Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences

The Medical Examiner's Office investigates deaths that are sudden, unexpected, or have legal or public health implications. The primary role of the medical examiner’s office is to determine the cause and manner of death for these types of cases by use of thorough investigation (medical history review, scene investigation, etc) and postmortem examination. This work provides crucial information for law enforcement, public health, and families, ensuring accurate death records and contributing to community safety by identifying potential health risks or criminal activity.

• A Medical Examiner is a licensed physician, usually with specialized training in forensic pathology, who is appointed to investigate deaths, perform autopsies, and determine cause and manner of death.  They are often part of a government agency and operate in larger urban counties.
• A Coroner may or may not be a physician, depending on the jurisdiction, and is typically an elected official.  In some areas, coroners handle similar duties as medical examiners, but may rely on external forensic experts to conduct autopsies and medical assessments, particularly in complex cases.
• A Justice of the Peace (JP) is not a medical expert, but a judicial officer who may be called upon to declare a death, especially in rural areas without access to a Medical Examiner or Coroner. The JP often has the authority to conduct inquests and make rulings on cause and manner of death, but generally lacks the medical expertise and training to perform autopsies or other forensic procedures.

Under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 49.25, the following deaths must be reported to the Medical Examiner’s Office:

• Deaths within 24 hours of hospital admission:  When a person shall die within twenty-four hours after admission to a hospital or institution or in prison or in jail.
• Unnatural deaths:  When any person is killed or dies an unnatural death, except under sentence of the law.
• Unidentified bodies:  When the body or a body part of a person is found, and the person is unidentified, regardless of whether the cause or circumstances of death are known.
• Deaths under suspicious circumstances:  When the circumstances of the death are such as to lead to suspicion that the death was caused by unlawful means.
• Suicides:  When any person commits suicide, or the circumstances of the death are such as to lead to suspicion that the death was caused by suicide.
• Deaths without medical attendance:  When a person dies without having been attended by a duly licensed and practicing physician, and the local health officer or registrar does not know the cause of death.
• Deaths of children under six:  When the person is a child who is younger than six years of age and the death is reported under Chapter 264, Family Code.
• Physician uncertainty:  When a person dies who has been attended immediately preceding their death by a duly licensed and practicing physician or physicians, and such physician or physicians are not certain as to the cause of death and are unable to certify with certainty the cause of death.

These reporting requirements ensure thorough investigations into deaths that may have legal or public health implications.

Dealing with the death of a loved one is never easy. It is mandated by state law that certain deaths be investigated including deaths by any sort of violence, sudden or unexpected deaths, deaths unattended by a physician, and cases where the cause of death or identity of the deceased are unclear. The medical examiner is responsible for determining the cause and manner of death.

An autopsy, also known as a postmortem examination, is a specialized surgical procedure used to determine the cause and manner of death. The cause of death is the medical reason explaining why a person died. The manner of death is the circumstances surrounding the death. The following are recognized as manners of death: natural, accident, homicide, suicide, and undetermined. The fact that an autopsy has been conducted does NOT interfere with viewing at the funeral home.

Not every person brought to the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office is autopsied. When there is an established medical history, when the circumstances of the death are not suspicious, and when an external examination of the body shows no sign of suspicion, a death certificate may be issued on the basis of the medical history and investigation. It is at the discretion of the medical examiners as to what kind of postmortem examination is performed on an individual (external examination only or full autopsy with external and internal examination). Unlike hospital autopsies, permission is not required from the next-of-kin to perform an autopsy. If the family is known to have an objection to an autopsy, such as for religious objections, the office will try to comply with those wishes whenever possible.

In Texas, the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office (DCME) is authorized to perform autopsies without the consent of the family or next of kin when investigating deaths that fall under its jurisdiction. These include cases of sudden, unexpected, or unnatural deaths, as outlined in the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 49.25. In such situations, the DCME has the legal authority to conduct autopsies to determine the cause and manner of death, even without familial consent.

If the family is known to have an objection to an autopsy, such as for religious objections, the office will try to comply with those wishes when feasible.

If the family is known to have an objection to an autopsy, such as for religious objections, the office will try to comply with those wishes when feasible.

A request form is located below and on our Forms page.

• Objection to Autopsy Form

Typically, a family member or close friend is present when the decedent is found, allowing for immediate identification.  However, in cases where identification cannot be established at the time of death, we use one of the following methods (in descending order):

• Fingerprint analysis – usually takes 1 to 2 days
• Dental comparison – usually a week
• DNA analysis – may take several weeks

The timeframe for each method depends on the availability of records for comparison.

No, we do not have a viewing facility. The next time you will be able to view your loved one is after a funeral home has picked them up from our office.

If an autopsy is performed on your loved one, small samples of examined organs and tissues are procured during the autopsy and retained in a fixative solution following the autopsy. These tissue samples are usually no larger than 1 to 2 inches. In deaths where the brain is implicated in the cause of death (e.g. trauma, seizure disorders, neurodegenerative disorders), the entire brain may be retained in a fixative solution following the autopsy for evaluation by the Department of Neuropathology at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

These samples are typically retained at the medical examiner office for one year in the event that additional testing or microscopic examination of the tissues is necessary to determine the cause and manner of death.

