When Someone Dies Unexpectedly in New Mexico
If the death was sudden, from an accident or an overdose, or happened at home without a doctor's care, New Mexico's Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) is involved. Here is what that means, in the order it happens.
The short version
You don't need to go anywhere or arrange transport. Choose a funeral home or cremation provider, tell them the OMI is involved, and they take it from there. The OMI does not charge your family for its examination.
1. If no one has reported the death yet, call 911
First responders and the OMI's investigators handle the scene. If your loved one was on hospice care, call the hospice instead: an expected death under hospice care is handled differently.
2. Choose a funeral home and call them
Your loved one may be taken to the OMI, whose main office is in Albuquerque, or held at a designated funeral home. Either way, you choose who handles the funeral or cremation: the OMI says families have the right to choose the funeral home they prefer. Tell the funeral home the OMI is involved. The OMI asks families to have their funeral home call it to arrange the release.
Albuquerque providers that answer 24/7 and publish a price
- Cremation Service of New Mexico: from $695 (online plan; excludes transport) · 505-753-2288
- Trujillo Family Funeral Home: $895 direct cremation · 505-433-7747
- CremateSimply Albuquerque: $1,295 direct cremation · 505-262-1456
- Riverside Funeral Home: $1,395 direct cremation · 505-225-8282
- ABQ Simple Funerals & Cremations: $1,905 direct cremation · 505-323-9000
Prices from each provider's own website. Ask each one: "What is your total price, including pickup from the OMI?" Compare every published Albuquerque price.
Cultural and religious traditions: if your loved one followed a particular tradition, the OMI suggests asking your cultural or religious leaders how to work with it. In its words: "Family burials (including traditional Navajo members) are allowed in the State of New Mexico." Call Decedent Affairs at (505) 272-1361 to discuss the documents needed for release, the death certificate and transportation.
3. The examination and release
The OMI examines your loved one to determine the cause of death. In the OMI's words: "Once the examination is complete, and a family has designated an arrangement for burial or cremation, the body will be released. This is usually to a mortuary or cremation service, but can be directly released to the family." Your funeral home can tell you the timing once it has spoken with the OMI.
4. What it costs
The OMI "does not charge for examination services on cases that fall under OMI jurisdiction" (OMI fee schedule, effective March 5, 2026). If you choose cremation, the OMI charges $230 to review and sign the cremation permit, which every cremation in New Mexico requires. Funeral homes usually include it or pass it through on their bill. Certified death certificates cost $5 each. The rest is the funeral home's price, so compare: every published New Mexico price.
5. Death certificates and reports
If more tests are needed, the OMI first issues a "pending" death certificate, and the tests can take several weeks. The OMI says cases usually take about 90 days to be finalized before reports are released. Release follows the examination rather than the final test results, so a pending certificate usually doesn't hold up the funeral; ask your funeral home if it affects your plans. Some banks and insurers wait for the final cause of death, so order a few certified copies once the final version is issued.
6. Clothing and belongings
The OMI releases clothing and personal items with your loved one to the funeral home or crematory, unless they are identified as evidence.
7. If you live out of state
You can make every arrangement by phone and email. Often the simplest and least expensive option is cremation here and bringing the ashes home: cremated remains can travel as carry-on luggage in a container that can be X-rayed, or be mailed by USPS Priority Mail Express. Sending your loved one home for burial is possible too, but costs more; ask the funeral home for both prices.
Later, when you're ready: clearing out a loved one's home in Albuquerque covers documents, medications, the car and where everything else can go.
OMI phone numbers
- Investigations (identification, or if a loved one is missing): (505) 272-3053
- Decedent Affairs: (505) 272-1361
- Grief Services, free short-term support for New Mexico residents whose loved one's death the OMI investigated: (505) 925-4412
From the OMI's page for families. Last checked October 2026.
Common questions
Who do I call first when someone dies unexpectedly in New Mexico?
If the death just happened and no one has reported it, call 911. Once the Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) is involved, your next call is to the funeral home or cremation provider you choose. Tell them the OMI is involved; they contact the OMI and arrange the release, so you do not need to arrange transport yourself.
Does the OMI charge the family for the examination or autopsy?
No. The OMI's fee schedule says it "does not charge for examination services on cases that fall under OMI jurisdiction." If you choose cremation, the OMI charges $230 to review and sign the cremation permit, which funeral homes usually include or pass through on their bill.
Can we choose any funeral home, even if our loved one was taken somewhere else?
Yes. The OMI says families have the right to choose the funeral home they prefer. Your loved one may be taken to the OMI or to a designated funeral home; either way, the funeral home you choose arranges the release.
Can we still choose cremation if there was an examination?
Yes. In New Mexico every cremation needs a permit signed by the OMI, and an examination does not prevent cremation. Your funeral home handles the permit.
Why does the death certificate say "pending"?
If more tests or investigation are needed, the OMI issues a "pending" death certificate first, and those tests can take several weeks. The OMI says cases usually take about 90 days to be finalized before reports are released.
What happens to my loved one's clothing and belongings?
The OMI says all clothing and personal items it holds are released with your loved one to the funeral home or crematory, unless they are identified as evidence.
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