Medical Examiner
The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office investigates certain deaths, determines cause and manner of death, manages postmortem examinations, coordinates the release of remains, and provides case records and related documents. This article explains which deaths fall under the office’s jurisdiction, how families and authorized professionals can report a death, how to search public case information, what happens during an investigation, and how to request reports, death records, release information, and cremation permits.
Medical Examiner Office Role
The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office operates within the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences, commonly called SWIFS. The office handles deaths that are sudden, unexpected, unnatural, suspicious, unidentified, or otherwise subject to investigation under state law.
The medical examiner’s primary responsibility is to determine the cause and manner of death. This work may involve reviewing medical history, examining the death scene, communicating with law enforcement or medical personnel, conducting an external examination, performing an autopsy, and ordering laboratory tests. The findings support accurate death certification and may also provide information needed by families, law enforcement agencies, courts, and public health officials.
The broader Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences also provides forensic laboratory services. Families looking for information about a deceased person should generally work with the Medical Examiner’s Office, Death Investigation, or Medical Examiner Records rather than contacting unrelated SWIFS laboratory sections.
Cause and Manner of Death
The cause of death is the injury, disease, or medical condition that resulted in the person’s death. Examples include cancer, a heart attack, or a gunshot wound. The manner of death describes the circumstances under which the cause occurred.
The recognized manners of death are:
Natural
Accident
Suicide
Homicide
Undetermined
A homicide classification means that death resulted from the actions of another person. It does not, by itself, determine criminal responsibility or establish that a crime was committed. Those legal determinations are handled by law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and courts.
Medical Examiner, Coroner, and Justice
A medical examiner is a licensed physician, usually trained in forensic pathology, who is appointed to investigate deaths and make medical determinations about cause and manner. A coroner may be an elected official and may or may not be a physician, depending on the jurisdiction.
A Justice of the Peace is a judicial officer rather than a medical specialist. In areas without a medical examiner system, a Justice of the Peace may conduct an inquest and make determinations about a death with assistance from forensic professionals. Dallas County uses a medical examiner system, although SWIFS may perform examinations for outside jurisdictions under an order from the appropriate Justice of the Peace.
Deaths Requiring Investigation
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 49.25 identifies categories of deaths that must be reported to a medical examiner. The office evaluates the circumstances and decides what type of investigation or examination is required.
Reportable deaths include:
Deaths occurring within 24 hours after admission to a hospital or institution.
Deaths occurring in a prison or jail.
Deaths caused by violence or other unnatural circumstances.
Deaths involving an unidentified body or body part.
Deaths occurring under circumstances that suggest unlawful means.
Confirmed or suspected suicides.
Deaths occurring without attendance by a licensed physician when the cause is unknown to the local health officer or registrar.
Certain deaths involving children younger than six years of age that are reported under the Texas Family Code.
Deaths in which the attending physician cannot certify the cause with certainty.
Other sudden or unexpected deaths may also be brought to the office when state law requires an investigation. A person may therefore be transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office even when there is no immediate indication of criminal activity.
Reporting a Death
The correct reporting procedure depends on where the death occurred and who was present. The county’s official death-reporting instructions identify who should contact the office in different situations.
Hospitals and Care Facilities
Deaths occurring in hospitals, nursing homes, or other care facilities should be reported only by authorized personnel. This generally means a physician, nurse, or another staff member acting within the facility’s procedures. Family members should not attempt to make the official facility report on behalf of the medical staff.
Deaths Under Hospice Care
When a person dies at home while receiving hospice care, an RN or LVN from the hospice agency may report the death. Families should contact the hospice provider and follow the provider’s instructions rather than independently arranging removal of the body.
Deaths Outside Hospice Care
When a person dies at home and was not under hospice care, law enforcement must be notified. An officer will respond, assess the circumstances, and make the required report. Family members should not move the person or disturb the surrounding area unless emergency personnel instruct them to do so.
Investigation Call Priority
Death reports are made through the main SWIFS telephone line by selecting the investigations option. If an investigator does not answer, the caller may leave a voicemail. Investigators return messages according to operational priority.
