Medical Examiner
The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner investigates sudden, unexpected, and traumatic deaths that fall within its jurisdiction. For families, representatives, investigators, and members of the public, the office also provides case-status information, Medical Examiner reports, assistance with unidentified and missing-person cases, and guidance about related services such as death certificates. This article explains what the Medical Examiner does, how to check a case, how reports are requested, what information to prepare, where death certificates come from, and which county office to contact for different needs.
Medical Examiner Responsibilities
The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner performs medical investigations of sudden, unexpected, and traumatic deaths. Its stated purpose is to conduct those investigations in a way that enhances the health and safety of the community.
The scale of the operation is substantial. The office covers approximately 9,200 square miles and receives nearly 10,000 reports of death each year. A Medical Examiner investigation may involve different types of examination, testing, identification work, and documentation depending on the circumstances of the individual case.
Families should also understand that involvement by the Medical Examiner is different from the process of obtaining a death certificate. The Medical Examiner investigates and certifies findings within its responsibilities, while certified death certificates are handled through Maricopa County Vital Records. Keeping those roles separate can prevent unnecessary calls and requests to the wrong department.
Secure Facility Procedures
The Office of the Medical Examiner is a secure facility, and county guidance states that all business can be conducted by phone. People who want to meet with staff in person may do so during the office's Monday through Friday business hours, but appointments are strongly recommended. The county explains that making an appointment helps ensure that the appropriate staff member is available.
For questions about how the office can assist with a case, family concerns, missing persons, or other Medical Examiner matters, the county's Medical Examiner assistance page identifies the appropriate service options and explains the role of the Family Advocate.
Medical Examiner Case Status
Maricopa County operates an online Medical Examiner Case Status system that provides basic information for Medical Examiner cases from the previous three years. This is the primary official system for people who want to determine whether case information is available without first making a records request.
The information in the case-status system is considered preliminary until the field labeled “Medical Examiner Report Ready” changes to “Yes.” That distinction is especially important when reviewing a cause or manner of death. A case may appear in the system while the office is still completing its investigation, testing, or report preparation.
Case Number Searches
If the Medical Examiner case number is already known, the system allows a direct search by case number. The county displays the expected format as a four-digit year followed by a hyphen and five digits, such as 20xx-01234.
Using the Medical Examiner case number is different from using a court case number, jail booking number, police incident number, or other agency identifier. The official case-status page specifically searches Office of the Medical Examiner cases. Entering an unrelated identifier will not serve the same purpose.
Advanced Search Options
When the Medical Examiner case number is unknown, the advanced search provides other ways to look for a case. Available search fields include:
Last name
First name
Date-of-death range
Minimum age
Maximum age
Search results can display the Medical Examiner case number, last name, first name, middle name, date of death, and age. The individual case-status record may also show the manner of death, whether the Medical Examiner report is ready, the primary cause of death, and any contributory cause of death.
Because the online information remains preliminary until the report-ready status changes to “Yes,” users should avoid treating an early online entry as the completed Medical Examiner report.
Unidentified Case Names
Maricopa County cautions that a name in the case-status system may appear as “UNID AKA,” meaning “Unidentified, Also Known As.” The Office of the Medical Examiner works to confirm the accuracy of identifications, so a temporary or preliminary name should not automatically be treated as a final confirmed identification.
Cause of Death Updates
Some cases initially show the cause of death as pending. If the cause of death is later added to the Medical Examiner case-status system, the county advises allowing up to four weeks before contacting the Office of Vital Registration about an amended death certificate.
This waiting period applies specifically to situations in which the cause of death had previously been pending and is later listed. The Medical Examiner case-status system and the death-certificate process are separate systems, so an updated Medical Examiner record does not necessarily mean that an amended certified death certificate is immediately available.
Medical Examiner Reports
The Office of the Medical Examiner prepares different kinds of reports during death investigations. Depending on the circumstances of the case, those may include:
Medical Examiner report
Toxicology report
Anthropology report
Neuropathology report
Odontology report
Not every investigation produces every type of report. The county states that completion time varies according to the complexity and circumstances of each case and the amount of additional testing or investigation required.
The office explains that it seeks to close cases as soon as possible while maintaining a thorough death investigation and certification process. For that reason, families and other requesters should not assume that two cases will have the same report schedule.
