Are Autopsy Reports Public in Maine? (2026 Guide)

Maine autopsy reports are not open public records. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) within the Maine Attorney General's Office holds a completed report as investigative information under Title 22, section 3022, subsection 14, so release turns on the confidentiality test in Title 16, section 804 rather than on who is willing to pay a fee. Next of kin are the usual requesters, and they pay nothing for one copy per family. Homicide cases sit outside the OCME's ordinary request process, and any report can be held while the death is under active investigation by the Attorney General or a district attorney.

Are Autopsy Reports Public in Maine?

No. A Maine autopsy report is not an open public record that anyone can request. Under Title 22, section 3022, subsection 14, report documents held by a medical examiner or by the OCME constitute investigative information, and release and inspection are governed by Title 16, section 804.

Section 804 makes a record confidential when there is a reasonable possibility that releasing it would cause one of twelve listed harms. Those include interference with law enforcement proceedings, public release of prejudicial information that would interfere with a court's ability to impanel an impartial jury, and an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Release is a judgment against that list in each case, not something a fee buys.

Homicide cases are where this matters most. The OCME's published guidance says autopsy reports, except in cases of homicides, may be requested by next of kin. The statutory basis for holding one back is section 804, and two of its grounds, interference with a criminal proceeding and prejudice to jury impanelment, depend on a live prosecution and do not outlast it. A homicide report withheld during a case is therefore not permanently barred. Other grounds such as personal privacy can still apply, so the outcome is not automatic, but a family whose case ended years ago should ask the OCME and the prosecuting office again rather than assume the door is closed for good.

Reports are also not finalized until all diagnostic testing is complete.

Who Performs Autopsies in Maine? (Medical Examiner vs Coroner)

Maine uses a statewide medical examiner system. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, established under Title 22, section 3022, sits within the Attorney General's Office and handles death investigations across the entire state. Maine does not use county coroners.

An autopsy is not performed for every death. The OCME investigates "medical examiner cases," which under Title 22, section 3025 include deaths that are violent, sudden while in apparent good health, or otherwise unexplained, including deaths suspected to involve injury or poisoning whether the manner is homicide, suicide, or accident. Deaths of children and improperly certified deaths can also be medical examiner cases.

Once a case is reported, the OCME decides whether an autopsy is necessary after gathering initial information. Under Title 22, section 3028, an autopsy is ordered when a medical examiner, the Chief Medical Examiner, a district attorney, or the Attorney General finds it advisable and in the public interest. The law also requires an autopsy when a child under 3 years old dies without medical attendance or a specific natural cause.

Who Can Request a Maine Autopsy Report?

Next of kin are the usual requesters. Maine does not leave that term to local practice. Title 22, section 2843-A, subsection 1, paragraph D, the definition that both the fee statute and section 3022 point to, sets this order of priority:

• The spouse
• A domestic partner
• An adult child
• A parent
• An adult sibling
• An adult grandchild
• An adult child of a sibling
• A maternal grandparent
• A paternal grandparent
• An adult sibling of the deceased person's parent, or that sibling's spouse
• An adult first cousin
• Any other adult relative in descending order of blood relationship
• If the deceased was a veteran with no known living spouse or adult relative, the Adjutant General or the Adjutant General's designee

The OCME's own FAQ prints a shortened version of this list, giving it as partner, adult child, parent, adult sibling. That summary leaves out the spouse tier at the top and stops well short of the bottom, which is why a grandchild, a niece, or a nephew is sometimes told they do not qualify. The statute is longer than the agency summary.

Paying the fee is not what creates a right to a report. Title 22, section 3035, subsection 1, charges a fee only to a person already entitled to obtain the item, and entitlement to report documents runs through section 3022, subsection 14 and the section 804 test above.

Section 3022, subsection 13 does name particular requesters who may inspect and copy material on payment of the fee: next of kin, an insurer that may be responsible for paying benefits, an attorney representing the estate, and an attorney exploring a possible civil action against the estate. That provision covers photographs, slides, videotapes and recorded communications showing suicidal intent, not the autopsy report itself. Researchers are handled separately again: section 3022, subsection 10 directs the office to cooperate with research requests by supplying abstracted data, not case reports.

How to Get an Autopsy or Toxicology Report in Maine

You request a Maine autopsy report directly from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which is the legal custodian of these records. The OCME accepts requests by fax, email, or mail.

