Key points
- A death notice is short and mostly factual.
- An obituary tells the story of the person’s life.
- Both can appear in newspapers and on funeral home websites.
What is a death notice?
A death notice is a short announcement that someone has died. It usually lists the name, age, date of death and service details. Families often pay a newspaper to publish it.
What is an obituary?
An obituary is longer and tells the story of the person’s life: family, work, interests and the people they leave behind. It may be written by family or by the funeral home.
Let us keep watch for you.
We check funeral homes, newspapers and memorial sites every day and email you when a matching notice appears.
Where you will find each
Both can appear in newspapers and on funeral home websites. When searching, look for either one, since a family may publish only a short notice.
Official resources.
- Where to Write for Vital RecordsCDC: death records office in each state
- How to get a death certificateUSA.gov
- Social Security AdministrationReporting a death and survivor benefits
Common questions: obituary or death notice: what’s the difference.
Both. Search for the name and the word obituary, and also check death notices in the local paper.
Usually the family, sometimes with help from the funeral home.
Often not. Newspapers usually charge for death notices, though funeral home websites post them for free.
Yes. Some families publish a short death notice in the paper and a full obituary online.
Both usually include the date, time and place of the service.
No. This guide is general information to help you get started. For legal matters, speak with a qualified professional.
This guide is general information to help you get started. It is not legal advice.