A death has occurred — what do I do now?

Death at home

What to do depends on whether the person was receiving hospice care and whether the death was expected.

1. If the person was enrolled in hospice: call the hospice agency’s 24-hour number instead of 911. A hospice nurse will come, confirm the death, and help with the next calls.
2. If the person was not in hospice, or you are unsure: call 911. Florida law requires deaths that occur unattended by a physician, suddenly, or by accident to be reported to the medical examiner or law enforcement; responders will make that contact.
3. Until responders arrive, do not move the person or disturb the surroundings if the death was unexpected.
4. Once the death has been pronounced and any required medical-examiner review is complete, call the funeral home you choose. The funeral home transfers your loved one into its care.
5. Gather basic information the funeral home will need for the death certificate: full legal name, date and place of birth, Social Security number, parents’ names, marital status, and military discharge papers (DD-214) if the person was a veteran.

Death in a hospital

Hospital staff confirm the death and will ask which funeral home you have chosen.

1. Hospital staff pronounce the death and notify the attending physician. If organ or tissue donation is possible, the hospital coordinates with the donation organization.
2. You will be asked for the name of a funeral home. You do not have to decide in the first minutes, but hospitals hold remains for a limited time, so ask staff about their timeline.
3. Call the funeral home you choose. It arranges the transfer from the hospital and handles the death certificate filing with the state.
4. If the death was due to an accident, injury, or other circumstance listed in Florida law, the hospital reports it to the medical examiner, which can affect timing.
5. Collect personal belongings and ask for any paperwork the hospital provides.

Death under hospice care

Call the hospice agency first — not 911.

1. Call the hospice agency’s 24-hour line. A hospice nurse will visit, confirm the death, and notify the physician.
2. Take the time you need. When a death is expected and hospice is involved, there is usually no need to rush the next step.
3. Tell the hospice nurse which funeral home you want. Many families call the funeral home themselves, or the hospice can place the call.
4. If arrangements were made in advance (a pre-need contract), find the paperwork and give the funeral home the contract details.

Death in a nursing home or assisted living facility

Facility staff typically handle the first notifications and will ask for your funeral home choice.

1. The facility notifies the physician (and hospice, if the resident was enrolled) and contacts the family.
2. Staff will ask which funeral home to call. Check the resident’s file or any pre-need contract for arrangements that were already chosen.
3. Call the funeral home you choose. It coordinates the transfer from the facility.
4. Arrange to collect personal belongings and ask the facility about its timeline for clearing the room.

An unexpected or sudden death

Call 911. The medical examiner will likely be involved.

1. Call 911.
2. Do not move the person or disturb the scene. Florida law makes it an offense to disturb a body or its surroundings when a death must be reported to the medical examiner.
3. Law enforcement notifies the medical examiner. In Orlando this is the District Nine Medical Examiner’s Office (Orange and Osceola counties), 2350 E. Michigan Street, Orlando, 407-836-9400 — death calls answered 24 hours a day.
4. The medical examiner decides whether an examination is needed. The funeral home you choose can coordinate release once the medical examiner authorizes it.
5. It is normal to feel shocked. Ask a friend or relative to stay with you and help make calls.

Deaths by accident, suicide, violence, or suddenly when in apparent good health are among the circumstances that fall under medical examiner jurisdiction in Florida (s. 406.11, Florida Statutes).

When the medical examiner is involved

The medical examiner determines cause of death; your funeral home coordinates release.

1. Contact information: District Nine Medical Examiner’s Office (Orange and Osceola counties), 2350 E. Michigan Street, Orlando, 407-836-9400 — death calls answered 24 hours a day. The business office is open weekdays 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
2. Choose a funeral home and tell the medical examiner’s office. The funeral home coordinates the release and transfer.
3. If tests are pending, the death certificate may first be filed with cause of death marked “pending” and later replaced with a permanent certificate. This is normal under Florida law.
4. If cremation is planned, Florida requires medical examiner review before cremation. Your funeral home requests this.

Death outside Florida

A funeral home where the death occurred and a funeral home here can work together.

1. Follow local instructions where the death occurred (911, hospice, or the facility).
2. Decide where burial or cremation will take place. You can contact an Orlando funeral home first; it can coordinate with a funeral home in the other state (“forwarding” and “receiving” remains are standard itemized services under the FTC Funeral Rule).
3. The death certificate is issued by the state where the death occurred, not Florida. Order certified copies from that state’s vital records office.
4. Remains brought into Florida travel with a burial-transit permit or equivalent from the other state, which authorizes final disposition here.
5. Ask both funeral homes for written, itemized prices before agreeing to services.

Death outside the United States

Contact the U.S. Department of State for help from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

1. Call the U.S. Department of State: 1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. or Canada, or +1-202-501-4444 from abroad (24 hours).
2. Consular staff can help locate and inform next of kin and explain local options: local burial, local cremation, or returning remains to the U.S. Costs are the family’s responsibility.
3. The embassy or consulate prepares a Consular Report of Death Abroad, which is used in the U.S. as proof of death for estate purposes. Order several copies.
4. If you want your loved one returned to Orlando, contact a local funeral home to act as the receiving funeral home. It works with the international shipper.
5. Travel insurance or a repatriation plan may cover some costs. Check the person’s policies.

If you’re not sure what to do

If you are unsure what happened or what to do, call 911.

1. If the death was unexpected, or you are unsure whether the person has died, call 911.
2. If the person was in hospice care, call the hospice agency.
3. If a facility (hospital, nursing home) is involved, staff will guide the first steps.
4. After the death has been pronounced, choose a funeral home. It will explain the next steps, including the death certificate and permits.