Florida Statute 406.11
“Examinations, investigations, and autopsies”
What it means
Florida Statute 406.11 sets out which deaths the district medical examiner handles. The examiner of the district where the death occurred or the body was found determines the cause of death and makes the examinations, investigations, and autopsies he or she deems necessary or the state attorney requests.
The covered deaths are those in Florida from criminal violence, accident, suicide, sudden death in apparent good health, death unattended by a practicing physician or other recognized practitioner, death in a prison or in police custody, death in suspicious or unusual circumstances, criminal abortion, poison, disease constituting a threat to public health, and disease, injury, or toxic agent resulting from employment. The section also covers a dead body brought into Florida without proper medical certification and any body to be cremated, dissected, or buried at sea.
The examiner may perform whatever autopsies or laboratory examinations he or she deems necessary and in the public interest to determine identification, cause, or manner of death, or to obtain evidence for forensic examination. A medical examiner may not retain or furnish any body part for research or any other purpose not in conjunction with identification, cause or manner of death, or the presence of disease, unless otherwise authorized by chapter 406, part V of chapter 765, or chapter 873, without notification of and approval by the next of kin (§ 406.11(2)(b)).
- Twelve listed kinds of death in Florida trigger the examiner's duty, including accident, suicide, unattended death, death in police custody, and poison (§ 406.11(1)(a)).
- A dead body brought into Florida without proper medical certification is covered (§ 406.11(1)(b)).
- A body to be cremated, dissected, or buried at sea is covered (§ 406.11(1)(c)).
- The examiner may perform whatever autopsies or laboratory examinations he or she deems necessary and in the public interest (§ 406.11(2)(a)).
- The Medical Examiners Commission must adopt rules for notifying the next of kin that an investigation is being conducted (§ 406.11(2)(b)).
- Outside identification, cause or manner of death, or presence of disease, no body part may be retained or furnished without next-of-kin notice and approval, unless authorized by ch. 406, part V of ch. 765, or ch. 873 (§ 406.11(2)(b)).
Text of the statute (2026)
(1) In any of the following circumstances involving the death of a human being, the medical examiner of the district in which the death occurred or the body was found shall determine the cause of death and shall, for that purpose, make or perform such examinations, investigations, and autopsies as he or she deems necessary or as requested by the state attorney: (a) When any person dies in this state: 1. Of criminal violence. 2. By accident. 3. By suicide. 4. Suddenly, when in apparent good health. 5. Unattended by a practicing physician or other recognized practitioner. 6. In any prison or penal institution. 7. In police custody. 8. In any suspicious or unusual circumstance. 9. By criminal abortion. 10. By poison. 11. By disease constituting a threat to public health. 12. By disease, injury, or toxic agent resulting from employment. (b) When a dead body is brought into this state without proper medical certification. (c) When a body is to be cremated, dissected, or buried at sea.
(2)(a) The district medical examiner shall have the authority in any case coming under subsection (1) to perform, or have performed, whatever autopsies or laboratory examinations he or she deems necessary and in the public interest to determine the identification of or cause or manner of death of the deceased or to obtain evidence necessary for forensic examination.
(b) The Medical Examiners Commission shall adopt rules, pursuant to chapter 120, providing for the notification of the next of kin that an investigation by the medical examiner’s office is being conducted. A medical examiner may not retain or furnish any body part of the deceased for research or any other purpose which is not in conjunction with a determination of the identification of or cause or manner of death of the deceased or the presence of disease or which is not otherwise authorized by this chapter, part V of chapter 765, or chapter 873, without notification of and approval by the next of kin.
Excerpts are the subsections the summary relies on. Read the full official text of § 406.11.
History. s. 6, ch. 70-232; s. 26, ch. 73-334; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 1, ch. 87-166; s. 29, ch. 97-103; s. 3, ch. 98-253; s. 48, ch. 2006-1; s. 28, ch. 2015-4; s. 19, ch. 2021-8; s. 7, ch. 2022-71.
How it applies
In a covered death, the district medical examiner decides which examinations and autopsies are performed (§ 406.11(1), (2)(a)). Subsection (1)(c) covers every body to be cremated, so a cremation involves the examiner's office.
The examiner's authority under subsection (2)(a) covers autopsies and laboratory examinations to determine identification, cause or manner of death, or to obtain evidence for forensic examination. Notification of next of kin follows Medical Examiners Commission rules adopted under subsection (2)(b).
Where this shows up
Pages on this site where § 406.11 does real work:
Related sections
Questions people ask
Sources
- Fla. Stat. § 406.11 (2026) (“the medical examiner of the district in which the death occurred or the body was found shall determine the cause of death”)
- Fla. Stat. § 765.512 (2026) (Part V of chapter 765 (anatomical gifts), referenced in § 406.11(2)(b).)
Last checked: October 17, 2026
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