The stated priority generally places urgent law enforcement death-scene calls first, followed by hospice nurses at a decedent’s home, Justices of the Peace reporting a death, and hospitals or other facilities. General information calls are returned after active death reports have been addressed.
Public Case Information Search
The Medical Examiner Public Information search allows users to look for Dallas County medical examiner cases without visiting the office. The system supports searches by name, case number, or case date.
Name Searches
A name search requires both the first and last name. The spelling must be exact, so variations, nicknames, missing hyphens, or different surname formats may prevent a match. Users should enter the legal spelling believed to have been used in the medical examiner record.
When a search does not return a result, review the spelling before assuming that the office has no case. Recently received cases may also require time to appear in the public system.
Case Number Searches
Medical examiner case numbers use the format IFS-YY-XXXXX. The “YY” section represents the two-digit year, while the remaining numbers identify the individual case. An example format is IFS-23-12345.
An IFS case number is different from a police report number, jail booking number, court case number, death certificate registration number, or funeral home account number. Entering one of those other identifiers in the medical examiner case-number field will not produce the intended result.
Date Range Searches
The date search requires a starting date and ending date. Public date searches are limited to cases from the most recent 12 months. Older cases should be addressed through the Medical Examiner Records Office rather than relying on the online date search.
Release Status and EDR Numbers
The public information system can be used to review a decedent’s release status. When the status states “ready for release,” the remains are eligible to be picked up by the authorized funeral home or crematory after the required release arrangements have been completed.
Individuals may also use the public search to locate an electronic death registration number, or EDR number. An EDR number is assigned through the state’s electronic vital-record registration process. It should not be confused with the IFS medical examiner case number.
The Investigation Process
The type of examination depends on the medical history, circumstances of death, scene findings, and condition of the body. Not every person transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office receives a full autopsy.
External Examination or Autopsy
When the person has an established medical history, the circumstances are not suspicious, and the external examination shows no concerning findings, the medical examiner may be able to certify the death without performing a full internal examination.
An autopsy is a postmortem surgical examination used to investigate the cause and manner of death. It may include an external examination, internal examination, tissue sampling, toxicology testing, medical-record review, and other procedures selected by the medical examiner.
The examining medical examiner decides whether the case requires an external examination only or a full autopsy. Unlike a hospital autopsy requested for clinical purposes, a medicolegal autopsy may be performed without permission from the family or legal next of kin when the case is within the office’s jurisdiction.
Family Objections
A family may communicate an objection to an autopsy, including an objection based on religious beliefs. The office will try to comply when feasible, but the objection does not eliminate the medical examiner’s legal authority or responsibility to complete an examination required by the circumstances.
An objection form is available through the county’s Medical Examiner forms page. Because investigative decisions may need to be made promptly, families with an objection should contact the office as soon as possible.
Viewing the Decedent
The Medical Examiner’s Office does not operate a family viewing facility. The next opportunity for viewing is generally after the remains have been released to and received by a funeral home.
Autopsies are performed in a manner intended to permit an open-casket funeral. The final decision about preparation and viewing should be discussed with the licensed funeral director handling the arrangements.
Tissue and Organ Samples
When an autopsy is performed, small samples of organs and tissues may be retained in a preservative for additional testing or microscopic examination. These samples are usually retained for approximately one year in case further study is needed to complete the cause or manner determination.
When the brain is directly involved in the suspected cause of death, such as in certain trauma, seizure, or neurological cases, the entire brain may be retained temporarily for specialized evaluation.
Identification Procedures
A decedent is often identified at the scene because a family member, friend, caregiver, or another person recognizes the individual. When immediate identification is not possible, the office uses scientific comparison methods.
The methods may include:
Fingerprint analysis, which usually takes one to two days when suitable comparison records are available.
Dental comparison, which usually takes about a week when dental records can be obtained.
DNA analysis, which may require several weeks.
Actual timing depends on the availability and quality of comparison records. A missing person report should still be made to the appropriate local law enforcement agency. The Medical Examiner’s Office should not be used as a substitute for reporting someone missing.
Release to a Funeral Home
Autopsies are generally completed the day after the decedent arrives. During periods of higher workload, completion may require an additional day or two. Once identification and the required examination are complete, the remains are usually released to the selected funeral home within 24 to 48 hours.