When Reports Become Public
Copies of Medical Examiner reports are available to the public after final completion of the case. Someone who is only checking whether a report is ready should first review the official case-status system and look for the “Medical Examiner Report Ready” field.
The Medical Examiner also follows Arizona's approved records-retention schedule for coroner and medical examiner records. As a result, records beyond the established retention period may not be available.
Public Records Requests
Requests for copies of completed Medical Examiner reports can be made through the county's Medical Examiner Public Records Request form. The form is specifically identified as a request for release of public records for non-commercial purposes.
Preparing the requested information before submitting the form can reduce mistakes. The form includes fields for:
Date of request
Method for receiving reports
Decedent name
Office of the Medical Examiner case number
Date of birth
Date of death
Requestor name
Whether the requestor is related to the decedent
Relationship to the decedent
Phone number
Fax number
Email address
Mailing address, city, state, and ZIP Code
The form marks some fields as required. Users should distinguish the Medical Examiner case number from identifiers assigned by law enforcement, courts, hospitals, or correctional agencies. The records form specifically asks for the OME case number.
Report Delivery Fees
The delivery method affects whether a fee applies. According to the Medical Examiner records-request information, reports sent by email or fax have no fee. Reports provided by mail or pick-up have a $5 fee.
The $5 fee is waived when the requestor is the next of kin. If a fee is required, the office states that the request will not be processed without prior payment.
Accepted Payment Methods
For requests requiring payment, the county accepts cashier's checks, money orders, and business checks made payable to the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner. Personal checks are not accepted. Credit and debit card payments can also be made by phone.
People mailing a paid request should follow the instructions shown on the official records-request form rather than sending payment to a general county address. The form identifies the Office of the Medical Examiner as the recipient for mailed records requests with payment.
Non-Commercial Requests
The public-records form includes a statement that the requested records are not being obtained for a “commercial purpose” as defined by Arizona law and will not be resold based on the value of the information in the records. Users submitting this particular form should review that statement before completing the request.
Death Certificates
A Medical Examiner report and a certified death certificate are different records. The Office of the Medical Examiner handles its investigative reports, while death certificates are obtained through Maricopa County Vital Records.
The county's birth and death certificate service directs applicants to first check eligibility and then apply in person, by mail, or online. The listed fee is $20 per certified copy, while corrections and major changes are listed at $30.
Users seeking a death certificate should therefore avoid submitting a Medical Examiner public-records request as a substitute for the Vital Records application process. The Medical Examiner case-status page also specifically tells users requesting a death certificate to contact the Maricopa County Office of Vital Registration.
Pending Cause and Amendments
When a case initially has a pending cause of death, the Medical Examiner's online case status may later be updated as findings are completed. Once the cause of death is displayed, the county advises allowing up to four weeks before contacting Vital Registration for an amended death certificate.
This distinction matters because the Medical Examiner's investigation may reach a stage where findings appear online before the corresponding vital record has completed its amendment process.
Family Advocate Assistance
The Family Advocate is available to communicate with family members, friends, or family representatives about case inquiries, complaints, and resource information. This service provides a point of contact for people dealing directly with the effects of a Medical Examiner investigation.
According to the county, the Family Advocate may assist with case management and status updates, serve as a liaison between families and Office of the Medical Examiner staff, provide internal or external community resource information, and connect families with counseling services and support groups when needed.
The Family Advocate should not be confused with the public-records process. A request for a completed Medical Examiner report is submitted through the records-request form, while the Family Advocate role centers on communication, case inquiries, complaints, and support-related information.
Missing Person Reports
The Office of the Medical Examiner accepts missing-person reports for comparison with unidentified decedents under its jurisdiction. The county also advises contacting the local law enforcement agency where the person went missing for a more comprehensive search.
Some law enforcement agencies may require families to contact local hospitals and jails first. The Office of the Medical Examiner may help families determine which agency is appropriate to contact, but its missing-person submission has a specific purpose: comparison with unidentified decedents in Medical Examiner cases.
After a missing-person report is submitted to the Office of the Medical Examiner, the county states that the submitter will be contacted only if an identification is made or if additional information is needed.
