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

Tennessee records a cause of death on the medical certification of the death certificate and, when a death is investigated, in the medical examiner's autopsy report. The death record itself is a public record, but for 50 years the state limits who may receive a copy that includes the cause of death. Autopsy reports are public documents, so they are often the most accessible source of the cause of death.

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

To find a cause of death in Tennessee, start with the two records that actually state it: the death certificate and, for investigated deaths, the autopsy report. The cause of death is written on the medical certification section of the certificate by the attending physician or medical examiner.

If you are the decedent's spouse, child, parent, or other next of kin, or an authorized representative, you can order a copy of the death certificate that shows the cause of death from the Tennessee Office of Vital Records. Others can qualify by documenting a need for the cause of death to establish a legal right or claim.

If a county medical examiner investigated the death, the autopsy report is a public document and can be requested from that office. For older deaths, the full record becomes available to the public 50 years after the date of death.

For a quick, free starting point, obituaries and the Social Security Death Index confirm that a person died, though neither reliably states how.

Is the Cause of Death Public in Tennessee?

It depends on which record you mean, and on which part of it. Under Tenn. Code Ann. 68-3-205(d)(2)(A), the authenticating document for a death is a public record, and verified information from it may be provided upon request, so confirming that a death occurred is not restricted.

The cause of death is the restricted part. Under Tenn. Code Ann. 68-3-205(d)(2)(D), a certified copy or other copy of a death certificate containing the cause of death is issued only on request of the spouse, children, parents, or other next of kin or their authorized representative; when a documented need for the cause of death to establish a legal right or claim is shown; to or on behalf of an organization that provides benefits to the decedent's survivors or beneficiaries; for agency or research use approved by the state registrar; or under a court order.

The autopsy report is treated differently. Under Tenn. Code Ann. 38-7-110, county medical examiner reports, toxicology reports, and autopsy reports are public documents. A district attorney can petition a court to seal all or part of a report while it could impair a homicide or felony investigation, but otherwise these records are open to anyone.

So the same cause of death can be restricted on the certificate yet available through a public autopsy report. For more on this distinction, 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 Tennessee. Knowing where it lives tells you which access rule applies.

On the Death Certificate

Every Tennessee death certificate includes a medical certification section. There, the certifier lists the immediate cause of death, any underlying conditions, and the manner of death (natural, accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined).

This information is the restricted part of the record. For a recent death, only the requesters listed in Tenn. Code Ann. 68-3-205(d)(2)(D) can obtain a copy that shows it.

In the Autopsy Report

When a death is violent, sudden, suspicious, or otherwise reportable, the county medical examiner has a duty to investigate the circumstances under Tenn. Code Ann. 38-7-109 and may order an autopsy under Tenn. Code Ann. 38-7-106. The resulting report gives the examiner's opinion on the cause and manner of death.

Autopsy reports are public documents under state law, so this is frequently the most accessible detailed source of how someone died.

How to Request Records That Show the Cause of Death

Choose your route based on who you are and which record exists. Each path has its own office and rules.

To order a death certificate that shows the cause of death, contact the Tennessee Office of Vital Records. You must fall within one of the categories the statute lists (most often the spouse, children, parents, or other next of kin, or their authorized representative, or someone documenting a need to establish a legal right or claim), present a valid government-issued photo ID, and specifically request that the cause of death be included.

To request an autopsy report, contact the county medical examiner's office for the county where the death was investigated. Because these reports are public under Tenn. Code Ann. 38-7-110, you generally do not need to prove a family relationship, though a report can take three to six months to be finalized.

If you only need to confirm that someone died, the Social Security Death Index and published obituaries are free and immediate. They establish the fact and date of death but do not state the cause.

Finding the Cause of Death for Older or Historical Deaths

For older deaths, the full record opens up over time. Under Tenn. Code Ann. 68-3-205(e), death records in the custody of the state registrar are made available to the public once 50 years have elapsed after the date of death, and microfilm copies held by the Tennessee State Library and Archives are open for public inspection.

Once a record is public, anyone can view it, including the cause of death written in the medical certification section. This is the standard route for genealogy and historical research.

Newspaper archives and obituaries can also help reconstruct a cause of death for older cases, especially where the death made local news. For an investigated death, the medical examiner's autopsy report may already be a public record regardless of age, subject to the same sealing exception.

For eligibility details, fees, and how the 50-year rule works, see the parent guide on Tennessee Death Records.

Disclaimer: This page is general information, not legal advice. Access rules, fees, and processing times change. Verify the current requirements with the Tennessee Office of Vital Records or the relevant county medical examiner before requesting a record.

Sources

This page draws on the Tennessee Office of Vital Records, the Tennessee Office of the State Chief Medical Examiner, the Tennessee Secretary of State Library and Archives, the Tennessee Code, the CDC, and the Social Security Administration.