Frequently Asked Questions
The Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner (MED) extends our deepest sympathy to you during this difficult time. To assist you, it is our hope that the information below will provide answers to some of the most commonly asked questions. If you need additional assistance, please contact our office at (808) 768-3090.
Select a funeral home and make an appointment to meet with a funeral director. You should notify the funeral director that your loved one is in the care of MED. The funeral home will make all the necessary arrangements for the transfer of your loved one for funeral services.
State law requires further investigation into the cause and manner of death by the MED for a variety of reasons. These reasons include but are not limited to: deaths as a result of violence, substance abuse, trauma, accidents, or suicide; when the decedent does not have a regular physician; deaths that occur in prisons; deaths that occur within 24 hours of hospital or institutional admission; any death that appears to be suspicious or unusual in nature; and when a death is sudden and unexpected.
They will be taken to the MED facility located at 835 Iwilei Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817.
MED will determine what level of examination is warranted on any given case in order to determine the cause and manner of death. An autopsy is not mandatory on all cases, and permission from families is not required. If you have questions or concerns, please call the MED Office at (808) 768-3090 option 2, and an investigator will be able to assist you.
Not generally. In any cases where photographic identification is required, you will be contacted.
No. Our facility is not designed to handle bereaved relatives. Arrangements for viewing can be made with the funeral home of your choice.
Generally, the decedent can be released the day of the examination. On occasion, there may be a delay until positive identification is established when visual identification is not possible.
You may request a report by mailing a request to the MED Office at 650 Iwilei Road, Suite 205, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817. There is a five dollar ($5.00) processing fee per copy. Please enclose a check or money order payable to the Department of the Medical Examiner. The report will be mailed to you as soon as it is complete. On average, examination reports take 6 months to finalize due to the MED being understaffed. We apologize for this inconvenience.
For ordering information please visit: https://www8.honolulu.gov/med/autopsy-reports/
No, there are no service fees. However, there is a processing fee for an examination report.
DCs are filed with the State Department of Health by the funeral home during the process of making funeral arrangements. Once the cause of death has been determined, the funeral home should provide you with your requested number of copies. On average, this process takes six (6) months. Should you require additional certified copies, they can be ordered through the State Department of Health, Vital Statistics Section at 1250 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, (808) 586-4539 or (808) 586-4542
For further information please visit: https://health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/death-certificates/
If you are in need of a death certificate immediately, please ask the funeral director to order both certified and certified deferred copies of those certificates. The certified deferred death certificate will not include the cause of death and therefore may not be accepted by all agencies.
The primary next-of-kin or their designated representative should contact MED at (808) 768-3090 option 2 to make arrangements for property release. Release hours are:
Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
If necessary, arrangements can be made to ship property at the recipient’s expense.
Your funeral director should be able to assist you with these matters. If not, you may contact the VA (800) 827-1000 or the SSA (800) 772-1213 directly.
For further information please visit: https://www.benefits.va.gov/honolulu/
You can apply for State funded disposition; the decedent will be treated as an “unclaimed” person. If you require this assistance please ask the investigator for a Consent to Cremate document. This process can take several months to complete. MED cannot guarantee that the decedent’s ashes will be returned to you. Otherwise, you may contact the State Department of Human Services, MedQuest, for funeral assistance reimbursement at (808) 587-3521, (808) 587-3540, or (808) 692-7364.
Access Line (24 hours/7 days) on Oahu (808) 832-3100 or toll free from neighbor islands (800) 753-6879. They provide a team of trained professionals to help Persons in Crisis. This includes mental health services, and suicide/crisis intervention. Compassionate Friends is a group that helps parents during the loss of a child of any age. They can be reached at (877) 696-0010.