Unidentified Persons Cases
The county also operates an official Unidentified Persons Bureau website. The site was created to make information about unidentified decedents accessible to the public and to generate leads that may help establish identities.
Case information may include identifying characteristics as well as photographs or sketches when available. Photographs can include a person's face, tattoos, or belongings. The county warns that some content on the site may not be suitable for everyone.
If someone recognizes an individual presented through the Unidentified Persons Bureau, the county invites that person to provide information. A person providing a lead may remain anonymous.
Family Release Questions
Families often have practical questions after a death comes under Medical Examiner jurisdiction, including why the office is involved, what examinations are performed, how identification is confirmed, how personal effects are handled, how a family member is released, and when cause and manner of death may be determined.
Maricopa County maintains official Medical Examiner family information covering those topics. It also addresses questions involving open-casket viewing after an autopsy, toxicology testing, funeral home selection, death benefits when cause and manner remain pending, Medical Examiner reports, death certificates, and the Family Advocate.
Users should direct each request to the service that actually controls the record or process involved. Case-status questions can begin with the online Medical Examiner case system, completed Medical Examiner reports are handled through the public-records request process, death certificates come from Vital Records, and family case concerns may be directed to the Family Advocate.
Common Request Mistakes
Several avoidable errors can delay or complicate a Medical Examiner-related request. The most common problems arise when users mix together separate county systems or assume that one record serves the same purpose as another.
Using the wrong case identifier: The Medical Examiner case-status search and records form use the OME case number, not a court case number, booking number, or unrelated agency identifier.
Requesting a death certificate from the Medical Examiner: Death certificates are handled by Maricopa County Vital Records, not through the Medical Examiner report-request form.
Treating preliminary information as final: Online case information remains preliminary until “Medical Examiner Report Ready” is marked “Yes.”
Expecting every investigation to produce every report: Toxicology, anthropology, neuropathology, and odontology reports are not completed in every case.
Assuming every case has the same completion schedule: Report completion varies according to the circumstances, complexity, and additional testing or investigation required.
Sending a personal check: Personal checks are not accepted for report-request fees.
Sending payment when none is required: Email and fax delivery have no fee, and the $5 mail or pick-up fee is waived for next of kin.
Contacting Vital Registration too soon after a pending cause is updated: The county advises allowing up to four weeks after the cause of death is listed before contacting Vital Registration about an amended death certificate.
Arriving at the secure facility without planning: County guidance says Medical Examiner business can be conducted by phone and strongly recommends appointments for in-person meetings.
Department and Office Contacts
Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner
701 W Jefferson Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-506-3322
Medical Examiner Investigations
701 W Jefferson Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-506-1138
Family Advocate
701 W Jefferson Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-506-3176
Maricopa County Office of Vital Registration
PO Box 2111
Phoenix, AZ 85001
602-506-6805
Medical Examiner FAQs
Where can next of kin find answers about autopsies and family release?
Maricopa County maintains a dedicated Medical Examiner frequently asked questions page for practical issues that families may face after a death. The county's guidance covers whether an open-casket viewing may be possible after an autopsy, how identification is confirmed, how the time of death is determined, and the process for releasing a family member. It also addresses what happens if a family has not selected a funeral home or mortuary. These topics are especially useful for next of kin who need procedural information before making funeral or transportation arrangements.
How are a family member’s personal belongings handled?
The county includes the handling of personal effects among its official next-of-kin questions. Families trying to determine how belongings are returned should review the county’s next-of-kin guidance rather than assuming that property will automatically accompany the decedent when released. The same guidance addresses identification and release procedures, which can help families understand where personal-effects questions fit within the broader case process.
What if death benefits are needed while findings are still pending?
Maricopa County specifically includes guidance for families who need death benefits while the cause and manner of death remain pending. This issue is listed separately from obtaining a death certificate or Medical Examiner report, so families dealing with insurance, benefits, or other time-sensitive matters should consult the county's official family FAQ for the applicable procedure instead of waiting for every investigative finding to be finalized.
Can I review past Maricopa County Medical Examiner annual reports?
Yes. Maricopa County maintains a public Medical Examiner annual reports archive. The archive currently lists reports from 2015 through 2025. These reports can be useful for researchers, journalists, students, and residents looking for official historical information about the office and its yearly activity rather than information about one individual case.