Florida Statute 406.145
“Unidentified persons; reporting requirements”
What it means
Florida Statute 406.145 applies when an unidentified body is transported to a district medical examiner. The examiner must immediately report receipt of the body to the appropriate law enforcement agency, unless that agency was responsible for transporting the body. If the examiner cannot determine which agency has jurisdiction, the examiner notifies the sheriff of the county where the examiner is located, who determines the agency responsible for the identification.
The law enforcement officer assigned to and investigating the death has a duty to immediately establish the identity of the body. If the body is not immediately identified, the responsible agency must enter data concerning the body, through the Florida Crime Information Center, into the Unidentified Person File of the National Crime Information Center.
- The medical examiner must immediately report receipt of an unidentified body to the appropriate law enforcement agency, unless that agency transported the body (§ 406.145).
- If the examiner cannot determine the agency with jurisdiction, the county sheriff determines the agency responsible for identification (§ 406.145).
- The investigating officer's duty is to immediately establish the identity of the body (§ 406.145).
- If the body is not immediately identified, the responsible agency must enter the data through the Florida Crime Information Center into the NCIC Unidentified Person File (§ 406.145).
Text of the statute (2026)
When an unidentified body is transported to a district medical examiner pursuant to this chapter, the medical examiner shall immediately report receipt of such body to the appropriate law enforcement agency, provided such law enforcement agency was not responsible for transportation of the body to the medical examiner. If the medical examiner cannot determine the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction, he or she shall notify the sheriff of the county in which the medical examiner is located, who shall determine the law enforcement agency responsible for the identification. It is the duty of the law enforcement officer assigned to and investigating the death to immediately establish the identity of the body. If the body is not immediately identified, the law enforcement agency responsible for investigating the death shall enter data concerning the body, through the Florida Crime Information Center, into the Unidentified Person File of the National Crime Information Center.
Excerpts are the subsections the summary relies on. Read the full official text of § 406.145.
History. s. 2, ch. 86-234; s. 31, ch. 97-103; s. 3, ch. 2013-116.
How it applies
The statute sets a sequence: the examiner reports to law enforcement, the assigned officer works to establish identity, and an unresolved case is entered into the NCIC Unidentified Person File through the Florida Crime Information Center. It assigns the identification duty to law enforcement.
The section does not describe a role for family members or for missing-person reports.
Questions people ask
Sources
- Fla. Stat. § 406.145 (2026) (“enter data concerning the body, through the Florida Crime Information Center”)
- Fla. Stat. § 406.13 (2026) (Examiner's notification of law enforcement under § 406.145.)
Last checked: October 17, 2026
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