Images, videos and 911 calls involving a deceased minor, and records of child abuse victims, are now confidential and can be shared only with a short list of people, with criminal penalties, lawsuits and fines for improper release or for profiting from death scene images.
Official title: minor victims; public records prohibition
- September 12, 2026
What changes
BeforeAutopsy photos, x-rays and videos could be examined and obtained by a wide list of people, including the person's spouse, children, siblings, grandparents, public health officials and researchers, or released by a superior court judge after private review.
NowFor a minor, these autopsy materials may be examined by or released to only: a parent or legal guardian, the estate's personal representative, law enforcement, prosecutors, child welfare agencies or courts for an investigation or court case, a child fatality review team, a defense attorney in a criminal or postconviction case, the attending physician or nurse practitioner, or a person a court authorizes for good cause.
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NowImages of a deceased minor, police body-camera or dash-camera video showing a deceased minor or the place the minor died (if known), 911 or other emergency call recordings about a minor's death, and death investigation photos are confidential and cannot be released as public records. They may be disclosed to a parent or guardian (unless that person is under investigation for homicide or child abuse of the minor), the estate's representative, government agencies for an official investigation or court case, a child fatality review team, or someone a court authorizes for good cause. In a criminal case involving a deceased minor, the prosecutor must disclose these records to the defendant's attorney as provided by law and court rule, and the attorney may share them with people employed to help with the defense.
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NowChild abuse records, including photos, videos, body-camera footage, forensic interview recordings, audio and 911 calls showing or describing a minor child abuse victim, are confidential and not subject to public records disclosure, with similar limited exceptions. Written reports, summaries and statistics without images or audio may still be released, and the Department of Child Safety may still release records under its existing law.
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NowAnyone who knowingly releases a deceased minor's record to an unauthorized person commits a class 1 misdemeanor. A parent, guardian or estate may sue someone who knowingly releases or spreads such a record; a court may award actual damages, $5,000 to $50,000 per record, attorney fees and an order stopping further sharing. Government employees who knowingly violate the rules may be disciplined or fired.
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NowNo one may sell, license or otherwise profit from a death scene image of a minor obtained under these rules, with a civil penalty of $100,000 per violation. This does not apply to images used in a criminal prosecution or official investigation, images possessed by the minor's parent, legal guardian or estate, or images disclosed by a court on good cause unless the court specifically prohibits it. The attorney general, county attorney or city or town attorney may sue to enforce the rules, seek removal or destruction of records, and subpoena records or question people under oath.
Who it affects
- Parents, legal guardians and estates of deceased minors
- Minors who are victims of child abuse and their families
- People who request public records
- Defendants and defense attorneys in criminal cases involving minors
- Medical examiners, law enforcement and prosecution agencies
- Child welfare agencies and child fatality review teams
- Attorney general, county attorneys and city or town attorneys
What you need to do
Nothing. People who receive these records, including parents, defense teams and others, may not share them further except as the law allows.
What the law doesn't answer
- Whether the confidentiality rules apply to records created before the law takes effect
- How someone requests a court order for good cause, or what the process involves
- Whether siblings, grandparents or other relatives of a deceased minor can obtain these records other than through a parent, guardian, estate or court
- How the $100,000 civil penalty is collected or where the money goes
This summary describes the law as enacted. Later laws, court rulings or referendum petitions can change the picture. Check the official text for the current wording.