The Clark County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office handles deaths in the Las Vegas Valley and surrounding desert counties that are violent, sudden, unattended, or otherwise suspicious. If a loved one’s death has been referred to this office, you will need to work with them to release the body to a funeral home, collect personal belongings, and eventually obtain the autopsy report. The office is at 500 South Grand Central Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89155, and the main number is 702-455-3210.1Clark County, Nevada. Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner Death certificates come from a different agency, which is covered below.
When the Coroner Takes the Case
Nevada law requires the coroner to investigate when someone is killed, dies by suicide, or dies suddenly under circumstances suggesting unnatural causes.2Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 259 – Coroners The Clark County office extends that duty to any unattended death, and in practice also takes deaths in custody, deaths in jails, and deaths where the cause is not immediately obvious.1Clark County, Nevada. Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner Deaths that may involve drugs or poisoning trigger a postmortem examination by a forensic pathologist unless the person was hospitalized for at least 24 hours before dying.
Family permission is not required for the coroner to take custody of a body or perform an autopsy in these cases. The office aims to close 90 percent of investigations within 90 days.3Clark County, Nevada. FAQs – Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner
Releasing the Body to a Funeral Home
Once the examination is finished, you or your legal representative contacts the coroner’s office to authorize release. You will need to submit a written authorization with the decedent’s full legal name, date of birth, date of death, and the name and contact information of the funeral home you have chosen. Documents can go by fax or email, and the funeral home handles the physical pickup.
The office will only release remains to someone with legal standing. Nevada sets a strict priority order for who may authorize burial, cremation, or any other disposition:4Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes 451.024 – Persons Authorized to Order Burial or Cremation
- A person the decedent designated in a written legal document or affidavit
- For active-duty military, a person designated on the decedent’s DD Form 93
- The surviving spouse
- An adult child
- Either parent
- An adult sibling
- A grandparent
- A guardian of the decedent at the time of death
- Any other adult who knew the decedent, cannot locate anyone higher on the list, and signs an affidavit accepting legal and financial responsibility
You must be able to prove your identity and your relationship before the office authorizes transfer. When two people at the same priority level disagree (two adult children split over cremation versus burial, for instance), the dispute may need to go to court. Sorting out documentation before you call is the single best way to avoid delay.
Picking Up Personal Property
The coroner holds jewelry, wallets, phones, clothing, and any other belongings recovered with the decedent. To claim them, the legal next of kin or estate executor must visit the office in person with valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport. Call 702-455-3210 first to ask about specific items and to schedule the visit.1Clark County, Nevada. Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner
If you live out of state, ask about mail arrangements when you call; whether that works depends on what the items are and what they’re worth. Do not assume property will sit indefinitely. Nevada does not fix a single statewide deadline for coroners to dispose of unclaimed items, but belongings left long enough are eventually turned over to county authorities.
Autopsy and Toxicology Reports
A straightforward autopsy report can be ready within weeks. Toxicology takes longer. A clean screen typically comes back in four to six weeks; when drugs are detected and need quantitative confirmation, six to eight weeks is more realistic, and cases with decomposition, unusual substances, or multiple drugs run longer. The office’s own target is closing 90 percent of investigations within 90 days.3Clark County, Nevada. FAQs – Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner
Once the case is closed, you can request copies directly from the coroner’s office. Clark County charges $30 per autopsy report, with additional fees for investigative reports.5Municode. Clark County Code of Ordinances Chapter 2.12 – Coroner Call or email the office to start the request.
Getting Death Certificates
The coroner determines cause and manner of death but does not issue certificates. After the investigation, the office files the medical certification with the local registrar.6Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 440 – Vital Statistics In Clark County, that registrar is the Southern Nevada Health District, which is where you order the actual certificates.7Southern Nevada Health District. Vital Records
Certified copies cost $38 for the first and $25 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. The first-copy fee includes a $13 state registration charge that can be waived on later orders if you show proof it was already paid.7Southern Nevada Health District. Vital Records Personal checks are not accepted; bring a debit card, credit card (Visa or MasterCard), money order, cashier’s check, or business check. Order several at once. You will need certified copies for the estate, life insurance claims, closing bank accounts, and transferring vehicle titles, and ordering them together saves money.
Cremation Requires an Extra Step
Nevada requires specific documentation before a crematory can proceed. A signed death certificate has to be on file, and the crematory needs written authorization from the person with legal disposition authority identifying the decedent, stating whether the death involved a communicable disease, and confirming the authorizing person is unaware of any objection from others who hold rights over the remains.8Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 451 – Dead Bodies In a coroner case, that means nothing happens until the investigation is complete, the death certificate is signed, and the body is released.
When relatives disagree or nobody with priority authority can be found, you may need a court order. The Nevada Self-Help Center provides a fillable Ex Parte Petition for Order of Cremation; it requires attaching the death certificate and the will if one exists.9State of Nevada Self-Help Center. Cremation Court processing time is on top of the coroner’s timeline.
If You Want a Second Autopsy
You can hire a private forensic pathologist to conduct an independent examination if you disagree with the findings or need documentation for a civil case. The timing constraint is the important part: the state’s examination goes first, and you cannot arrange a private autopsy until the coroner has finished and released the body. Once released, the next of kin can retain any qualified provider.
Private results belong to the family. They are not automatically shared with hospitals, insurers, or the coroner. Costs vary with case complexity, whether toxicology is included, and the provider’s fees. Contact a pathologist early, because tissue preservation gets harder the longer the body has been embalmed or stored.
When No One Claims the Body
If nobody comes forward, or the decedent was indigent with no estate, the county takes on burial or cremation.4Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes 451.024 – Persons Authorized to Order Burial or Cremation If the office has reason to believe the decedent was a veteran, it must report the name to the Nevada Department of Veterans Services, which decides on eligibility for interment at a national or state veterans’ cemetery. When cremation is ordered for an indigent or unclaimed person and the ashes go unclaimed for a year, the crematory may dispose of them in any lawful manner.8Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 451 – Dead Bodies
Hours and Reaching the Office
The main number, 702-455-3210, covers questions about cases, personal property, mortuary selection, and report requests.1Clark County, Nevada. Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner Clark County offices generally run Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Pacific time, though department hours vary. If you’re calling about a death outside business hours, still call. Death investigations continue around the clock even when the administrative side is closed.