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

In Mississippi, the cause of death is recorded on the medical certification section of the death certificate and, for investigated deaths, in the autopsy report. It is not public. Mississippi is a closed-record state, so only eligible relatives, legal representatives, and people with a legitimate and tangible interest can obtain it. Death records older than 50 years open to genealogy researchers with a family tie to the record, not to the general public.

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

To find someone's cause of death in Mississippi, request a certified copy of the death certificate from the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) Vital Records office if you are an eligible requester. The cause of death is written on the medical certification portion of that certificate.

If the death was investigated, the State Medical Examiner's Office also prepares an autopsy report that explains the cause and manner of death in detail. You can request that report from the Medical Examiner's Office.

For deaths that are not recent, an obituary or newspaper notice often states a cause informally. Older records eventually open to the public for genealogy.

Is the Cause of Death Public in Mississippi?

No. The cause of death is not public in Mississippi because the death certificate itself is restricted. Mississippi is a closed-record state under Mississippi Code Section 41-57-2, which exempts vital records from open public release unless the requester has a legitimate and tangible interest.

Access to a Mississippi death certificate, including the cause-of-death field, is restricted for 50 years from the date of death. During that window, only qualifying relatives, legal representatives, and people who can show a tangible interest may obtain a certified copy.

After 50 years the record opens for genealogical research, but only for a narrow group. Under the MSDH vital records rules (Title 15, Part 5, Subpart 85, Ch. 1, Rule 2.1.4(5), revised October 10, 2025), genealogy researchers with family ties to the record, and professional genealogists working with the written endorsement of a family member, are the ones treated as having a legitimate and tangible interest in death records filed more than 50 calendar years earlier. Those requests are filled with plain-paper copies rather than certified copies, and a stranger with no family tie and no family endorsement still has no right of access. This closed-then-partly-open pattern is common nationwide. You can read more about it in Are Cause of Death Records Public?.

Where the Cause of Death Is Recorded

The cause of death is recorded in two main places in Mississippi: the death certificate and, when an investigation occurs, the autopsy report.

On the Death Certificate

Every Mississippi death certificate includes a medical certification section completed by the certifying physician, coroner, or medical examiner. This section lists the immediate cause of death, any underlying conditions, and the manner of death. Because the full certificate is restricted, the cause-of-death field is released only to eligible requesters.

In the Autopsy Report

For deaths that fall under the State Medical Examiner's Office, the autopsy report contains the official cause and manner of death. Mississippi law (Miss. Code Ann. Section 41-61-51 and following) directs the medical examiner system to investigate reportable deaths such as homicides, suicides, accidents, child deaths, in-custody deaths, and unexplained deaths. The same act, at Miss. Code Ann. Section 41-61-65(1), directs that a copy of the autopsy report be furnished to one adult member of the deceased's immediate family, or to the legal representative or legal guardian of an immediate family member, upon request.

How to Request Records That Show the Cause of Death

To get a record showing the cause of death, choose the source that fits your situation and your eligibility.

For the death certificate, apply to MSDH Vital Records with a valid photo ID and proof of your relationship or legal authority. A certified copy costs $17 for the first copy and $6 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Eligible applicants include a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, child, grandchild, guardian, or legal representative.

For an autopsy report, contact the State Medical Examiner's Office at MEInfo@mcl.ms.gov. Under Miss. Code Ann. Section 41-61-65(1), a copy of the report shall be furnished to one adult member of the deceased's immediate family, or to the legal representative or legal guardian of an immediate family member, upon request. Expect to identify yourself and show your relationship or legal authority, and confirm the office's current submission format before you send the request.

You can review the full eligibility and ordering rules on the parent page, Mississippi Death Records.

Finding the Cause of Death for Older or Historical Deaths

For older Mississippi deaths, the cause of death becomes easier to reach once the 50-year restriction ends, provided you have a family connection to the record. MSDH issues a plain-paper genealogy copy of the death certificate, which shows the cause-of-death field, to genealogy researchers with family ties to the record and to professional genealogists working with a family member's written endorsement. The application asks you to state genealogy as the purpose and to give your relationship to the person named on the certificate.

Mississippi statewide death records begin in 1912, so deaths before that year may not have a state certificate. For those, county records, church records, cemetery records, and newspaper obituaries are the practical sources.

The Social Security Death Index, drawn from the federal Death Master File, can confirm that a person died and provide a date, but it never lists the cause of death.

Disclaimer: This page is general information, not legal advice. Access rules and fees can change. Always verify current requirements with the Mississippi State Department of Health Vital Records office or the State Medical Examiner's Office before requesting records.

Sources

This page draws on the Mississippi State Department of Health Vital Records office and its vital records rules (Title 15, Part 5, Subpart 85, Ch. 1), the Mississippi Department of Public Safety State Medical Examiner's Office, Mississippi Code Section 41-57-2 and the Medical Examiner Act (including Section 41-61-65), and the U.S. Social Security Administration.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find someone's cause of death in Mississippi?

Request a certified copy of the death certificate from MSDH Vital Records if you are an eligible requester, since the cause of death is recorded on the medical certification section. For investigated deaths, request the autopsy report from the State Medical Examiner's Office.

Is the cause of death public record in Mississippi?

No. The cause of death sits on the restricted death certificate, which is closed for 50 years from the date of death under Mississippi State Department of Health vital records rules (Title 15, Part 5, Subpart 85, Ch. 1, Rule 2.1.4), issued under Miss. Code Ann. Section 41-57-7. Only eligible requesters can obtain it during that window. After 50 years the record opens only to genealogy researchers with family ties to it, or to professional genealogists carrying a family member's written endorsement, and only as a plain-paper copy.

How can I find out how a relative died in Mississippi?

As a qualifying relative, apply to MSDH Vital Records for a certified death certificate, which lists the cause of death. If the death was investigated, Miss. Code Ann. Section 41-61-65(1) entitles one adult member of the immediate family, or the legal representative or guardian of an immediate family member, to a copy of the autopsy report from the State Medical Examiner's Office on request.

Does the death certificate show the cause of death in Mississippi?

Yes. Every Mississippi death certificate includes a medical certification section that lists the immediate cause, underlying conditions, and the manner of death. That field is released only to eligible requesters.

How do I get a cause of death for an old death?

After 50 years from the date of death, MSDH releases a plain-paper genealogy copy of the death certificate showing the cause of death to genealogy researchers with family ties to the record, or to a professional genealogist working with a family member's written endorsement. Mississippi state records begin in 1912; earlier deaths may require county, church, or newspaper records.

Can anyone find out a cause of death in Mississippi?

Not during the 50-year restriction period. Only eligible relatives, legal representatives, and people with a legitimate and tangible interest can obtain the cause of death. After 50 years the record opens only to genealogy researchers with a family tie to it, or to professional genealogists with a family member's written endorsement, so it never becomes an open public record.