, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and PayPal are accepted.
    • There is a 2.35% transaction fee added to all transactions, and $0.95 flat fee for e-checks.  If you use an international card, there is a 3.95% transaction fee.
    • The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has suspended in-person service. Please call us at 206-731-3232 ext. 4 for any questions.
    • You may also mail your request via USPS to the address below:

      King County Medical Examiner's Office
      325 9th Ave, Box 359792
      Seattle, WA 98104-2499

  • Turnaround times

    The typical turnaround time for current cases is 4-6 months.

    For cases that are completed, processing time is 3-5 business days.

How to order archived autopsy and investigator reports (before 1995)

The Medical Examiner's Office keeps archived records of cases dating back to the late 1800's. The exact case materials will vary depending on the year the decedent died, and the type of case being investigated. Due to lack of storage on-site, archived Medical Examiner records are stored in a secured location.

To request a copy of an archived Medical Examiner case:

  • Archived records request form

    Complete the archived records request form (380 KB).

  • Email completed form and death certificate

    Email completed form and a photocopy of the decedent's death certificate to admin.meo@kingcounty.gov or mail to:

    King County Medical Examiner's Office
    325 9th Ave, Box 359792
    Seattle, WA 98104-2499

    For Archival Requests, please DO NOT send payment with your request as not all requested records may be available.  Once available records have been verified by the Medical Examiner’s Office and with the requestor, an electronic payment link will be sent to you for payment.

  • Turnaround time

    It takes approximately 7-10 business days to locate and retrieve any potential records retained by KCMEO. To help expedite this process, please include a photo copy of the decedent's death certificate for reference.

Third party requests

If you are a third party, such as an insurance company or attorney, your completed records request form must be accompanied by an authorization from the legal next of kin or personal representative. A release for patient medical records (RCW 70.02) may not be substituted for the request.

Email all three documents to admin.meo@kingcounty.gov or mail to:

King County Medical Examiner's Office
325 9th Ave, Box 359792
Seattle, WA 98104-2499

For Third Party Requests, please DO NOT send payment with your request as not all requested records may be available.  Once available records have been verified by the Medical Examiner’s Office and with the requestor, an electronic payment link will be sent to you for payment.