Department of the Medical Examiner

You should contact a funeral home and schedule an appointment with a funeral director.  Let the funeral director know that your loved one is currently in the care of the Department of the Medical Examiner.  The funeral home will coordinate with the Department to arrange the transfer of your loved one for funeral or memorial services.

State and City laws require the Department of the Medical Examiner to investigate certain types of deaths to determine the cause and manner of death.

These situations include, but are not limited to:

• Deaths caused by violence, substance abuse, trauma, accidents, or suicide
• Deaths in which the person did not have a regular physician
• Deaths that occur in prisons or while in law enforcement custody
• Deaths that occur within 24 hours after being admitted to a hospital or care facility
• Deaths that appear suspicious or unusual in any way
• Deaths that are sudden and unexpected when in apparent health

The Department of the Medical Examiner derives its legal authority from both state and local law. At the state level, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 841 establishes the medical examiner system and authorizes the investigation, certification, and determination of cause and manner of death in specified cases. At the local level, the Department is created and empowered under Article VI, Chapter 13, Sections 6-1301 through 6-1309 of the Revised Charter of the City and County of Honolulu (1973, as amended 2017), which assigns the Medical Examiner responsibility for death investigations, postmortem examinations, and related medicolegal functions within the City and County of Honolulu.

Your loved one will be taken to the Department of the Medical Examiner facility, located at:

835 Iwilei Road, Honolulu, Hawaii  96817

The Department of the Medical Examiner will determine what type of examination is needed to establish the cause and manner of death.

An autopsy is not required in every case, and family permission is not needed for the Medical Examiner to perform one when it is necessary under State and City laws.

If you have questions or concerns, please call the Department of the Medical Examiner at (808) 768-3090, option 2. An investigator will be available to assist you.

 In most cases, it is not necessary for family members or friends to come to the Department of the Medical Examiner to make an identification.

If photographic identification or additional confirmation is needed, a staff member will contact you directly with instructions.

No. The Department of the Medical Examiner is not designed or equipped to accommodate viewings or visits by family members. 

Arrangements for viewing can be made directly with the funeral home of your choice, once your loved one has been released from our care.

In most cases, your loved one can be released on the same day the examination is completed.

Sometimes, there may be a short delay if additional time is needed to confirm the person’s identity, especially in cases where visual identification is not possible.

You can request a copy of an examination report via our website. For ordering information please visit: https://www.honolulu.gov/med/autopsy-reports/

There is a five dollar ($5.00) processing fee per copy.

Please note that beginning January 1, 2026, the following fees will apply for requests for examination reports:

• No cost – First copy for a designated next of kin, or a law enforcement, government, or medical and health agency.
• $25 fee – For cases created on or after January 1, 1998.
• $75 fee – For cases created before January 1, 1998. 

The report will be provided to you once it is complete. On average, examination reports take about six months to finalize, due to limited staffing. We apologize for any inconvenience.

You may also request a copy of an examination report by mailing your request to the Medical Examiner’s office at:

835 Iwilei Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 

Please enclose a check or money order payable to the Department of the Medical Examiner. 

No, the Medical Examiner’s office does not charge fees for its mandated services.  However, there may be a fee if you request a copy of an examination report.

Death certificates are filed with the State Department of Health by the funeral home when making funeral arrangements. Once the cause of death has been determined, the funeral home will provide you with the number of copies you requested. On average, this process takes about six months.

If you need additional certified copies, you can order them directly from the State Department of Health, Vital Statistics Section, at:

1250 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Phone: (808) 586-4539 

For more information, visit: https://health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/death-certificates/

If you are in need of a death certificate immediately, ask the funeral director to request both certified and certified deferred copies. Please note that the certified deferred copy does not include the cause of death and may not be accepted by all agencies.

The primary next of kin or their designated representative should contact the Department of the Medical Examiner at (808) 768-3090, option 2 to arrange for the release of personal property.

Release hours:

Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding holidays.

If needed, property can also be shipped at the recipient’s expense.

Your funeral director can usually assist you with VA or Social Security benefits. If you need to contact them directly, use the following numbers:

• VA: (800) 827-1000
• Social Security Administration (SSA): (800) 772-1213

For more information, visit:

https://www.benefits.va.gov/honolulu/

https://www.ssa.gov/

If there are no funds available, you can apply for state-funded disposition. In this case, the decedent will be considered “unclaimed.”

• If you need this assistance, ask the investigator for a Consent to Cremate form.
• This process can take several months, and the Department of the Medical Examiner cannot guarantee that the decedent’s ashes will be returned. 

Alternatively, you may contact the State Department of Human Services, MedQuest, for funeral assistance or reimbursement at:

• (808) 587-3521
• (808) 587-3540
• (808) 692-7364

You can access trained professionals for support through Hawaii Cares 988, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

• Oahu: (808) 832-3100
• Neighbor islands (toll-free): (800) 753-6879. 

They provide assistance for individuals in crisis, including mental health services and suicide or crisis intervention. 

For parents grieving the loss of a child of any age, Compassionate Friends offers support:

• Phone: (877) 969-0010.

• Do not disturb the area or continue any activity near the remains.
• Avoid touching or moving the bones.
• Immediately report the discovery to the Honolulu Police Department:
  • Emergency: 911
  • HPD Dispatch: (808) 529-3111

The remains may be part of a historical burial site or a crime scene. Reporting them properly is required by law.

Under Hawaiʻi state law (HRS Chapter 92F), some records created by the Department of the Medical Examiner, including the final report of examination, are considered public records. As a result, the department may be legally required to release the final report of examination and certain other information about a case to the media or other requesting parties. When responding to public records requests, MED carefully reviews each request and seeks to apply all applicable privacy protections and statutory exemptions to limit disclosure where permitted by law.