Autopsies are generally completed the day after the decedent arrives at our facility. However, during periods of high workload, it may take an additional day or two.

Please visit our website at https://www.dallascounty.org/mepi/ for questions about when your loved one is releasable, meaning your loved one can be picked up by a funeral home or crematory.  If your loved one is releasable, their status online will state “ready for release”.

If your loved one is being maintained on a ventilator and you wish to donate internal organs, removal of organs must be approved by a medical examiner on medicolegal cases. This is arranged by discussion between the transplant service and the ME’s office. Due to case circumstances, the medical examiner may not allow organ donation.

You may also decide to permit the removal of corneas, skin, bone, cartilage, and/or heart valves. These are simple, non-disfiguring procedures which may be a gift of sight or life to another, but they must be completed within a few hours of death.

There is no charge to family for organ or tissue donation. A transplant service representative may contact you.

Autopsies are performed in a way that allows for an open casket viewing or funeral. For the final determination, you should consult with a licensed funeral director.

There are no charges for medical examiner services performed for your loved one.

Fees apply for obtaining copies of reports and other documents. For example, as of 2024 a notarized copy of an autopsy or external examination report costs $15.00, a non-certified copy of an autopsy or external examination report is $5.00, and copies of case records are .10 cents per page.

Once identification and examination of the body are complete, your loved one will be released to the funeral home of your choice, usually within 24 to 48 hours. The funeral home director arranges for transport of the body to the funeral home and obtains the documents necessary for burial or cremation. The Medical Examiner’s office is not permitted to recommend a funeral home. The family should discuss this matter; the person who is the legal next-of-kin (spouse, children of age, parents, siblings – in this order) must sign a funeral release form for the funeral home to claim your loved one and any property.

• You can check the decedent release status on the Medical Examiner’s Public Information website here: https://www.dallascounty.org/mepi/.
• You may also call our main number - (214) 920-5900, select option 1 - for Investigations to speak directly with an investigator.

• We ask that families aim to make funeral arrangements within 3 days of receiving the death notification.
• If you need more time, please call our main number - (214) 920-5900, select option 1 - for Investigations to let us know that plans are in progress.

Dallas County does not provide financial assistance for final disposition arrangements. We encourage families to explore low-cost options listed on the Funeral Consumers Alliance of North Texas website (FCANT.org).

If no arrangements are possible, the legal next of kin may complete county disposition paperwork which authorizes Dallas County to cremate the decedent. Please note that this option does not allow the cremated remains to be returned to the family; instead, the remains will be interred at a vendor cemetery.

If your loved one is a homicide victim, or in certain other cases, the clothing and some personal effects may be evidence in a legal proceeding and my not be available to the family until after completion of a trial. Otherwise, clothing and personal effects are generally released with the body to the funeral home. If your loved one died in a hospital, the clothing and property may sometime be released by the hospital directly to the family. Only personal effects on or associated with the body are brought into the ME’s office from a death scene; other property will be left in the residence, which is secured and released to the family by the police. Our office does not remove jewelry or other personal belongings from the decedent. Please coordinate with your funeral director to ensure these items are returned to you.

Certified copies of death certificates are not available from our office. Death certification in the State of Texas is completed electronically using the Texas Electronic Vital Events Registration System (TxEver). Part of the death certificate is completed by the medical examiner, or by the Justice of the Peace in cases from outside of Dallas County. The funeral director also completes part and submits it to the appropriate local Bureau of Vital Statistics for official registration. Usually, your funeral director will obtain copies of the certificate for you. If there is a delay in the completion of the final death certificate to allow for microscopic examination of tissues, toxicology tests, or further investigation, a “pending” certificate will be issued until enough information is available to issue a final death certificate. This may take up to 90 days, but every effort is made to minimize the delay; any delay will not affect your funeral arrangements.

Certificates of Death are completed by SWIFS and the funeral home of your choice. Once the Certificate of Death is complete, it is the responsibility of the funeral home to file the document with the Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics Unit.

Death records can be ordered from the Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Unit:

• https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vital-statistics/death-records

OR contact one of the following vital statistics registrars to request the document:

• If the death occurred within the City of Dallas, contact the City of Dallas Bureau of Vital Statistics:
  J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
  1515 Young Street, 1st Floor
  Dallas, TX 75201
  (214) 670-3092
• If the death occurred within Dallas County, but not in the City of Dallas, contact the Dallas County Clerk, Vital Records Division:
  Records Building
  500 Elm Street, Suite 2100
  Dallas, TX 75202
  (214) 653-7099

• The cause of death states the injury or disease that caused the individual’s death, e.g a heart attack, a gunshot wound, or cancer.
• The manner of death explains how the cause of death came about and is categorized into one of five classifications:
• • Natural
  • Accidental
  • Suicide
  • Homicide
  • Undetermined
• In summary, the cause explains what led to death, while the manner explains how it happened.

Autopsy reports are typically completed within 60 days from the date of death. In some cases, additional investigation or testing is needed, which may extend the timeframe to up to 90 days.