Your request should include:

• The deceased person's full name
• The date of death
• Your full name and your relationship to the deceased
• How you want the report delivered (fax, email, or mail)

The fee schedule is set by Title 22, section 3035. Report documents cost $35 when an autopsy has been performed and $15 when none has, which the OCME describes as a report of autopsy and a report of examination, with checks payable to "Treasurer, State of Maine." Section 3035 then carves out four exemptions:

• Next of kin are exempt from the fee for one copy per family. A second copy, or a copy for another family member after one has already been issued, is chargeable.
• A governmental agency is exempt from all of the fees in subsection 1.
• A health care provider who rendered service to the deceased is exempt from the fee for a copy of the report documents.
• Fees for report documents may be waived at the discretion of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Toxicology findings are incorporated into the final report rather than sold as a separate document.

Expect a wait. A final report is not available until all diagnostic testing, including toxicology, is complete. The OCME notes this typically takes several weeks, and in some cases a month or longer. If the death is still under active investigation, the report may be held until the investigation concludes.

Autopsy Report vs Death Certificate in Maine

These are two different documents from two different agencies. The autopsy report is a detailed medical findings document produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The death certificate is the official vital record issued by the Maine Office of Vital Records within the Department of Health and Human Services.

The death certificate lists a brief cause and manner of death on a single line. The autopsy report contains the full examination, including internal findings and toxicology results. For more on how vital records and autopsies are treated nationwide, see Are Autopsies Public Records?

Disclaimer: This article is general legal information, not legal advice. Fees, definitions, and release procedures can change. Always confirm current requirements directly with the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner before relying on this information.

More Maine Death Records

For other Maine records, see Maine Death Records and the national hub Death Records by State.

Sources

This article draws on the Maine Attorney General's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner autopsy guidance and Maine Revised Statutes Title 22, sections 3022, 3025, 3028, 3035 and 2843-A, together with Title 16, section 804.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are autopsy reports public record in Maine?

No. Under 22 M.R.S. section 3022(14), report documents held by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are investigative information, and release is governed by 16 M.R.S. section 804. That section makes a record confidential when there is a reasonable possibility release would cause one of twelve listed harms, such as interference with law enforcement proceedings or an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Next of kin are the usual requesters.

How do I get an autopsy report in Maine?

Request it from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner by fax, email, or mail. Include the deceased person's full name, the date of death, your name and relationship to the deceased, and how you want the report delivered.

Who can request an autopsy report in Maine?

Next of kin, defined by 22 M.R.S. section 2843-A(1)(D) in order of priority: the spouse, a domestic partner, an adult child, a parent, an adult sibling, an adult grandchild, an adult child of a sibling, a maternal grandparent, a paternal grandparent, an adult sibling of the deceased person's parent or that sibling's spouse, an adult first cousin, any other adult relative in descending order of blood relationship, and for a veteran with no known living spouse or adult relative, the Adjutant General. Other requests are not settled by paying the fee: section 3035 charges only a person already entitled to the item, and entitlement to report documents runs through the 16 M.R.S. section 804 confidentiality test.

How much does a Maine autopsy report cost?

Under 22 M.R.S. section 3035, report documents cost $35 when an autopsy was performed and $15 when none was, with checks payable to the Treasurer, State of Maine. Next of kin are exempt from the fee for one copy per family, so a second copy is chargeable. A governmental agency is exempt from all of these fees, a health care provider who treated the deceased is exempt from the report copy fee, and the Chief Medical Examiner may waive the fees.

Can I get a Maine homicide autopsy report?

Not through the OCME's ordinary request process while the case is live. The withholding grounds come from 16 M.R.S. section 804, and two of them, interference with a criminal proceeding and prejudice to impaneling an impartial jury, depend on an active prosecution and do not outlast it. Once the prosecution has concluded, ask the OCME and the prosecuting office again. Other section 804 grounds, such as personal privacy, can still apply, so release is not automatic.

Can I get an autopsy report while the case is open?

Not always. A final report is not available until all diagnostic testing, including toxicology, is complete. If the death is under active investigation, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner may hold the report until the matter is resolved. That hold is tied to the investigation, so it is worth asking again after the case ends.

Is an autopsy report the same as a death certificate?

No. The autopsy report is a detailed medical findings document from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The death certificate is the official vital record from the Maine Office of Vital Records and lists only a brief cause and manner of death.