Death Certificates

In many cases the death certificate will be signed by a physician who was overseeing and individuals care (ex: a primary care doctor or oncologist). Michigan law requires the medical section of a death certificate to be certified by an attending physician within 48 hours after the death of a person (MCL333. 2843(1)(a)). If you are having difficulty getting a doctor to certify the death certificate, please contact the Oakland County Medical Examiner after the initial 48 hours has passed OR if the doctor has refused to certify.

The Medical Examiner’s office is responsible to complete the medical portion of the death certificate for ALL Medical Examiner cases. Our office generates all death certificates through the Electronic Death Registry System (EDRS) and are completed within 24 hours of autopsy. Once the death certificate is completed by our office it can be claimed by the funeral director/funeral home for completion and filing.

When searching for a record please be sure you are under “add a new record” and all of your information matches what has been entered by our office. Please do NOT add additional information which looking up the record (ex: social security number).

Please do not make ANY changes to the information the OCME put on the Death Certificate unless you have called us to verify the change is correct and necessary or we have contacted you to request a change.

• ie: If the OCME signed the Death Certificate and Box '40a states "No", you cannot legally change it without our permission. Private autopsies do NOT qualify changing box 40a to "Yes".
• ie: Date/Time of Death and Date/Time Pronounced DO NOT have to match and any disputes on date or time of death must be brought to the attention of the OCME and not changed without our permission.

If the death occurred in Farmington Hills, Madison Heights, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Southfield, or Troy you will need to file the certificate with the city clerk. Copies can also be obtained from that city’s Clerk’s office. If the death occurred in any other city in Oakland County copies can be obtained at the county Clerk’s Office.

Cremation Permits

Our staff approves permits from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. 

• Permits are only excepted through EDRS.
• Please send requests to “Cremation Requests Oakland County”
• If additional information is needed, you will receive a message on EDRS
• Please ensure that the death certificate is signed by a physician
• Name, date of birth, date of death, location of death, method of disposition, and disposition place must all be complete for the permit to be approved.
• Still birth cremation permits can be emailed to ocmeclerical@oakgov.com
• All cremation permits are $60 which is billed monthly.
• Oakland County will not approve any cremations with the following:
  • Intracranial Hemorrhage (Will Be Investigated by OCME; Will Be Kicked Back by State of MI)
  • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (Will Be Investigated by OCME; Will Be Kicked Back by State of MI)
  • Subdural Hemorrhage (Will Be Investigated by OCME; Will Be Kicked Back by State of MI)
  • Pleural Effusion (Will Be Investigated by OCME)
  • Aspiration (Will Be Investigated by OCME)
  • Aspiration Pneumonia (OCME Does Not Accept as Sole Cause)
  • Pneumothorax (Will Be Investigated by OCME)
  • Quadriplegia/Quadriplegic (Will Be Investigated by OCME; Will Be Kicked Back by State of MI)
  • Alzheimer's/Dementia (OCME Does Not Accept as Sole Cause)
  • Failure to Thrive/Protein Calorie Malnutrition (OCME Does Not Accept as Sole Cause)
  • Cardiac Arrest (This is an Event, Not a Cause, Must Have Underlying Causes Listed)
  • Respiratory Failure/ Arrest (This is an Event, Not a Cause, Must Have Underlying Cause Listed)
  • Renal Failure (This is an Event, Not a Cause, Must Have Underlying Cause Listed)
  • Ventricular Fibrillation (This is an Event, Not a Cause, Must Have Underlying Cause Listed)
  • Sepsis/Septic Shock/Shock (This is an Event, Not a Cause, Underlying Cause Must be Listed)
  • Fractures of ANY Kind (Will Be Investigated By OCME; Will Be Kicked Back by State of MI)
  • Falls of ANY Kind (Will Be Investigated By OCME; Will Be Kicked Back by State of MI)
  • Drugs/ Overdose of ANY Kind (Will Be Investigated by OCME; Will Be Kicked Back by State of Ml)
  • Pending Cause or Manner of Death (Only the Medical Examiner Can Legally List This)
  • Manner Other Than Natural (Only the Medical Examiner Can Legally List This)

Private Autopsy

When you have a family requesting a Private Autopsy, please have the Next of Kin call the Investigators at 248-858-5099.

The Investigators will present the case to the Medical Examiner on call, who will approve or deny the request based on the circumstances. Not all requests will be honored*.

Current Fee Schedule:

• Complete Autopsy: $3000.00
• Cranial Autopsy (Non-County): $750.00
• Cranial Autopsy (County): $500.00

*If a case is accepted, families are responsible for transportation of remains to and from the OCMEO as well as providing any medical records that are requested.

Releases

Directions to the OCMEO

The Oakland County Medical Examiner is open for the release of remains 24 hours a day. The funeral home must provide a signed release to our facility before we release any remains. This can be done via fax (248-452-9173) or via email ocmeinvestigators@oakgov.com.

Funeral Home Transportation coming to pick up a decedent will need to back their vehicle up to the second bay door (on the right when facing the building). Doors will open automatically. An autopsy attendant will assist in releasing. If an autopsy attendant is not available, transport will need to contact Investigations at (248) 858-5099, for them to assist with the release.

All personal items transported with the deceased to the morgue are carefully inventoried and are then released to the funeral home when the deceased is picked up. This may include items that are still on the deceased’s person*.

*Exceptions for releasing personal effects may be made if the case is being investigated as a homicide in which case personal effects may be released to Police Departments as Evidence. Personal effects will never be released directly from the OCMEO to a family member or friend.

For cases in which the Oakland County Medical Examiner used a body pouch, the funeral home will be charged $40.00 for that pouch. Billing is completed monthly.