Illinois law requires that the Coroner's Office investigates any deaths that are sudden, violent, or suspicious. Generally speaking, any death that occurs outside of a hospital setting, or within 24 hours of admission to the hospital, requires notification of the Coroner's Office. The principal responsibility of the Coroner is to assure that a death did not occur as the result of foul play. To help determine the cause and manner of death, the investigator may employ a variety of investigative techniques including interviews with family members and physicians, scene analysis, photography, and physical examination of the decedent. Oftentimes, these aspects of the investigation will provide the information needed to close the death investigation. It is possible that the family physician will be allowed to certify the death certificate. Sometimes, family members feel as if they are under suspicion or are being asked overly personal questions. The investigation is meant to bring forth enough information to explain why your loved one died. What may seem like very personal or trivial information to you may be a wealth of knowledge for us. Please remember that it is our job to speak for the decedent and assure that justice prevails among society.

This depends on a number of factors.  Age, medical history, and the circumstances surrounding the death are the major considerations. The Coroner's Office may defer an autopsy if enough facts concerning the events leading up to the death are known, verified, and supported by pre-existing medical conditions. Deaths involving the possibility of criminal activity, children, and those in good health prior to death will most likely be autopsied. Likewise, deaths in which the scene investigation suggests an external event (electrocution, drowning, overdose, etc.) will likely undergo an autopsy. If an autopsy is deemed necessary by the Coroner’s Office, one will be performed at no cost to the family.

We realize that this is a very personal and sensitive matter and some people object to an autopsy. Illinois law REQUIRES the Coroner to perform autopsy examination in certain cases such as child deaths. In other cases, autopsies are necessary for us to perform a competent investigation and Illinois law recognizes that the Coroner must have the authority to order an autopsy despite family objections.  If you object to an autopsy for personal or religious reasons, we will discuss the issue and attempt to resolve the matter in a way that will provide you with peace of mind but still allow a thorough inquiry. Regrettably though, there are cases that we feel mandate an autopsy regardless of your wishes.

If you have concerns that you feel can only be addressed by autopsy, please tell us as soon as possible. The information may cause us to authorize the procedure. Sometimes, family members desire an autopsy to reveal the presence of any hereditary related diseases or for their own personal knowledge.  If this is the case, but the death falls outside our criteria for autopsy examination, we will assist you in securing the services of a pathologist for a private autopsy. In this case, you would be responsible for the costs of the procedure.

We have other scientific tests that we utilize alone or in conjunction with autopsy examination to aid our investigation.  It is fairly routine for blood and other body fluids, to be collected and sent for alcohol and drug screening. In fact, State law requires such tests in motor vehicle deaths. Other tests may include blood cultures to determine infections or x-rays to detect the presence of fractures, or foreign objects.

After the autopsy is performed, a Coroner’s Deputy from the Coroner’s Office will call you and provide you with the significant findings of the autopsy and a preliminary cause of death. Toxicology tests take approximately 6-8 weeks before our office receives the final results. After toxicology test results are received, the next-of-kin will be called and will be provided details of the toxicology findings. In cases where an autopsy was completed, the toxicology report will also be provided to the Forensic Pathologist. This information will often help the Forensic Pathologist determine the cause of death. Once our office receives the final cause of death from the Forensic Pathologist, a Coroner’s Deputy will call the next-of-kin and provide them with this information.   

A permanent death certificate is issued once the Coroner’s investigation is completed. Permanent death certificates that are signed out by the Coroner’s Office can take up to 12 weeks from the date of death. In some cases, the permanent death certificate may take longer to complete due to the investigation.

The Coroner's Office DOES NOT maintain the death certificates.  This task is performed by the County Registrar designated for the area of the county where the death occurred.  The Winnebago County Health Department’s Vital Records Department is ultimately responsible for maintaining death certificates for anyone who dies in Winnebago County. Your best course of action is to obtain the certificates through the funeral home that was responsible for arrangements.

Yes. Coroner's records and reports will be available after the death certificate is issued. Illinois law requires that fees be charged for the various reports and records requested.

The current fee schedule for copies of coroner’s records and reports is:

Coroner’s Investigation Report………………..$ 25.00

Autopsy Report…………………………………………$50.00

Toxicology Report…………………………………….$25.00

A written request is required to obtain the documents. Please fill out the Coroner’s Request Form or call the Coroner's Office, Monday - Friday, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Fill out the form, include payment and send to

Winnebago County Coroner's Office
403 Elm Street, 2^nd Floor
Rockford, IL 61101

Checks payable to: Winnebago County Coroner's Office

All other public information released from the Coroner's office will be controlled by the Freedom of Information Act. After filling out the Freedom of Information Act form (PDF file), email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or send by mail to the address listed above.

Currently, the Winnebago County Coroner's Office does not offer viewings or identification of the deceased. We want to be sensitive to family members during this difficult time, so we are instructing individuals to contact their chosen funeral home to schedule a viewing.