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Disposition Authorization

King County requires, by King County Code 2.35A.100, that the King County Medical Examiner review all deaths. This regulation went into effect on January 1, 2008 to prevent destruction of evidence in death investigations. This code requires that all King County deaths must receive disposition authorization from the Medical Examiner's Office prior to releasing the body for disposition, regardless of where the disposition is to occur.

How the program works

The KCMEO reviews every death that occurs in King County. Before final approval of a death certificate, the Disposition Authorization (DA) Program reviews each cause of death listed on the death certificate. This review verifies that the cause (what the person died from) and manner (natural, homicide, suicide, accident, or undetermined) do not indicate the need to assume investigative jurisdiction. Deaths that fall within the jurisdiction of the KCMEO include accidental deaths, homicides, and suicides. If a nonnatural death is discovered before the body is buried or cremated, then law enforcement and KCMEO can conduct an investigation.

Information for funeral homes

  • Provide the death certificate

    Download an APPROVED Proof Copy of the death certificate from Washington Health and Life Event System (WHALES). If this is incomplete or the medical certifier's name and the date signed are missing, we will not be able to process the request.

    ➔ TIP: Rather than printing the death certificate, save a copy for an e-mail attachment.

  • Send the document(s)

    Send all requests to the DA Team at DA.KCMEO@kingcounty.gov

    • For easier searching, please enter the name of the decedent in the email "Subject" line as LAST NAME, FIRST NAME.
    • For pre-arranged cremations, prior to January 1, 2008, please include the pre-need contract along with the death certificate.
    • For King County Indigent Remains program cases, please include the Cremation Authorization Form provided by our office.

Cost

Effective January 1, 2024, the Disposition Authorization fee increased to $100. In December of 2023, the King County Council passed an ordinance raising the fee to better support the duties of the program.

If you do not already have a credit account with Public Health – Seattle & King County, contact the Medical Examiner's Office to discuss methods of payment or how to set up a credit account. If you have an account, which is also used for purchasing certified death certificates, King County will invoice your funeral home.

Transferring a decedent from one funeral home to another

If the funeral home changes after the Disposition Authorization Request has been approved and a DA Number has been entered into WHALES, it is the responsibility of the receiving funeral home to notify the KCMEO immediately. This is to avoid invoicing errors. The new funeral home must submit an updated DC reflecting the correct funeral home or the original DC accompanied by an affidavit with the funeral agency correction.

How long does it take to get a disposition authorization approved?

Requests are processed within a 24-hour period on business days (M-F), except holidays. Requests received after 2:30 pm are processed the next business day. If you have not received any information from the Medical Examiner's Office within 24 hours of submission, please call the office. Please do not resubmit your request as this could potentially cause a double billing.

Possible delays when processing your request

The Medical Examiner's Office makes every effort to process and approve all disposition requests as efficiently as possible.

To avoid a delay in processing please ensure the following:

  • An underlying disease process or etiology is listed in Tab 7 of the WHALES record. For example: "pneumonia" is not acceptable and needs further clarification. "Cardiac arrest" and "respiratory failure" are mechanisms of death, not causes of death. An underlying disease process must be listed.
  • All nonnatural causes of death, including fractures, must be reported to and reviewed by the Medical Examiner.
  • Intracranial hemorrhages must be clarified with the specific bleed site and etiology, or whether the bleed was "spontaneous" or hypertensive.

Reviews with the King County Indigent Remains Program

Applications for indigent requests require approval before the disposition authorization is granted. Please direct indigent application questions to the Indigent Remains Program at 206-731-3232, ext. 5.

How to tell when your request has been approved

The Medical Examiner's Office will enter the Disposition Authorization Number on Tab 7 of the WHALES record in the "DA/Comments" field at the bottom of the webpage. Our office must input the DA Number into the WHALES record before the death certificate can be filed by the King County Vital Records Office.

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