Are Autopsy Reports Public in Minnesota? (2026 Guide)

In Minnesota, the full autopsy report is not a public record. Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, the medical examiner's or coroner's investigation file and final summary of findings are classified as private or nonpublic data. The decedent's surviving spouse, parents, children, siblings, and the legal representative of the estate may obtain the complete report as of right. Anyone else must ask a district court to order its release.

Are Autopsy Reports Public in Minnesota?

No. The complete Minnesota autopsy report is not a public record. The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act governs medical examiner data, and Minnesota Statute 13.83 controls how it is released.

Under section 13.83, subdivision 4, the data collected during an investigation and the medical examiner's or coroner's final summary of findings become private or nonpublic data once the summary is complete. Private data is released only to the subject's authorized representatives, not to the general public.

A limited set of facts is public, however. Subdivision 2 makes information such as the name of the deceased, date of birth, date and cause of death, the manner of death (accident, suicide, homicide, natural, or undetermined), and whether an autopsy was performed available to anyone.

So a member of the public can confirm the cause and manner of death, but the underlying narrative report, photographs, and toxicology results are restricted.

Who Performs Autopsies in Minnesota?

Minnesota uses a mixed, county-based death investigation system. Under Chapter 390, every county must have either a coroner or a medical examiner, and the county board decides which model to use.

A medical examiner must be a forensic pathologist who is certified or eligible for certification by the American Board of Pathology. A coroner must be a physician with a valid medical license and must complete medicolegal death investigation training within four years of taking office.

Larger metro counties such as Hennepin and Ramsey operate medical examiner offices, while some smaller counties use a coroner or contract with a regional medical examiner.

When Is an Autopsy Performed?

Under Minnesota Statute 390.11, subdivision 2, the medical examiner or coroner may order an autopsy at their sole discretion in the case of any human death referred to in subdivision 1, when the public interest would be served. Subdivision 1 is the list of deaths that must be reported, which covers sudden, violent, suspicious, unexplained, and unattended deaths, so the discretion is broad but it is not unlimited.

That discretion is also expressly subject to subdivision 2b. If the decedent's representative objects to an autopsy on religious grounds, an autopsy must not be performed unless the medical examiner or coroner determines that a compelling state interest applies, and the office must make good faith efforts to notify the representative before proceeding.

Autopsies are not done for every death. The official weighs the circumstances, and in certain cases, such as deaths involving fire where the body was pronounced dead outside a hospital or the identity is unconfirmed, an autopsy is mandatory.

The autopsy must be performed without unnecessary delay, and the findings are filed in the office of the medical examiner or coroner.

Who Can Request a Minnesota Autopsy Report?

Because the full report is private data, only specific people may obtain it. Minnesota Statute 13.83, subdivision 8, lists who may access nonpublic medical examiner data.

The report is available to the physician who attended the decedent at death, the legal representative of the decedent's estate, and the decedent's surviving spouse, parents, children, and siblings (and their legal representatives).

A state or federal agency charged by law with investigating the death may also receive the data. The general public, journalists, and unrelated parties are limited to the public facts in subdivision 2.

If you are not next of kin, you generally cannot get the complete report, and the county attorney is not a public access route. Under subdivision 4, when a death is classified as a homicide, undetermined, or pending investigation with an active law enforcement case, the county attorney may permit release only to the people already listed in subdivision 8, and only if release would not impede the ongoing investigation. It is a hold release for eligible family members, not a way for the public to reach the file.

The route that is open to anyone is subdivision 7. Any person may petition the district court in the county where the medical examiner data is maintained to authorize disclosure of nonpublic, protected nonpublic, or confidential medical examiner data. The court may examine the data privately and order disclosure if it determines that disclosure would be in the public interest. That petition, not a records appeal, is the usual path for a journalist or researcher who has been turned down by a county office.

Time also changes the classification. Under subdivision 9, data classified as nonpublic, protected nonpublic, or confidential by section 13.83 become public 30 years after the decedent's date of death, which is what makes older cases reachable for historical and genealogical research.

How to Get an Autopsy or Toxicology Report in Minnesota

To request a Minnesota autopsy report, contact the medical examiner or coroner office in the county where the death occurred, not a statewide agency. Each office handles its own records.

Submit a written data request, often using the office's data request form. You will typically need to provide the decedent's full name, date of death, your relationship to the decedent, and proof of identity or your authority (such as proof of kinship or estate appointment).

Fees vary by county. Many offices charge a per-page copy fee or a flat administrative fee for the report; toxicology results may be released separately once finalized.

Processing time depends on whether the case is complete. Toxicology testing can take several weeks, and a report will not be released while it is still pending.

The Pending-Investigation Hold

If the case is part of an active investigation, the report stays confidential until the final summary is complete. When the manner of death is homicide, undetermined, or listed as pending investigation with an active law enforcement case, the data remains confidential until law enforcement determines the investigation is inactive.

During that hold, the county attorney may allow release to the family members and other people listed in subdivision 8 if doing so would not impede the ongoing investigation. That is a release valve for eligible next of kin, and it does not open the record to anyone else.

This means even an eligible family member may have to wait until the investigation closes to receive the full report.

Autopsy Report vs Death Certificate in Minnesota

These are two different documents. The death certificate is a vital record that lists the cause and manner of death in a brief line, while the autopsy report is the detailed forensic file behind that conclusion.

The Minnesota death certificate is requested through the Minnesota Department of Health Office of Vital Records or a county vital records office, and access to certified copies with the cause of death is itself restricted to those with a tangible interest.

The autopsy report, by contrast, comes from the county medical examiner or coroner and includes the examination narrative, toxicology, and findings. For the certificate process, see Minnesota Death Records. For the national picture, see Are Autopsies Public Records?.

Minnesota Autopsy Report Facts

Disclaimer: This page provides general information, not legal advice. Records access rules and fees vary by county and can change. Verify current requirements with the medical examiner or coroner office that handled the case.

Sources

This guide cites the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (Statute 13.83), Minnesota Chapter 390 on coroners and medical examiners, and the CDC Public Health Law Program; verify current procedures with the county medical examiner or coroner. Up to Minnesota Death Records and the Death Records by State hub.