In most cases the Coroner’s report is available within three business days. However in conjunction with any law enforcement agencies ongoing criminal investigation a Coroner’s report may be withheld to prevent any disclosure of privileged information that could harm the efforts of the investigation. Simple autopsy reports such as heart attacks or strokes, where the cause of death is obvious are normally ready within thirty days.
An autopsy report may take as long as 26 weeks, depending on the level and type of test being done.
Obtain Autopsy Reports
To obtain autopsy reports from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), please direct your Open Records Act requests (under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70) to the Open Records Unit:
Information to Include
To assist you in obtaining the information that you need, please provide the following information in your request:
- The date of the investigation or incident associated with your request
- The Georgia county or city where the incident occurred
- The names of the subjects or victims of the investigation or report
- Your contact telephone number (and fax number if available)
- Your full name
- Your mailing address
All records requests are subject to the Georgia Open Records Act and may result in the requestor being billed for the requested information before the records are released. If you have questions, contact the GBI Open Records Unit at 404-270-8527.