Families are asked to work toward making funeral arrangements within three days after receiving the death notification. When additional time is needed, the family should contact Death Investigation and explain that arrangements are in progress.
Legal Next-of-Kin Authorization
The legal next of kin must sign a funeral release form before the funeral home can claim the remains and associated personal property. The order stated by the county is the surviving spouse, adult children, parents, and then siblings.
The Medical Examiner’s Office cannot recommend a funeral home. The family selects a provider, and the funeral director coordinates transportation, burial or cremation documents, and other disposition requirements. The county’s funeral home information page explains release documents and requirements that apply to funeral directors.
Personal Belongings
Clothing and personal effects associated with the body are generally released to the funeral home with the remains. Families should coordinate with the funeral director to receive those items.
Property that remains at a residence is generally secured and released through law enforcement rather than the Medical Examiner’s Office. In homicide investigations or certain other legal cases, clothing or personal effects may be retained as evidence until the investigating authority authorizes release.
Death Certificates
Certified death certificates are not issued by the Medical Examiner’s Office. Death certification is completed electronically through the Texas Electronic Vital Events Registration System. The medical examiner completes the medical portion for cases under the office’s jurisdiction, while the funeral director completes the funeral-home portion and submits the record for registration.
A funeral director will commonly obtain certified copies for the family. Death records may also be ordered through the Texas Vital Statistics death-record service or through the appropriate local registrar.
Correct Local Registrar
The place where the death occurred determines which local office handles a request. Deaths within the City of Dallas are handled by the City of Dallas Bureau of Vital Statistics. Deaths elsewhere in Dallas County are handled by the Dallas County Clerk’s Vital Records Division.
The Medical Examiner’s Office should not be contacted for a certified death certificate. A medical examiner case report, proof-of-death document, and certified death certificate are separate records serving different purposes.
Pending Certificates
A death certificate may initially show the cause or manner as pending when toxicology, microscopic examination, medical records, or additional investigation is required. A pending certificate allows the registration process and funeral arrangements to proceed while the medical examiner completes the investigation.
Finalization may take up to 90 days in cases requiring additional work. The pending status does not prevent burial, cremation, or other funeral arrangements.
Autopsy and Case Records
Autopsy reports are generally public information. However, the Dallas County District Attorney may seek to withhold information when release would interfere with the detection, investigation, or prosecution of a crime.
Different rules may apply to examinations performed for an outside county under a Justice of the Peace inquest order. Those records may be judicial inquest records rather than records subject to the Texas Public Information Act. SWIFS may release them only with approval from the appropriate Justice of the Peace.
Report Completion Time
Autopsy reports are typically completed within approximately 60 days from the date of death. Cases involving additional investigation or testing may take as long as 90 days. The county also advises requesters that completed autopsy or external-examination reports generally take about eight to 12 weeks to become available.
Written Record Requests
Completed autopsy and external-examination reports are available through a written request to Medical Examiner Records. The official request form and submission instructions are provided on the SWIFS forms page.
For these report requests, SWIFS requires exact payment by cash, check, or money order. Checks or money orders are payable to Dallas County. Credit cards and electronic payments are not accepted for ordinary report-copy requests.
Current Record Fees
The official SWIFS service fee schedule, effective May 1, 2025, includes the following charges:
Notarized autopsy or external-examination report: $15.
Regular copy of an autopsy or external-examination report: $5.
Proof-of-death document: $5.
Cause-of-death report: $5.
Non-contagious disease certification letter: $20.
Miscellaneous record copies: 10 cents per page.
CD copy: $1.
DVD copy: $3.
These record charges are separate from the medical examiner services performed as part of the death investigation. Families are not charged for the investigation, examination, or autopsy conducted on a decedent under the office’s jurisdiction.
Proof of Death Requests
A proof-of-death document is different from a certified death certificate. Requests may be made in person at SWIFS Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. In-person requests are processed during the visit.
A request may also be submitted to the SWIFS reports email address and paid for when the requester picks it up. The proof-of-death fee is $5. Exact payment is required by cash, check, or money order, and electronic or credit card payments are not accepted for this service.
