If a death occurs without the attendance of a licensed physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner, the person in charge of the deceased shall notify the county coroner and county sheriff of such death by state law.

The county coroner is an elected official who is required to investigate all untended, unnatural and unidentified deaths and must complete a medical certificate from the statement of relatives or other persons having adequate knowledge of the facts.  The coroner, or deputy coroner in the absence of the coroner, shall complete, sign, and file the medical certificate with the department within five days of the date of death, unless an autopsy or investigation is pending, in which case the pending autopsy or investigation shall be noted on the medical certificate. In the absence of a coroner or deputy coroner, or if the coroner is unable to act, and only in such case, the local registrar shall prepare the medical certificate from the statement of relatives or other person having knowledge of the facts.

In Hamlin County, the Coroner does not have an office at the Courthouse and can only be contacted by phone.