How to Find a Cause of Death in Michigan (2026)

In Michigan, you find a cause of death on the certified death certificate, which lists the medical cause of death and is available to any applicant under the Public Health Code. Where a medical examiner performed an autopsy, the autopsy report is also a public record. Cause of death is open, not restricted, in Michigan.

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

You find someone's cause of death in Michigan by ordering the certified death certificate, which prints the medical cause of death. Michigan issues this record to any applicant, so you do not need to be a relative.

The cause of death is entered by the certifying physician or by the medical examiner. It appears in the medical certification portion of the death record.

If the death was sudden, violent, or unexplained, a county medical examiner must investigate. The examiner may order an autopsy but is not required to, so an autopsy report exists only where an autopsy was actually performed. Where one exists, that report is a separate public record that explains the findings in detail.

For many families, the fastest informal source is the obituary or a local newspaper account, which often describes the circumstances of a death before any certificate is ordered.

Is the Cause of Death Public in Michigan?

Yes. The cause of death is public in Michigan because the state treats death records as open. There is no separate confidentiality rule that hides the cause of death from the standard certified copy.

Under the Michigan Public Health Code, Act 368 of 1978, a certified copy of a death record, including the cause of death, is issued to any applicant. This is set out in MCL 333.2882(1)(c).

Unlike some states that close death records for 25, 50, or 75 years, Michigan never closes the cause of death by age. There is no age-based confidentiality window and no waiting period. A death record, including the cause of death, is available to any applicant as soon as it is filed under MCL 333.2882.

This open status is consistent with the parent Michigan Death Records framework, where any applicant may obtain a certified copy. For the national picture, see Are Cause of Death Records Public?.

Where the Cause of Death Is Recorded

The cause of death is recorded in two main places in Michigan: the death certificate and, when an investigation occurs, the medical examiner's autopsy report.

The Death Certificate

The death certificate carries the official cause of death in its medical certification section. A physician, or the medical examiner for investigated deaths, lists the immediate cause and any conditions that contributed.

Michigan issues two versions of the certified copy. The short form shows only the facts of who died and when and where, with no medical information, while the long form includes the full registration and the cause of death. To confirm a cause of death, request the long-form certified copy, which any applicant may order.

The Autopsy Report

Under MCL 52.205(3), the county medical examiner may perform or direct an autopsy, and each fact and circumstance tending to show the condition of the body and the cause and manner of death must be reduced to writing. That writing must name each individual present at the autopsy and be subscribed by the person who performed it. Because the autopsy itself is discretionary, an investigated death does not always produce an autopsy report.

The finished autopsy report is generally a public record in Michigan and can be requested from the county medical examiner. Underlying medical records the examiner gathered during the investigation are exempt from disclosure under MCL 52.202, but the report's findings on cause and manner of death are available.

How to Request Records That Show the Cause of Death

You request records that show the cause of death through two channels: vital records for the certificate, and the county medical examiner for the autopsy report.

For the death certificate, submit a signed application to the MDHHS Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics in Lansing or to the county clerk where the death occurred. Any applicant may order, and the certified copy includes the cause of death.

For the autopsy report, contact the county medical examiner's office in the county where the death was investigated. These offices typically release the final report on written or FOIA request once it is complete, which can take several months.

The medical examiner program operates under the County Medical Examiners Act, Act 181 of 1953. Under MCL 52.202(1), a medical examiner must investigate the cause and manner of death when a person dies by violence, dies unexpectedly, dies as the result of an abortion, or dies without medical attendance by a physician within the 1 year immediately preceding death. That last trigger also covers a home hospice death with no physician or registered nurse attendance in the preceding 48 hours, and it does not apply where the attending physician is able to determine the cause of death accurately.

Finding the Cause of Death for Older or Historical Deaths

For older or historical Michigan deaths, you find the cause of death in the same certified death record, which the state has held since 1867. There is no extra restriction that applies to older records.

For deaths far in the past, archived death certificates and county records often list the cause of death directly. State libraries, archives, and county clerks hold these older filings.

You can also confirm the fact of death through the Social Security Death Index, drawn from the Social Security Administration's death data. Be aware that this index shows only when and where a person died, never the cause of death, so you still need the certificate or autopsy report for the medical cause.

Cause of Death in Michigan at a Glance

Disclaimer: This page is general information, not legal advice. Access rules, fees, and processing times change. Confirm the current requirements with the MDHHS Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics or the county medical examiner before relying on this information.

Sources

This guide cites the Michigan Public Health Code, the County Medical Examiners Act, and the U.S. Social Security Administration for the open status, the medical examiner's role, and the fact-of-death note.

Up to Michigan Death Records and the Death Records by State hub.