Legal Next of Kin, Administrator or Executor of Estate
Decedent records are classified as
CONFIDENTIAL Medical Records and disclosure of these records is restricted.
If you are inquiring about a copy of a decedents death certificate, you must request an official copy from the
Office of Vital Statistics.
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ou must be the Legal Next of Kin or the representative of the estate to obtain documents pertaining to the decedent. Legal Next of Kin is as follows consecutively: Decedents Spouse; Decedents Adult Children; Decedents Parent; Decedents Siblings.
If you are the decedents legal next of kin or representative of the estate, please adhere to the following requirements for documents requests:
- You must first telephone the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) at 304-558-6920 to obtain a case file number.
- You will be required to verify the decedents full legal first, middle and last name(s), date of birth, and the date of death.
- Once you have received a case number you must then send us a request in writing.
The written request must include the following:
- The decedents full first, middle and last name(s)
- Date of birth
- Date of death
- A clear copy of the requestors photo identification and a statement indicating relationship to the decedent.
- Personal Representatives must provide documentation showing their representation
Mail your written request to:
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
619 Virginia Street West
Charleston, WV 25302
In addition to the written request, there is an associated fee. The fee must be submitted to the Bureau of Public Health. You cannot send cash. You must send a check or money order payable to BPH Accounts Payable.
DO NOT MAIL YOUR PAYMENT UNTIL YOU RECEIVE AN INVOICE WITH AN INVOICE NUMBER!
The address to send payment to is:
BPH Accounts Payable
350 Capitol Street, Room 206
Charleston, WV 25301
Once your payment has been received by the finance department, the OCME will be notified and send the requested documents as soon as possible.
**Please note, if the documentation you are requesting is part of a criminal investigation the proceedings could be withheld temporarily, until a determination is made and that such release would not jeopardize any ongoing prosecution or investigation. In the event the report is temporarily withheld, the request will be placed in the pending file and released when permitted.