Medical Examiner

Families who lose a loved one suddenly in Cook County often find themselves dealing with the Medical Examiner at the same time they are coping with grief and practical decisions. This guide is meant to walk you through how the Cook County IL Medical Examiner system works, why a case is sent there, what records you can request, how identification operates, and how to connect with the right county offices and departments. The goal is to help you understand the process, your options, and what to expect at each step.

Understand the role of the Cook County Medical Examiner

Cook County uses a centralized Medical Examiner system that serves more than 5 million residents, nearly half the population of the state. The Medical Examiner's Office is responsible for determining the cause and manner of death in certain kinds of cases and plays a key part in both the justice system and public health.

What the Medical Examiner actually does

The Medical Examiner’s team includes forensic pathologists, investigators, and support staff. Together, they:

Receive reports of deaths that fall under their legal authority
Decide whether the office will accept a case for investigation
Conduct autopsies and postmortem examinations when needed
Order and interpret toxicology testing
Issue official determinations of cause and manner of death
Provide documentation and records that families, courts, and agencies rely on

More than 16,000 deaths are reported to the office each year. Only a portion of those are accepted for investigation, and about half of the accepted cases involve a full autopsy. The office operates around the clock to respond when deaths occur, but public-facing services have specific business and identification hours.

For families and legal next of kin, understanding when and why the Medical Examiner becomes involved is the first step toward knowing what to expect.

Learn when a death is handled by the Medical Examiner

Not every death in Cook County goes through the Medical Examiner. Many deaths are certified directly by a treating physician. The Cook County IL Medical Examiner becomes involved when the circumstances meet certain legal criteria.

Common situations that go to the Medical Examiner

The office investigates deaths that fall into one or more of these categories:

Deaths related to criminal violence

Suicides

Accidents, including falls, overdoses, and other unintended injuries

Deaths that occur suddenly in someone who appeared to be in good health

Deaths unattended by a practicing licensed physician

Deaths in suspicious or unusual circumstances

Certain unlawful fetal deaths, as outlined in state law

Deaths linked to poisoning or adverse reactions to drugs or alcohol

Deaths caused by disease that may pose a threat to public health

Deaths related to injury or toxic exposure at work

Deaths that occur during some medical diagnostic or therapeutic procedures

Deaths in prisons, jails, hospitals, or other institutions involving involuntary confinement

Deaths where a person dies in police custody

Cases where a body is to be cremated, dissected, or buried at sea

Cases where a body is brought into Cook County from another jurisdiction without proper medical certification

If you are told that the Medical Examiner has taken jurisdiction, it means the law requires an independent, official investigation into what happened and why.

Navigate your first steps after a case goes to the Medical Examiner

For many families, the Medical Examiner becomes involved without any prior experience or preparation. Knowing the basic flow of events can reduce confusion during a stressful time.

What usually happens after a death is reported

Once a qualifying death is reported:

Jurisdiction is determined
Staff decide whether the case meets the legal requirements for the office to take it.

The body is transported
If accepted, the decedent is transported to the Medical Examiner facility.

An examination is scheduled
This may be an external exam, a full autopsy, or another postmortem procedure, depending on the case.

Toxicology and other studies may be ordered
These tests can extend the time before final results are available, even if the body is released to a funeral home earlier.

Cause and manner of death are certified
A death certificate is completed based on the findings. In some complex cases, cause or manner of death may initially be listed as “pending” until testing is complete.

Reports and records become available
Once the case is finalized, eligible requesters can obtain specific reports through the Medical Examiner’s medical records unit.

Throughout this process, funeral homes and families may have questions about timing, identification, and what decisions they control. The office provides separate guidance for families and funeral directors through official county resources.

Use official guidance and FAQs from the Medical Examiner

Cook County maintains a detailed online resource that explains common questions about Medical Examiner investigations, timelines, and reports. If you are trying to understand unfamiliar terms or processes, the county’s own explanations are a strong starting point.

You can review answers to common questions on the Medical Examiner frequently asked questions page, accessible from the Medical Examiner agency section of the county’s website. That resource helps families understand how autopsies are ordered, how long testing can take, what “pending” means on a death certificate, and more.

Get death records, autopsy reports, and related documents

Many families, attorneys, and insurance companies eventually need official documentation from the Cook County IL Medical Examiner. This may include autopsy reports, toxicology results, or other case materials.

