{"data":{"id":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-130a-398","jurisdiction":"us-nc","citation":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-398","heading":"Limitation on right to perform autopsy.","body":"The right to perform an autopsy shall be limited to those cases in which:\n(1)\tThe Chief Medical Examiner or a county medical examiner, acting pursuant to G.S. 130A-389, directs that an autopsy be performed;\n(2)\tThe Commission of Anatomy, acting pursuant to G.S. 130A-415, has given written consent for an autopsy to be performed on an unclaimed body;\n(3)\tA prosecuting officer or district attorney, acting pursuant to G.S. 15-7 in case of homicide, directs that an autopsy be performed;\n(4)\tThe decedent directs in writing prior to death that an autopsy be performed upon the occurrence of the decedent's death;\n(4a)\tThe health care agent under a health care power of attorney with authority to make decisions with respect to autopsies requests that an autopsy be performed upon the deceased principal;\n(5)\tThe personal representative of the estate of the decedent requests that an autopsy be performed upon the decedent; or\n(6)\tAny of the following persons, in order of priority, when persons in prior classes are not available at the time of death, and in the absence of actual notice of contrary indications by the decedent or actual opposition by a member of the same or prior class, authorizes an autopsy to be performed:\na.\tThe spouse;\nb.\tAny adult child or stepchild;\nc.\tAny parent or stepparents;\nd.\tAny adult sibling;\ne.\tA guardian of the person of the decedent at the time of the decedent's death;\nf.\tAny relative or person who accepts responsibility for final disposition of the body by other customary and lawful procedures;\ng.\tAny person under obligation to dispose of the body. (1931, c. 152; 1933, c. 209; 1967, c. 1154, s. 4; 1969, c. 444; 1973, c. 47, s. 2; 1983, c. 891, s. 2; 2005-351, s. 5; 2006-226, s. 32.)","path":["Chapter 130A. Public Health.","Article 16. Postmortem Investigation and Disposition.","Part 2. Autopsies."],"source_url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_130A/GS_130A-398.html","current_through":"S.L. 2026-30","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T18:20:37Z","sha256":"ab452bcbeab85748ea6595b5e59403043e897b8f3669046f97e69b1548bfa45c","source_id":"us-nc","stale":false,"prev":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-130a-396-through-130a-397","next":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-130a-399"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}