To report a death, call the 24/7 Hotline 845-431-9177.
Families who lose a loved one unexpectedly often have questions regarding the deceased, including about the role the Medical Examiner’s Office plays in the investigating the death.
Read our FAQ:
If you need to identify the body of a family member, contact our office at 845-486-3414 to schedule an appointment. The Medical Examiner’s Office is open Monday – Friday, from 9am - 4pm. After-hours or weekends, call the Medical Examiner’s Hotline at 845-431-9177.
The Medical Examiner decides the need for autopsy to determine cause and manner of death. Requests for an autopsy, when the medical examiner has declined authority, are considered on a case by case basis.
Please note:
If you have an objection to an autopsy being performed due to religious or personal reasons, please contact the Medical Examiner.
The Medical Examiner’s Office does not provide death certificates. Your funeral director will file the death certificate with the clerk or registrar of the jurisdiction where the death occurred. The legal next of kin will receive certified Certified copies of the death certificate from the funeral director. The time of death recorded on the death certificate is the time the deceased was pronounced dead and may not be the actual time of death. Additional copies may be obtained by the funeral director or the municipality in which the death occurred.
In some cases, additional tests may be necessary to establish the cause of death. In these cases:
The Medical Examiner’s Office contacts the legal next of kin after an autopsy report is issued, which typically takes 4-6 weeks to finalize.