Coroner Information

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office will only release the following information to the public for individuals who are deceased AFTER NEXT OF KIN HAS BEEN NOTIFIED:

  • Name
  • Age
  • City of residency
  • Date of death
  • Cause of death


For cases that are involved in a criminal investigation, you will need to contact the investigating agency. The Sheriff’s Department Office Information can be obtained by contacting the Coroner’s Office during business hours only.

Coroner: (559) 687-7000

 

Information for Relatives and Friends of Deceased Persons

On behalf of the Tulare County Sheriff-Coroner, we extend our deepest sympathy to you at this time. To assist you during this difficult time, we have prepared the following information to help answer some of your questions.

The following material is intended to provide you with information that, in our experience, has shown to be of value during this difficult time.

Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Coroner Unit

1225 S. O Street, Tulare, CA 93274
Phone: 559-687-7000 Fax: 559-713-3792

Where will my relative/friend be taken?

Your loved one will be taken to the in-county mortuary of the families’ choice. If a funeral home has not been chosen or there are no family members on scene to decide, the stand-by funeral home will respond. Special cases listed in this pamphlet will or may be transported (depending on the circumstance) to the Tulare County Coroner Morgue, located at 1225 S. O Street in Tulare.

Can I come see my loved one?

If your loved one was transported to the county morgue, visitation is not permitted. If your loved one was transported to a funeral home, viewings are discretionary based on the funeral home policies. If your loved one falls within the coroner case category listed in this brochure, viewing will not be permitted until after the autopsy has been completed.

What do I do now?

Your information has been provided to the funeral home and the Tulare County Coroner’s Office. The funeral home and/or the coroner’s office will keep you updated in the next steps in the process.

Why is the Sheriff-Coroner involved in the death of my loved one?

Deputy coroners are responsible for investigating circumstances of death so that a cause and manner of death can be determined, pursuant to CA Health and Safety Code Sections 102850-102870 Article 3. For any embalming or cremation to occur, there must be a cause of death provided by your loved one’s primary physician or the Coroner’s Office after an autopsy is performed.

 

Deaths Under Coroner Jurisdiction

The Coroner is required by law to investigate these deaths:

  1. Unattended deaths (No physician in attendance or during the continued absence of an attending physician. Also, includes all deaths outside hospitals and nursing care facilities.)
  2. Deaths where the deceased has not attended hospice within 20 days prior to death.
  3. Physician unable to state the cause of death. Includes all sudden, unexpected and unusual deaths and fetal deaths when the underlying cause is unknown.
  4. Known or suspected homicide.
  5. Known or suspected suicide.
  6. Involving any criminal action or suspicion of a criminal act. Includes child and dependent adult negligence and abuse.
  7. Related to or following known or suspected self-induced or criminal abortion.
  8. Associated with a known or alleged rape or crime against nature.
  9. Following an accident or injury, including all new or old injuries/accidents which could be a contributing factor to the cause of death.
  10. Drowning, fire, hanging, gunshot, stabbing, cutting, starvation, exposure, alcoholism, drug addiction, strangulation or aspiration.
  11. Accidental poisoning (food, chemical, drug, therapeutic agents).
  12. Occupational diseases or occupational hazards.
  13. Known or suspected contagious disease constituting a public hazard.
  14. All deaths in operating rooms and all deaths where a patient has not fully recovered from an anesthetic.
  15. In prison or while under sentence. Includes all in-custody and Sheriff involved deaths.
  16. All deaths of unidentified persons.
  17. All deaths of state hospital patients.
  18. Suspected Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) deaths.
  19. Fetal demises (if a live birth has occurred or the fetal demise is over 20 weeks and/or 17oz. and/or 11 inches)
  20. All deaths where the patient is comatose throughout the period of the physician’s attendance. Includes patients admitted to hospitals unresponsive and expire without regaining consciousness.

How can personal possessions be obtained?

The legal next-of-kin may claim a deceased person’s property at the designated funeral home. If your loved one was transported to the county morgue instead of the funeral home, property will be released by the Coroner’s Office back to the designated funeral home after the autopsy is completed. Some property might be held as evidence or stored for safekeeping with the local law enforcement agency.

Where can I obtain a death certificate?

Contact your funeral home or the Tulare County Clerk-Recorder Office at 559-636-5051 to obtain copies of the death certificate. The Coroner does not issue death certificates.

Where can I obtain a copy of the coroner report and the autopsy report?

You can request a copy of the autopsy report, coroner report and the toxicology results from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Records Division at 559-802-9400 or you can complete an online request on the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office website at:

https://tularecounty.ca.gov/sheriff/community/records-department-information/

How long does the whole process take after my loved one has passed away?

Please allow one month for the death certificate to be completed. From the time your loved one has passed away to the time they are returned back to the funeral home, please allow approximately three weeks.