Where to start for Medical Examiner records

The county provides step-by-step instructions on the How to obtain death records and reports service page:
How to obtain death records and reports.

That resource explains:

Which reports are available from the Medical Examiner

How to submit a records request by mail, fax, or electronically

What information you must include (decedent’s name, date of death, your relationship, and your contact details)

When you will receive a bill and how to pay appropriate fees

Important points to keep in mind:

Do not send payment upfront. The office will review your request first and then notify you of charges once the file is complete.

Some case materials, like photographs, are released only at the discretion of the Medical Examiner and may require a court order unless you are legal next of kin.

Fees are set by state law and local ordinance and vary by report type (autopsy report, toxicology, miscellaneous reports, photos, x-rays, slides, and similar items).

How to obtain death certificates

Death certificates are distinct from Medical Examiner case reports. Certificates are vital records and are handled through county vital records, not directly by the same staff who issue autopsy reports.

Information about certified death certificates is available through the county’s Death Certificates service, found in the vital records section of the county website:
Death Certificates.

Families usually:

Work with the funeral home, which often orders the first set of certified copies, and/or
Contact the appropriate vital records office for additional copies when needed.

If there is any doubt about which local registrar handled a particular death certificate, the Medical Examiner’s records staff or the family’s funeral home can help clarify that.

Follow the legal order of next of kin for decisions

When the Medical Examiner is involved, questions can arise about who has the legal right to make final decisions about the body, funeral arrangements, and authorizations such as cremation.

The office follows a legal next of kin order that generally prioritizes:

A person named in a valid written instrument (for example, a pre-arranged directive)

An executor or person with power of attorney, when the authority extends to post-death disposition

Surviving spouse

Surviving competent adult children (with majority agreement if there are multiple)

Surviving parent or parents

Surviving siblings (with reasonable efforts to notify all and majority agreement)

A public administrator in cases with no next of kin and indigent decedents

An authorized institution when someone has donated their body and executed the appropriate authorizations

Any other person or organization willing to assume both legal and financial responsibility, in cases where the above categories do not apply

One important detail: a divorced spouse, even if they share minor children with the decedent, does not control final disposition under this hierarchy. The law recognizes competent adult children instead.

Understanding this order helps families avoid conflict and ensures that the Medical Examiner knows who can legally sign necessary documents.

Know how identification works at the Medical Examiner facility

Not every case requires that a family member physically come in to identify the decedent. In many situations, identification can be established through medical records, fingerprints, personal documents, or other investigative methods.

When in-person identification is required

Out of respect for the deceased and to keep operations running smoothly, the Medical Examiner limits in-person identifications to situations where they are truly necessary. When in-person identification is required:

The office will provide guidance on when and how to appear

Identification occurs during specific hours

Intake staff coordinate the process and answer questions about what to bring and what to expect

The county provides an official overview of identification hours and process on the Medical Examiner identification information page, which you can find in the services section of the government site:
Medical Examiner Identification Information.

If you are unsure whether you must appear in person, or how to schedule a visit, you can contact the intake or identification staff listed on that page for clarification.

Access information for families, funeral directors, and professionals

The Medical Examiner system serves several groups at once:

Families and next of kin, who need clear information during a difficult time

Funeral directors, who coordinate transport and final arrangements

Health care, law enforcement, and justice system professionals, who rely on accurate findings and records

Within the Medical Examiner section of the county site, you will find services titled “Information for Families” and “Information for Funeral Directors.” These pages offer practical checklists and guidance such as:

How and when the body is released to a funeral home
What decisions families must make before release
What documents funeral homes may need from the Medical Examiner
How to coordinate cremation permits and transportation

Using these official resources helps ensure that everyone is working from the same, up-to-date instructions issued directly by county government.

Find help with unclaimed and unidentified persons

Unfortunately, not every decedent has family members who can be located right away, and not every person is easy to identify based on the condition of the remains or available records. The Cook County IL Medical Examiner has specific services for these sensitive situations.

Unclaimed persons

If no legal next of kin is located or able to take responsibility, cases may be handled through the county’s indigent or unclaimed decedent processes. Cook County maintains an online listing for these cases through the Unclaimed Persons service, which can help families or community members locate someone who may have died under those circumstances:
Unclaimed Persons.

Unidentified persons

When the identity of a decedent is not immediately known, the office may post descriptive information, case numbers, and other details (without compromising active investigations) to assist with identification. You can review these cases on the Unidentified Persons listing:
Unidentified Persons.

