How to Find a Cause of Death in Arizona (2026 Guide)

To find someone's cause of death in Arizona, look at the death certificate, where a doctor or the county medical examiner records the cause as the medical certification. That certificate is a closed record, so a certified copy goes only to eligible family or representatives until the record opens for genealogy 50 years after the death.

How Do You Find Someone's Cause of Death in Arizona?

You find a cause of death in Arizona on the death certificate, which carries the medical certification of cause of death signed by the certifying physician or the county medical examiner. The certificate is the primary official source.

There are several practical paths. Eligible family members can order the certificate from the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) Bureau of Vital Records. For deaths the medical examiner investigated, the autopsy report is a second source, though access to it is not automatic.

For deaths that are not recent, an obituary or newspaper account often names a cause or circumstances. Once a record is 50 years old, anyone can view it through the state genealogy system.

Up one level, see Arizona Death Records for the full access rules, and the national hub, Death Records by State.

Is the Cause of Death Public in Arizona?

No. The cause of death is not generally public in Arizona because it lives on the death certificate, and Arizona keeps death certificates confidential. Under A.R.S. 36-342, a registrar may not allow inspection of a vital record or issue a copy except as authorized by law.

Because the cause-of-death entry is part of that confidential certificate, it carries the same restriction. Only eligible requesters can obtain the document during the closed period.

This tracks Arizona's broader treatment of these records. For a national overview, see Are Cause of Death Records Public?.

The autopsy report follows a different path, and it is not a simple one. Arizona courts treat medical examiner records, including autopsy reports, as public records under the state public records law, A.R.S. 39-121. But in Schoeneweis v. Hamner, 223 Ariz. 169 (App. 2009), the Court of Appeals held that those records inherently raise significant privacy concerns, and that a court must review them in camera and balance privacy against access before permitting release. The same decision held that death certificates are not subject to public inspection under the public records law at all.

Case closure affects when an office is willing to hand over a report in practice. It is not the legal switch that makes the report public, and a surviving relative can ask a court to block release.

Autopsy photographs, digital images, x-rays, and video recordings are restricted further. Under A.R.S. 11-597.02, a medical examiner may not disclose them unless a superior court judge orders disclosure after an in camera review, apart from a listed group that includes close relatives, the county attorney, and the decedent's personal representative.

Where the Cause of Death Is Recorded (Death Certificate vs Autopsy Report)

The cause of death is recorded in two main places in Arizona, and they serve different purposes.

The Death Certificate

The death certificate contains the medical certification of cause of death. Arizona law defines that certification as the opinion of the health care provider who signs the certificate as to the probable or presumed cause of death.

For most natural deaths, the attending physician completes this section. The certificate lists the immediate cause and any underlying conditions that led to death.

One wrinkle is worth knowing before you order. A.R.S. 36-324(A) directs the registrar to issue a certified copy of a registered certificate except the portion of the certificate that contains medical information, to any person the rules make eligible. The implementing rule then defines what that copy holds: under A.A.C. R9-19-314(A), a certified copy of a certificate of death registration contains the information in R9-19-302(A)(1) and (3), and (A)(3) is the medical certification, including the conditions leading to the immediate cause of death and the manner of death. So the copy an eligible relative receives ordinarily does carry the cause of death, but the statutory carve-out is real text and the issuing office controls what it prints. Confirm with the Bureau of Vital Records or your county office before you rely on a certificate to establish a cause.

The Autopsy Report

When the county medical examiner has jurisdiction, a forensic pathologist may perform an autopsy and prepare a detailed report. This report explains the findings behind the cause and manner of death.

The medical examiner investigates deaths that are violent, sudden, unexpected, or unexplained, among others (A.R.S. 11-593). The examiner then certifies the cause and manner of death and reduces the findings to a written report (A.R.S. 11-594).

How to Request Records That Show the Cause of Death

To request records that show a cause of death in Arizona, start with the source that matches your relationship and the type of death.

If you are eligible family, order the death certificate from the AZDHS Bureau of Vital Records or a participating county office. You apply on the state form, prove your relationship, and include a copy of your photo ID. A certified copy costs $20.

If the death was investigated by the medical examiner, request the autopsy report from the county medical examiner office that handled the case. Offices generally release a completed report to legal next of kin, and each county office sets its own request procedure and any copying fee.

Timing matters for the autopsy report. While a death is still under active investigation, the office withholds the report until the examination and any toxicology are finished. Most reports are completed within about 90 days, though complex cases take longer.

Finding the Cause of Death for Older or Historical Deaths

For older deaths, your options widen as the record ages out of the confidential period. Arizona opens death records for noncommercial genealogy research 50 years after the date of death.

You can search these records through the AZDHS genealogy system at no charge. The site currently provides death records for deaths from 1870 through the most recent year that has passed the 50-year mark. These images are not certified copies, but they show the original certificate, including the cause of death.

For deaths in the gap before that window opens, an obituary, a newspaper death notice, or a published memorial can describe the cause or circumstances. Local libraries and the Arizona State Library hold newspaper archives that help here.

The Social Security Death Index is useful for confirming the fact of death, including names and dates, but it does not list a cause of death. Use it to locate a death, then pursue the certificate or autopsy report for the cause.

Arizona Cause of Death Records at a Glance

Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Arizona records and is not legal advice. Access rules, fees, and processing times can change. Verify the current requirements with the Arizona Department of Health Services or the relevant county office before you apply.

Sources

This guide draws on the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records, Arizona Revised Statutes Titles 36, 11, and 39, the Arizona Administrative Code vital records rules, and the Arizona Court of Appeals decision in Schoeneweis v. Hamner.