Autopsy reports are public information. However, a request to withhold information may be submitted to the Attorney General by the Dallas County District Attorney if it is determined that the release of the autopsy report would interfere with the detection, investigation, and prosecution of a crime (Texas Government Code 552.108).

For outside Dallas County inquest cases performed pursuant to an order issued by a Justice of the Peace as part of a judicial inquest under §§ 49.01-49.24 Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, the Texas Attorney General has ruled that these autopsy/investigative records are judicial inquest records and are not subject to the Texas Public Information Act. These records can only be released by SWIFS upon approval by the appropriate Justice of the Peace. See Government Code § 552.003(1)(B).

Autopsy reports take approximately 8 to 12 weeks to be finalized.

Copies of completed autopsy reports are available upon written request to the:

• Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office
  Attention: Records
  2355 N. Stemmons Freeway
  Dallas, TX 75207

Fees apply to obtain copies of reports and other documents.

• We do not accept credit card or electronic payments.
• Exact payments are required by cash, check, or money order.
• Payments are made payable to “Dallas County,” when applicable.

A request form is located below and on our Forms page.

• Autopsy/External Examination Report Request Form

• As of 2024, a notarized copy of an autopsy or external examination report costs $15.00, a non-certified copy of an autopsy or external examination report is $5.00, and copies of case records are .10 cents per page. 
• Autopsy reports take approximately 8 to 12 weeks to be finalized. 
• For more information, call the main number - (214) 920-5900, select option 4 - for the Records Department.

• Requests for a Proof of Death report may be made in-person at SWIFS (Monday - Friday, 8am - 3pm) and are processed at the time of visit.  Requests may also be submitted to swifs.reports@dallascounty.org and paid for upon pick-up from SWIFS.
  • As of 2024, a fee of $5 per Proof of Death will apply.  Exact payments are required by cash, check, or money order.  Payments are made payable to “Dallas County,” when applicable.
• We do not accept credit card or electronic payments.
• A request form is located below and on our Forms page.
  • Proof of Death Request Form

A request form is located below and on our Forms page.

• Funeral Home Realease Form

Cremation permit requests must be submitted to our office by a funeral director.  A permit is required for any decedent who passed away in Dallas County and whose family has chosen cremation.

• As of 2024, the fee for a cremation permit is $30.00.
• The turnaround time for issuing a cremation permit is typically 12 to 48 hours.  However, this may take longer if further investigation into the cause/manner of death is needed.

Requirements for Cremation permits in Dallas County:

1. Please send the death certificate worksheet (must be certified before sending) from TxEver.  ** If line 14 does not say Dallas do not send here. **
2. A cover sheet from your funeral home, including your email address and EDR number.
3. Fax request to (214) 920-5908 or email to swifs.cremation@dallascounty.org.
4. PLEASE DO NOT SEND FACTS OF DEATH VERIFICATION OR BURIAL TRANSIT PERMITS.

An EDR number is an electronic death registration number assigned by the Texas Department of State Health Vital Statistics for every death certificate.

To obtain the EDR number, funeral directors can:

1. call our main number - (214) 920-5900, select option 3 - for Death Certification OR
2. email swifs.reports@dallascounty.org for assistance.

To obtain the EDR number, individuals can:

• Search the (SWIFS) Medical Examiner Public Information Records:
  • Dallas County Forensic Sciences (SWIFS) Medical Examiner Public Information Records
  • Note: Search by exact spelling of first and last name, by case number IFS-YY-XXXXX or date range.

Instructions for paternity testing can be found below and on our Forms page.

• Instructions for Releasing a DNA Specimen for Paternity Testing

For additional questions, please contact the Investigations Department - (214) 920-5900, select option 1 - and ask for the Chief or Deputy Chief Investigator.

Evidence Submission Form(s):

An Evidence Submission form(s) for Law Enforcement agencies can be located below and on our Forms page.

• Evidence Submission Form - 7363
• If there is additional evidence, please utilize this form to add the addiitonal items - Evidence Submission Form Continuation Page - 6823

The completed form must accompany the evidence being submitted to our office for analysis.

Evidence may be submitted:

• In person at SWIFS during the regular business hours of 8:00am - 4:30pm.
• Outside normal business hours, evidence can be dropped off in our Evidence Registration secure lock boxes. These lock boxes are available 24/7.

Out of town agencies may also mail in evidence with the submission form(s).

Additional forms are available at our office.

You may call our main number at (214) 920-5900. Please listen to the recording and select the appropriate option for the department you wish to contact.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office utilizes national databases to assist with identification and reunification of deceased individuals to their next-of-kin. The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office lists unidentified and unclaimed persons on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) website. Any member of the public may access the Unidentified Persons Search and Unclaimed Persons Search on NamUs. Unidentified persons may be searched by identifying characteristics and features while unclaimed persons may be searched by name and/or date of birth. To provide information for possible matches on unidentified persons, or if you recognize your loved one as unclaimed, contact SWIFS at (214) 920-5900.

To report your loved one as missing, please contact your local law enforcement agency.