Virtual Cemetery

In addition, the county offers a Virtual Cemetery tool, which helps the public search certain indigent burial cases and related records:
Virtual Cemetery.

These tools are especially important for extended families, social service providers, or advocates trying to confirm what happened to a missing person. They are maintained directly by Cook County government.

Request tours and understand media access to the facility

Because the Medical Examiner’s work touches on public health, law, and science, there is strong interest from students, first responders, and media. At the same time, tours and camera access must be carefully controlled to protect privacy and avoid disrupting operations.

Educational tours

The office offers a limited number of tours for:

Students in health-related fields who are at least the equivalent of college juniors or 21 years old

Fire personnel and law enforcement trainees

Government agencies involved in the medicolegal justice system

Tours require:

Advance arrangements through the designated contact person
An attendee roster from the instructor or organizer
State-issued identification from each participant on the day of the tour
Signed confidentiality forms from participants

Full details about eligibility and how to request a tour are provided on the county’s Medical Examiner tours and media program page:
Medical Examiner Tours & Media.

Media access

The county also centralizes communication for journalists and media outlets. Reporters seeking information, statements, or access typically work through the Bureau of Administration’s communications office, as described on the same tours and media resource.

Use official channels for transparency, data, and FOIA

The Medical Examiner’s operations are part of county government and are subject to transparency requirements. Cook County makes a significant amount of information publicly available, especially in areas related to public health and outcomes.

Examples of transparency tools in the Medical Examiner section include:

Annual reports summarizing workload, causes of death, and trends
Maps and dashboards related to specific issues, such as COVID-19 related deaths
Links to the county’s open data portal for Medical Examiner datasets

For formal records that are not otherwise accessible, members of the public can use the county’s Freedom of Information Act for offices under the president resource, which explains how to submit FOIA requests to covered offices, including the Medical Examiner:
Freedom of Information Act for Offices Under the President.

Journalists, advocates, and researchers often combine public reports, open data, and FOIA requests to better understand trends in mortality and public health within Cook County.

Medical Examiner–related departments and offices (addresses and phone numbers)

Medical Examiner’s Office / Robert J. Stein Institute of Forensic Medicine – 2121 W Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60612 – Phone: 312-666-0500

Medical Records Department, Office of the Medical Examiner – 2121 W Harrison, Chicago, IL 60612 – Phone: 312-997-4425

Cook County Medical Examiner FAQs

What are the public and identification hours at the Medical Examiner facility?

The office operates every day, but public walk-in hours and identification hours are different. Public service counters for records and general business are open on weekdays during the day, while in-person viewing for identification is limited to specific afternoon and weekend time windows. Before going in person, review the current schedule on the official Medical Examiner Identification Information page so you know which entrance, day, and time are appropriate for your situation.

How can I access autopsy reports, toxicology results, or other case records?

Copies of postmortem reports are handled through the Medical Records Department, not through funeral homes. You’ll need to submit a written request with the decedent’s information and your relationship, and you can do that by mail, fax, or electronically using the county’s portal. The How To Obtain Death Records & Reports page explains exactly what details to include, which types of reports are available, and how billing and fees work so you don’t send payment before you receive an invoice.

Do I always have to identify my loved one in person?

No. Many cases are confirmed using fingerprints, medical or dental records, or other documentation, and families never need to come to the facility. In-person identification is reserved for a smaller number of situations to protect privacy and keep operations running smoothly. If staff tell you that an in-person visit is required, the Medical Examiner Identification Information page outlines where to go, when to arrive, and what to expect during the process.

How does the county handle unclaimed or hard-to-identify decedents?

When next of kin cannot be located or are unable to take responsibility, the office follows county procedures for indigent and unclaimed individuals and keeps a public listing so families can search by name. For cases where the person’s identity is unknown, descriptive details are posted to help with matching missing persons. You can review these lists through the county’s Unclaimed Persons service and, for certain indigent burials, the Virtual Cemetery search tool.

Where can families find official step-by-step guidance on what to do next?

Cook County centralizes family-focused information so you don’t have to piece things together from multiple offices. The Information for Families page links directly to services such as identification, records, indigent cremation, and support around unclaimed or unidentified individuals. It’s a good starting point if you’re unsure whether you should be contacting the Medical Examiner, vital records, or another county agency about the next step.