Guide
After a death at home: what happens next
This is the order things usually happen in Columbia and the nearby towns. You do not have to do it all at once.
Step by step
Call 911
If someone has died unexpectedly at home, call 911. Emergency services and the police will come.
The coroner is told
South Carolina law requires deaths to be reported to the county coroner when they happen by violence or apparent suicide, when the person seemed in good health, when no physician was attending, or in a suspicious or unusual way (S.C. Code 17-5-530).
Nothing is moved
It is unlawful to move the body until the coroner's office has finished and allows it (S.C. Code 17-5-580). Leave the room as it is.
Choose a funeral home
The coroner's office will ask the legal next of kin to choose a funeral home and give permission for it to collect your loved one. In Richland County, the office can give you a list if you need one.
Belongings
Personal belongings held by the coroner go to the legal next of kin. Anything the police kept is released by that agency once it is no longer needed.
The home is released
When the police and the coroner have finished, the home is yours again. Ask them to tell you when that is.
Cleanup
Then the family, the estate or the property owner arranges the cleanup. That is when to call the number on this site, if you want help.
Numbers you may need
Columbia lies in both Richland and Lexington counties, and so does Irmo. The coroner is the one for the county where the death happened. The officers at the scene will know which.
- Richland County Coroner's Office(803) 576-17996300 Shakespeare Rd., Columbia. The phone is answered 24 hours; the office is open 9 to 5 on weekdays (coroner FAQ).
- Lexington County Coroner's Office(803) 359-8439117 Duffie Drive, Lexington. Email coroner@lexingtoncounty.sc.gov (county page).
- Columbia Police, non-emergency(803) 252-2911For questions about a scene or a report inside Columbia city limits (Columbia Police FAQ).
- Richland County Sheriff's Department(803) 576-3000Unincorporated Richland County. The same number reaches a deputy after hours (sheriff contact page).
- Lexington County Communications(803) 785-2521Non-emergency officer response in Lexington County, including the sheriff (county 911 page).
Forest Acres, Cayce, West Columbia, Irmo and Lexington have their own police departments. Their numbers are on each town's page.
Death certificates and records
Your funeral home can usually order certified copies of the death certificate for you. In Richland County, the next of kin can ask in writing for a copy of the autopsy report once the coroner has made a final ruling and all results are in (Richland County Coroner FAQ).
When you are ready, one call is enough
Tell the company what happened, which room or vehicle it is in, and whether the police and coroner have finished. They will explain the work, when they can come and how they arrive at a price.
Talk to a cleanup company
The call puts you in touch with an independent biohazard cleanup company that works in the Columbia area. Say what happened and ask what you need to know. Whether you hire them is up to you.
Call (803) 637-8296Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and the privacy policy.