St. Lucie and Martin counties
After a death at home: what happens, step by step
This is the usual order of things in the Port St. Lucie area. Every case is a little different, and the officers and investigators on scene will guide you.
Call 911
Do this first, even if you are sure the person has died. Dispatch sends police and, if needed, paramedics.
Leave things where they are
Florida law makes it a crime to move the person, their clothing or things near them without the medical examiner's permission (s. 406.12). Wait somewhere else in the home or outside.
The medical examiner decides whether to take the case
District 19 covers St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Its investigator decides whether the death is the office's to investigate and, if so, comes to the scene (District 19).
Choose a funeral home
The examination at the office typically takes 24 to 48 hours. The person is then released to the funeral home the family chooses.
The home is released
When police and the investigator are finished, they leave the home to you. Ask who to call if you have questions later, and note any case number.
Arrange the cleanup
Keep the room closed until a company has been. Call this number when you are ready; there is no need to rush.
Order death certificates
The funeral home usually files the death certificate. Copies for banks, insurers and landlords come from the Department of Health; in St. Lucie County its office is on NW Milner Drive in Port St. Lucie (DOH-St. Lucie), and in Martin County on SE Willoughby Blvd. in Stuart (DOH-Martin).
District 19 medical examiner
Address and phone
2500 South 35th Street, Building I, Fort Pierce. 772-464-7378, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. (St. Lucie County)
Reports take time
Toxicology can take up to 90 days. Once a report is ready, investigators and medical examiners will talk families through it (District 19).
If the death was expected
Not every death at home goes to the medical examiner. When someone dies of natural causes while under a doctor's care, the doctor signs the death certificate (District 19). The investigator decides which applies, so 911 is still the place to start unless the care team has told you otherwise.
Even when the death was expected, cleanup may be needed if it was some time before the person was found. Unattended death cleanup explains why.
Getting the cause of death
A death certificate that shows the cause of death is only issued to a family member or a legal representative, and you need photo ID (DOH-St. Lucie). Insurers often ask for this version.
Read next
- Unattended death cleanupWhen someone died alone at home and was found days or weeks later.
- Who pays for the cleanupThe state crime victim program, insurance basics, landlords and estates.
- For landlords and managersA death or a biohazard in a rental unit in Florida.
- StuartMartin County: Stuart Police in the city, the Martin County Sheriff around it.
Ready when you are
Call when the police and the medical examiner have finished and you are ready to talk about the cleanup. A company will ask what happened and where, then explain what it would do.
Talk to a cleanup company
An independent company that works in the Port St. Lucie area. You decide whether to hire it.
Call (772) 918-9847Picked up day and night, seven days a week
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