Kendall County, IL

In almost every case, the next step for the family is to contact the funeral home of their choice. If your loved one has already been transported to the Kendall County Coroner’s Office, the funeral home coordinate with us regarding their care. The funeral director will also guide you in making necessary arrangements and can assist you in obtaining the number of death certificates that you will need. If you need any help in choosing a funeral home, or if you are wondering what information the funeral home will need, you can view the Funeral Home Information page.

Deaths investigated by the Coroner's Office are automatically referred to the Donor Resource Center for determination of eligibility for tissue donation. If your loved one is determined to be an eligible donor, a representative from Gift of Hope will contact the family by telephone. For more information on this process, please visit our Donor Referrals page.

Typically, after the initial investigation, one of three things will occur:

• If the Coroner’s Office determines that your loved one has died due to natural causes and has been under the care of a doctor, completion of the death certificate may be referred to their primary care physician for signature. You will be asked to choose a funeral home so that your loved one can be taken into their care. You will then work with the funeral home to make any necessary arrangements, and the funeral director make contact with the physician to arrange for signature.
• If the Coroner’s Office determines that your loved one has died due to non-natural causes or has not been under the care of a doctor, but decides that further examination is not necessary, you will be asked to choose a funeral home so that your loved one can be taken into their care. The investigator may continue to gather additional information, such as medical records or other reports, to complete their investigation, however, this will generally not delay any funeral arrangements.
• If the Coroner’s Office determines that further examination is necessary, your loved one will be transported to the Kendall County Coroner’s Office. The extent of the examination will be determined by the Coroner and/or the Forensic Pathologist, and may include a forensic autopsy or toxicological analysis. Your loved one can be released into the care of a funeral home of your choosing after the completion of the examination, typically within a few days or less. If a forensic autopsy or toxicological analysis will be performed, it generally takes between thirty (30) and ninety (90) days for the reports to be finalized and the permanent death certificate to be signed. Temporary death certificates are available as soon as arrangements are made with the funeral home, and may be useful until the permanent certificates are available. If you need more information on how to get death certificates, you can view the Death Certificate Information Page.

Certified copies of death certificates are issued through the Kendall County Clerk’s Office. In most cases the funeral home can order copies on your behalf or you can contact the Clerk’s Office directly. To get more information on how to get death certificates, you can view the Death Certificate Information Page.

Copies of reports can be purchased through the Kendall County Coroner’s Office directly. For more information on the fees associated with these reports please visit our Report Fees Page.

In cases in which a forensic autopsy was performed, a packet will be mailed to the next-of-kin at the completion of the investigation at no cost. The packet will include a non-certified copies of the permanent death certificate, toxicology report and autopsy report.

• Many times after a loved one dies, families are left with unwanted or unused medications, sharps, or other medical items which can be hazardous if they fall into the wrong hands. The Kendall County Coroner's Office offers multiple programs for the disposal of sharps and medications, visit our Sharps & Medication Disposal page for more information.
• Clean-up following a tragedy, accident, or crime scene is a difficult task and it is often beneficial to get the assistance of a professional service. These companies can provide clean-up and recovery services for your home or vehicle. You can find out more information by viewing the Clean-Up Services page.
• For months or even years after a loss, families may continue to experience grief in a variety of ways.  There are resources out there to help.  We have compiled a list of information and resources which may assist grieving families, which can be found on our Resources for Families page.
• Answers to more questions about the investigation process, visit our Questions & Answers page.