The four options were the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), International Classification of Disease (ICD) coding, Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT), and an in-house system. Although all four systems offered distinct advantages and disadvantages, SNOMED CT is the most accurate for coding pathologic diagnoses, with ICD-10 being the best option for classifying the cause of death. For New Mexico’s Office of the Medical Investigator, the most feasible coding option is an upgrade of an in-house coding system followed by linkage to ICD codes for cause of death from the New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, and ideally, SNOMED classification of pathologic diagnoses. Many medical examiner and coroner’s offices are facing the challenge of converting free-text records into consistent, computer-readable formats, in order to allow for accurate matches with the original text and easy retrieval of data for research purposes. With rapid advances in technology, medical examiner and coroner offices will be able to build databases that greatly enhance their utility for research purposes. The availability of financial resources and personnel must be considered prior to implementation of coding systems, so as to maximize the buy-in of end users and minimize the disruption to the vital daily processes in medical examiner and coroner’s offices. 1 table and 24 references