Are Autopsy Reports Public in Texas? (2026)

Yes. In Texas, a completed autopsy report is public information under the Texas Public Information Act and may be released to anyone, not just the family. The main limits are autopsy photographs and x-rays, which are exempt, and reports tied to an open criminal investigation, which a prosecutor can ask to withhold.

Are Autopsy Reports Public in Texas?

Yes. Once finalized, a Texas autopsy report is public information that the medical examiner must release on request. This is set out in the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 49.25, Section 11, which requires the medical examiner to keep full records and states that those records may not be withheld except under a narrow public-records exception.

County medical examiner offices confirm this in plain language. The Travis County Medical Examiner states that under the Texas Public Information Act an autopsy report is public information and may be released to anyone. You generally do not have to be a relative to obtain a finalized report.

There are two main carve-outs. Autopsy photographs and x-rays are excepted from required public disclosure, and a report connected to an active criminal investigation can be temporarily withheld when a prosecutor asks the Attorney General to protect the case.

Who Performs Autopsies in Texas? (ME vs Coroner)

Texas does not have a single statewide coroner system. Death investigation is handled county by county. In more populous counties, the commissioners court establishes an office of Medical Examiner, a licensed physician who takes over the death-investigation and inquest duties. In smaller, rural counties, those duties stay with a Justice of the Peace.

Either official can order an autopsy under Chapter 49 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. An autopsy is not performed for every death. It is generally ordered for sudden, violent, unexplained, suspicious, or unattended deaths, or where the cause is not clear.

A Justice of the Peace, who is not a physician, may consult a county health officer or a doctor about whether an autopsy is needed, then arrange for a qualified physician or medical examiner to perform it. The result is the same kind of official report regardless of which county system handled the case.

When an Autopsy Happens

Chapter 49 lists the circumstances that trigger an official death investigation, including deaths that are violent, by accident, by suicide, in custody, or where no attending physician can certify the cause. In those cases the medical examiner or Justice of the Peace decides, based on the facts, whether a full autopsy is necessary to determine the cause and manner of death.

Who Can Request a Texas Autopsy Report?

In Texas, any member of the public can request a finalized autopsy report. Because the report is public information under the Public Information Act, the office cannot require you to prove you are next of kin before releasing the completed report.

That said, families usually have the easiest path. Next of kin are typically the first to receive the report and can request it directly from the office that handled the case. Funeral homes, attorneys, insurers, and researchers also commonly request these records.

The key practical point is timing and scope. The general public can obtain the written autopsy report, but autopsy photographs and x-rays are exempt, and a report in an open criminal case may be held back until the prosecutor allows its release.

How to Get an Autopsy or Toxicology Report in Texas

To get a Texas autopsy or toxicology report, send a written request to the county Medical Examiner or Justice of the Peace office that investigated the death. Identify the deceased by full name and date of death so the office can locate the case file.

Office and Submission

Requests usually go to the county Medical Examiner's records section. For example, the Dallas County Medical Examiner accepts written requests mailed to its records office, and Travis County accepts requests by mail or email. Toxicology results are normally included as part of the final autopsy report rather than released as a separate document.

Fee and Processing Time

Fees are modest. The Dallas County Medical Examiner, as of 2024, charges about $5 for a non-certified copy, $15 for a notarized copy, and $0.10 per page for case records. Other offices set their own similar fees.

Plan for the wait. Offices report that finalizing an autopsy report, including microscopic and toxicology testing, commonly takes about 8 to 12 weeks, and complex cases can take up to roughly 90 days.

Pending-Case Hold

A report is not released until it is finalized. If the cause of death is still under review, the office issues a "pending" determination and completes the report later. Separately, if the death is part of an active criminal investigation, the District Attorney can ask the Texas Attorney General to withhold the record while it would interfere with detecting, investigating, or prosecuting the crime.

Autopsy Report vs Death Certificate in Texas

An autopsy report and a death certificate are two different documents. The autopsy report is the detailed medical examination, describing the examiner's findings, toxicology, and the determined cause and manner of death.

The death certificate is the official vital record. In Texas it is issued through the Department of State Health Services and county registrars, and it lists only the cause-of-death summary, not the full examination. The certificate is also more access-restricted; certified copies of recent Texas death certificates are limited to qualified applicants for 25 years.

So while the certificate gives you a short cause-of-death line, the autopsy report gives the full picture. For more on how access rules differ nationally, see Are Autopsies Public Records?.

Disclaimer: This page is general information, not legal advice. Public-records rules, fees, and processing times vary by county and can change. Confirm current procedures with the specific Texas Medical Examiner or Justice of the Peace office that handled the death.

Sources

This page draws on the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 49, the CDC's summary of Texas coroner/medical examiner law, and Texas county medical examiner offices for request procedures and fees.

Related: Texas Death Records | Death Records by State