{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-21-21-1154","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 21-1154","heading":"Autopsy - Definition - When allowed - Retention of tissue","body":"and specimens.\n\nA. Autopsy means a post mortem dissection of a dead human body\n\nin order to determine the cause, seat or nature of disease or injury\n\nand includes, but is not limited to, the retention of tissues for\n\nevidentiary, identification, diagnostic, scientific and therapeutic\n\npurposes.\n\nB. An autopsy may be performed on the dead body of a human\n\nbeing in the following cases:\n\n1. In cases authorized by positive enactment of the\n\nLegislature;\n\n2. Whenever the death occurs under circumstances in which the\n\nmedical examiner is authorized as provided in Title 63 of the\n\nOklahoma Statutes to conduct such autopsy; or\n\n3. Whenever consent is given to a licensed physician to conduct\n\nan autopsy on the body of a deceased person by whichever one of the\n\nfollowing assumes custody of the body for purposes of burial:\n\nFather, mother, husband, wife, child, guardian, next of kin, or in\n\nthe absence of any of the foregoing, a friend, or a person charged\n\nby law with the responsibility for burial. If two (2) or more such\n\npersons assume custody of the body, the consent of one of them shall\n\nbe deemed sufficient.\n\nC. 1. Any physician or hospital authorized to perform an\n\nautopsy pursuant to this section, whether by statutory authority or\n\nby consent from a person entitled to assume custody of the body for\n\nburial, shall be and is authorized to retain such tissue and\n\nspecimens as the examining physician deems proper. Such tissue and\n\nspecimens may be retained for examination, dissection or study in\n\nfurtherance of determining the cause of death, or for evidentiary,\n\ndiagnostic, or scientific purposes. Except with regard to medical\n\nexaminers and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, this\n\nprovision shall not apply if a person entitled to assume custody of\n\nthe body for burial notifies the physician or hospital performing\n\nthe autopsy prior to said autopsy of any objection to the retention\n\nof tissue and specimens obtained from the autopsy.\n\n2. No physician or hospital authorized to perform an autopsy\n\npursuant to this section shall be subject to criminal or civil\n\nliability for the retention, examination, dissection, or study of\n\ntissue and specimens obtained from said autopsy under existing laws\n\nregarding the prevention of mutilation of dead bodies.\n\nR.L. 1910, § 2449; Laws 1967, c. 98, § 1, emerg. eff. April 20,\n\n1967; Laws 1981, c. 106, § 1; Laws 1992, c. 355, § 1.","path":["OK Code","Title 21"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os21.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"a8737646dba739c8286776e0b1d26c771c8363a7ec0dbf6d6029d6ff00b42711","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-21-21-1153","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-21-21-1155"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}