Cremation Permit Rules
A cremation permit is required for a person who died in Dallas County when the family has selected cremation. The request must be submitted by a funeral director rather than by an individual family member.
Since July 1, 2026, all cremation permit requests must be submitted through the county’s online cremation permit portal. Email and fax requests are no longer accepted. The funeral director must upload the death certificate worksheet and pay at the time of submission.
The portal accepts credit or debit cards, with a service fee, or an ACH electronic check without a fee. The cremation permit fee is $30. SWIFS accepts permit requests only for deaths occurring within Dallas County. Refunds are not issued for requests involving a death outside Dallas County or for duplicate requests submitted for the same permit.
The usual permit turnaround is approximately 12 to 48 hours. Processing may take longer when additional investigation is needed before the cause or manner of death can be determined.
Common Request Mistakes
Several avoidable errors can delay a search, record request, or release arrangement:
Entering a nickname or approximate spelling in a public name search that requires exact first and last names.
Using a police, court, jail, funeral home, or death certificate number in place of an IFS medical examiner case number.
Searching a date range covering cases older than the public system’s 12-month limit.
Requesting a certified death certificate from the Medical Examiner’s Office instead of the proper vital-record registrar.
Sending a cremation permit request by email or fax after the online portal became mandatory.
Submitting a cremation permit request for a death that occurred outside Dallas County.
Failing to include the death certificate worksheet with a cremation permit request.
Attempting to pay a report-copy fee by credit card or electronic payment when exact cash, check, or money order is required.
Assuming that every person transported to the office receives a full autopsy.
Waiting to communicate an autopsy objection until after the examination decision has been made.
Contacting the Medical Examiner’s Office to report a missing person instead of contacting local law enforcement.
Office Location and Hours
The official SWIFS contact page provides office hours, departmental telephone information, and directions. The facility is located on the southbound service road of Interstate 35 between Medical District Drive and Wycliff Avenue.
Regular operating hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Body-release hours follow the same weekday schedule. Families, record requesters, and funeral homes should verify that the relevant department is available before making an in-person visit.
Relevant Offices
Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences — 2355 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75207 — (214) 920-5900
Medical Examiner Records Office — 2355 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75207 — (214) 920-5921
City of Dallas Bureau of Vital Statistics — J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, 1st Floor, Dallas, TX 75201 — (214) 670-3092
Dallas County Clerk, Vital Records Division — Records Building, 500 Elm Street, Suite 2100, Dallas, TX 75202 — (214) 653-7099
Dallas County Health and Human Services Administration — 2377 N. Stemmons Freeway, 8th Floor, Dallas, TX 75207 — (214) 819-2000
Medical Examiner FAQs
Can organ or tissue donation still take place?
Donation may remain possible, but timing and case circumstances matter. When a person is being maintained on a ventilator and internal-organ donation is being considered, the transplant service must obtain approval from the medical examiner for a medicolegal case. Approval is not automatic because removing organs could affect the investigation. Corneas, skin, bone, cartilage, and heart valves may also be donated, but recovery generally must occur within a few hours after death. The transplant organization and the Medical Examiner’s Office coordinate the required review; the family is not charged for organ or tissue donation.
What happens when a family cannot afford final arrangements?
Dallas County does not provide financial assistance for a private funeral, burial, or cremation. When no arrangements can be made, the legal next of kin may complete county disposition paperwork authorizing the county to cremate the decedent. Families should understand the consequence before signing: cremated remains handled through this process are not returned to relatives. They are instead interred at a cemetery selected by the county’s vendor. The applicable adult and child disposition documents are available through the official SWIFS forms page, including Spanish-language versions.
Can a DNA sample be released for paternity testing?
SWIFS provides a specific procedure for requesting the release of a DNA specimen for paternity testing. This is separate from ordering an autopsy report or requesting ordinary case records. Requesters should review the county’s paternity-testing instructions before arranging laboratory services, since specimen availability and release requirements depend on the case.
How can someone submit a complaint about SWIFS?
Dallas County publishes both a standard complaint form and an anonymous complaint form. The forms should be used to document the concern clearly, including the relevant case information, dates, department involved, and a specific description of what occurred. Using the official SWIFS complaint forms helps route the issue through the county’s established review process.