Are Autopsy Reports Public in Montana? (2026)

In Montana, autopsy reports are not open to the general public. The state releases autopsy, toxicology, and coroner reports only to the deceased person's legal next of kin, an insurance company representing the decedent, or a law enforcement agency, and only after the case is completed and closed. Most requests are made through the Montana Department of Justice Forensic Science Division using a written request form.

Are Autopsy Reports Public in Montana?

No. Montana autopsy reports are not public records available to anyone who asks. The Montana Department of Justice Forensic Science Division releases an autopsy, toxicology, or coroner report only to a limited group of people connected to the deceased.

Without a confidential criminal justice information (CCJI) request, these reports are given only to the legal next of kin, an insurance company representing the decedent, or another law enforcement agency. A neighbor, journalist, researcher, or curious member of the public cannot simply request the report.

This is different from many vital records. It also differs from states with broad open-records access to coroner files. In Montana, the medical detail in an autopsy is treated as sensitive and tied to an active or closed death investigation.

For a national overview of how these rules vary, see our guide on whether autopsies are public records.

Who Performs Autopsies in Montana?

Montana uses a county coroner system supported by a statewide Medical Examiner office. The county coroner is the official responsible for investigating deaths in each county, but coroners do not perform autopsies themselves.

The autopsies are performed by forensic pathologists in the Montana Medical Examiner's Office, a bureau within the Montana Department of Justice Forensic Science Division. The office operates from the Montana State Crime Lab in Missoula and an eastern facility in Billings.

When Is an Autopsy Performed?

An autopsy is not done for every death. Under the Montana Code Annotated, Title 46, Chapter 4, Part 1, certain deaths require investigation by the county coroner, and a postmortem examination may be ordered in those cases.

Autopsies are generally requested by coroners or law enforcement when a death is sudden, violent, unattended, suspicious, or otherwise unexplained. The goal is to determine the cause of death (the medical reason) and the manner of death (natural, accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined).

Deaths under medical care that are expected and natural usually do not result in an autopsy. The attending physician completes the cause-of-death information on the death certificate instead.

Who Can Request a Montana Autopsy Report?

Only a defined set of requesters can obtain a Montana autopsy report. The Forensic Science Division limits release of autopsy, toxicology, and coroner reports to three categories of people without a CCJI request.

Those categories are the legal next of kin of the deceased, an insurance company representing the decedent, and another law enforcement agency. If you do not fall into one of these groups, the Division will not release the report to you.

Legal next of kin generally means the closest surviving relatives, such as a spouse, adult children, or parents. The Division uses this status to decide who is entitled to receive the sensitive medical findings.

How to Get an Autopsy or Toxicology Report in Montana

To request a Montana autopsy or toxicology report, an eligible person completes a written request form and submits it to the office holding the records. The request usually goes to the Montana Forensic Science Division or to the county coroner who handled the case.

The request form asks for details about the decedent and the requester. It also lets you select which records you need, such as the coroner investigation report, the autopsy report, or the toxicology report.

The Pending-Case Hold

Montana does not release these reports until the case is completed and closed. Some deaths carry a pending cause of death until all the needed information is gathered, such as the autopsy or toxicology results, so the report is not finalized for release until that work is done.

Final reports are available on average within 60 to 90 days, and they are provided to the county coroners for distribution. If you request a report too soon, you may be told to wait until the case closes.

Fees and Contact

Fees are not standardized statewide and may vary by office, so confirm any copy charge when you submit your request. The Forensic Science Division is located at the Montana State Crime Lab, 2679 Palmer Street, Missoula, MT 59808, and can be reached through the Montana Department of Justice.

For other vital records and the death certificate itself, return to our Montana death records overview.

Autopsy Report vs Death Certificate in Montana

An autopsy report and a death certificate are two different documents. The death certificate is the official legal record of the death, and it includes a short cause-of-death line completed by a physician or coroner.

The autopsy report is a detailed forensic and medical document. It describes the examination findings, internal and external observations, and the pathologist's conclusions about how the person died. Toxicology results may be reported separately.

A death certificate is needed for probate, insurance, and closing accounts, and certified copies are obtained through Montana vital records. The autopsy report is the in-depth investigative file and is restricted to next of kin, insurers, and law enforcement.

Montana Autopsy Report Facts

Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Montana autopsy and coroner records and is not legal advice. Release policies, fees, and procedures can change. Verify current requirements directly with the Montana Department of Justice Forensic Science Division or the county coroner that handled the case.

Sources

This page draws on the Montana Department of Justice Forensic Science Division and Medical Examiner Office, the Montana Code Annotated (Title 46, Chapter 4), and the CDC's Montana coroner and medical examiner law summary.

Up to Montana Death Records and the hub Death Records by State.