The Kitsap County Medical Examiner1 is responsible for determining the cause and manner of death, its home page says. Its web pages do not say when cleanup of the home may start or who pays for it, so check with the office before work begins; its contact page2 lists the phone number 360.731.6843.
Which deaths the office investigates
All deaths in Kitsap County are reported to the Medical Examiner’s Office1, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A deputy then looks at the circumstances and decides whether more investigation is needed. To make that call, the Medical Examiner and investigators are required to follow two chapters of the Revised Code of Washington: chapter 36.24 RCW, on county coroners, and chapter 68.50 RCW, on human remains.
RCW 68.50.010 gives the coroner or medical examiner jurisdiction when someone dies suddenly while in apparent good health, with no medical attendance in the 36 hours before. The same law covers deaths where the circumstances point to unnatural or unlawful means, and deaths under suspicious circumstances.
What the office does
If there is an autopsy, RCW 68.50.1083 says it must be done within five days, unless a superior court order gives more time. Under RCW 68.50.104, the county where the autopsy is done pays for it, unless the state Department of Labor and Industries asked for it; then that department pays.
Help the office gives families
One of the office’s stated goals is to give compassionate help to families and loved ones dealing with a death, its home page1 says.
The person’s belongings
Under RCW 68.50.040, jewelry, money, papers and other personal property must be inventoried as soon as the coroner takes it into custody.
The funeral home
Under RCW 68.50.1083, when the coroner may do an autopsy, the person cannot be embalmed or have a final disposition without the consent of the coroner in charge. RCW 68.50.050 says that when deciding whether to keep custody of the remains, the medical examiner must consider the person’s religious beliefs, if known, including customs about death and burial. Because the law speaks of beliefs that are known, you can tell the office about the person’s faith and its customs.
While the office has jurisdiction and directs a funeral home to move the person, RCW 68.50.032 has the county pay the reasonable cost of that transport in some cases, such as when that funeral home is not the one providing the funeral or disposition services. The same law says the county does not pay transportation or other costs incurred after the medical examiner has released jurisdiction over the remains, apart from exceptions in a few other laws it names. RCW 68.50.160 says the reasonable cost of the person’s preparation, care and final disposition falls on their kin, in the order that law lists, and on their estate.
Reports, and who may get them
Autopsy reports and records are confidential under RCW 68.50.1054. But the law lets some people look at them and get copies, including the person’s personal representative and any family member. Family here means the surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, any child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother or sister, or the person’s guardian at the time of death.
Under RCW 68.50.1054, the coroner, medical examiner or attending physician must meet with your family to talk about the autopsy findings, if you ask.
Death certificates
When a death without medical attendance appears unlawful or unnatural, RCW 70.58A.200 has the medical examiner attest to its cause, place and date, and note if the cause is pending investigation. If an autopsy result or other information later completes or changes the cause, the same law says the medical certifier, coroner, medical examiner or local health officer must file a correction with the state registrar within five calendar days of getting it. The Department of Health’s page on changing death certificates says only a certifier can ask to change the cause-of-death and injury sections, and that a certifier is the licensed practitioner who signed the death certificate, such as a physician, the medical examiner or a coroner.
The Washington State Department of Health issues death certificates for deaths that took place in Washington. Only qualified applicants with certain relationships to the person can get a death certificate, and proof of identity and relationship is required, says the department’s death record page5. The department says VitalChek is its only contracted outside vendor, and that other companies charge high fees to help you apply.
Ordering a certificate from the state
The Department of Health’s death record page5 describes a long form and a short form death certificate. The long form shows the cause and manner of death and the Social Security number; you may need it to close bank accounts or claim life insurance. The short form leaves those out, and you may need it to transfer titles, such as for vehicles, and for real estate and probate.
To order, the Department of Health5 asks for the person’s first and last name, the date or approximate date of death, and the city or county where they died. It says to check with your local health department about in-person service, and that most of those orders are received the same day. The department says VitalChek orders ship within 3 to 7 business days, depending on the shipping option, and mail orders arrive within 8 to 10 weeks after payment is processed.
What the official sources do not say
The Medical Examiner’s web pages do not say when cleanup of the home may start. They do not say who pays for cleanup, so ask your insurer whether your policy does. They also do not say who is responsible for cleanup, whether the office cleans homes, or when and by whom the home is released after a death.
So before any cleanup starts, you can ask the office whether it needs anything more from the home, and whether anyone else needs to be asked. You can call the office at 360.731.6843 or email it at coroner@kitsap.gov, its contact page2 says. The office is open 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday, says its home page1.
We read every source on October 26, 2026. If a source didn't say it, this page doesn't say it.