Frequently Asked Questions

Ohio law requires the coroner to investigate any death in his or her county that: Is due to criminal activity or violence Is due to an accident Is due to suicide Occurs in a suspicious or unusual manner Occurs suddenly and unexpectedly in an apparently healthy individual In addition, all deaths of persons with developmental disability must be reported to the coroner. If circumstances warrant, the coroner may perform a formal investigation including autopsy. In addition, the County Board of Developmental Disability may request an autopsy.

Only a certified copy of a death certificate is valid for legal purposes. Certified copies can be obtained from: Clark County Combined Health District 529 E. Home Road Springfield, OH 45505 Phone: 937-390-5609 Certified copies are also available from the Ohio Department of Health and through a private vendor. Information is available at the ODH website (odh.ohio.gov/). Usually, the funeral director will obtain copies of the certificate for the family. Should you have any questions about a certificate we have completed, do not hesitate to let us know.

Copies of autopsy and other reports are available following completion of our investigation. If requested, a copy of any or all reports will be provided to the deceased person’s next-of-kin at no charge. When only a limited examination has been performed, reports may be available within a few days. However when an autopsy has been performed, reports usually are not available for four to eight weeks. We will let you know when we expect the reports to be completed and, if you wish, will notify you when they are available. By Ohio law, reports of our findings are public records. In releasing these and other records, the Clark County Coroner’s Office follows the requirements of the Ohio Public Records Act and of Ohio Revised Code 313.10.