County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner The Department of Medical Examiner is an independent investigative agency that annually performs medicolegal death investigation of over 13,000 cases involving certain types of deaths in the community to determine the circumstances, cause and manner of death
Case Search – County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner This site is a search of Medical Examiner cases only This is not a search of all deaths that occur in Los Angeles County Cases where next of kin have not been notified or cases on security hold will not be displayed Medical Examiner case information displayed or populated on this website is public record and is subject to disclosure by the California Public Records Act
Mortuaries – County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner This information is presented to provide mortuary and crematory personnel with general and specific information concerning those cases that come under the jurisdiction of the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner
Hospitals – County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner This information is presented to provide hospital and nursing home personnel with general and specific information concerning those cases that come under the jurisdiction of the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner We intend this information to be a guide for personnel at your facility assigned to emergency, admitting, nursing offices, pathology, information desks and
Our Process – County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner Our Process Jurisdiction (Why is the Department of Medical Examiner involved) State law instructs the Department of Medical Examiner to inquire into and determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of all sudden, violent, or unusual deaths, and those deaths where the decedent has not been seen by a physician 20 days prior to death In such cases, the deceased may be taken to the Department
Families – County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner The Medical Examiner Forensic Science Laboratory conducts a comprehensive scientific investigation into the cause and manner of any sudden, suspicious or violent death occurring in Los Angeles County Sometimes additional requests are made to laboratory for further testing, specimen holds, sample splits or to acquire biological samples for paternity testing Click here for more information
Law Enforcement and Legal – County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner Information for Law Enforcement and Legal Entities The California State Government Code and Health Safety Code require that the Medical Examiner be notified whenever a person dies and their death is the result of criminal means or other unnatural causes Additionally, certain other natural deaths fall under the jurisdiction of the Medical Examiner simply because there either is no physician
Public Services – County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner The Medical Examiner-Coroner Public Services Division’s mission is to provide responsive, efficient, and fiscally conscientious technical decedent processing services in a professional and caring manner to the affected family members, involved law enforcement, mortuaries, medical personnel, other county departments, and executive staff
FAQ’s – County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner The Medical Examiner's concern is to determine cause and manner of death Determining the cause of death in a person may help identify family histories, contagious disease, and help prevent further premature or preventable deaths within the community In criminal cases, autopsies help courts to reach a just verdict Finally, autopsies help families understand how the death occurred and provide
Medical Examiner – County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner January 28, 2026 – Full accreditation is restored to the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) from the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME), following nearly a decade under provisional accreditation The DME lost its full accreditation in 2016 due to changes in criteria needed to sustain the full accreditation, which was further affected by the pandemic as