Are Autopsy Reports Public in Pennsylvania? (2026)

In Pennsylvania, the cause and manner of death are public and released to anyone, but the full autopsy and toxicology reports are not public records. The Right-to-Know Law specifically exempts autopsy records (35 Pa.C.S. RTKL Section 708(b)(20)), so complete reports go to the legal next of kin or to people acting with their written authorization or a court order. Coroners charge fixed fees, and offices may withhold even the basic findings while a death is under active criminal investigation.

Are Autopsy Reports Public in Pennsylvania?

Mostly no. The full autopsy and toxicology reports are not public records in Pennsylvania. The Right-to-Know Law expressly exempts autopsy records from the definition of a public record (Section 708(b)(20)), and county coroner offices routinely state that the autopsy and toxicology reports themselves are not public. Section 1251 of the Coroner's Act requires coroners to deposit their official records and papers with the county prothonotary at year-end, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court (Hearst Television Inc. v. Norris) held that autopsy records remain exempt except to the limited extent that deposit requirement applies, and first- and second-class counties (Philadelphia and Allegheny) are not subject to it.

That said, access is not absolute. A coroner may decline to release a full autopsy or toxicology report while a death is under active criminal investigation. Some counties also interpret federal and state privacy protections to limit what they hand out.

What is always public is limited to the basic findings. Under Section 1236.1(c) of the Coroner's Act, anyone may obtain the decedent's name, age, date and time of death, and the official cause and manner of death, but not the full autopsy or toxicology report.

Who Performs Autopsies in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania runs a county-based medicolegal death investigation system. Most counties have an elected coroner, while Allegheny County and Philadelphia operate appointed medical examiner offices under home-rule charters. There is no centralized statewide medical examiner.

The coroner or medical examiner must investigate any death that is sudden, violent, suspicious, or otherwise unexplained. Under 16 P.S. Section 1237, this includes deaths without recent medical attendance, trauma-related deaths, suspected criminal deaths, deaths in custody, unidentified bodies, and sudden infant deaths.

An autopsy is performed when the coroner cannot determine the cause and manner of death from the initial investigation. The coroner has discretion to order an autopsy, and toxicology testing is often done alongside it to detect drugs, alcohol, or poisons.

Not every death investigated by a coroner ends in an autopsy. Many cases are resolved through a records review, scene investigation, and external examination.

Who Can Request a Pennsylvania Autopsy Report?

Anyone may obtain the public cause-and-manner-of-death information, but the full autopsy report is generally restricted to the legal next of kin. Because the complete reports are not public records, members of the public, journalists, and attorneys can obtain only the basic findings unless they have the next of kin's written authorization, a court order, or a subpoena.

Next of kin, such as a surviving spouse, adult child, or parent, are routinely granted complete copies of the autopsy, toxicology, and coroner's investigative reports. Many offices will also schedule an appointment to walk family members through the findings in person.

The practical experience varies by county. Some coroners release full reports freely once a case is closed, while offices in Allegheny and Philadelphia counties have historically been more restrictive, prompting repeated public-records disputes.

For background on how this plays out nationally, see Are Autopsies Public Records?.

How to Get an Autopsy or Toxicology Report in Pennsylvania

To get a Pennsylvania autopsy or toxicology report, submit a written request to the county coroner or medical examiner office that handled the death. Identify the decedent, briefly state your reason for the request, and include your contact information.

Most offices accept requests by mail, fax, or email. After your request is reviewed, the office sends an invoice, and the report is released once you pay the fee.

Fees were made mandatory by Act 154 of 2018. A coroner charges a fixed $500 for an autopsy report, $100 for a toxicology report, and $100 for an inquisition or coroner's investigative report (Philadelphia's medical examiner charges different fixed amounts, such as $35 to $50). The cause-and-manner-of-death information is provided without charge.

Expect a processing delay. If the death is still under active criminal investigation, the office can place the full report on hold until the case is resolved, releasing only the basic public information in the meantime. Autopsy and toxicology results themselves can take several weeks to finalize after the examination.

Autopsy Report vs Death Certificate in Pennsylvania

An autopsy report is not the same as a death certificate in Pennsylvania. The death certificate is a vital record issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and lists the legal facts of death, including a single cause-of-death line.

The autopsy report is a detailed forensic document prepared by the coroner or medical examiner. It describes the examination findings, internal and external observations, toxicology results, and the reasoning behind the cause and manner of death.

You request a Pennsylvania death certificate from the Department of Health's vital records system, while you request an autopsy report from the county coroner or medical examiner. For the death certificate process, start with Pennsylvania Death Records.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information, not legal advice. Public-records access and fees vary by county and can change. Verify the current rules and request process with the specific county coroner or medical examiner office that handled the death.

Sources

This page is based on the Pennsylvania Coroner's Act (16 P.S. Sections 1236.1, 1237, and 1251), the Right-to-Know Law (including the Section 708(b)(20) autopsy exemption and Hearst Television Inc. v. Norris), Act 154 of 2018, the CDC's Pennsylvania coroner/medical examiner law summary, and county coroner and medical examiner records-release pages.

Related: Pennsylvania Death Records | Death Records by State