Locating Obituaries in Los Angeles

Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness

As a volunteer of RAOGK (Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness), I get 20-30 requests for obits EACH MONTH. Although RAOGK guidelines recommend that volunteers conduct 1 search per month, I try to close out 5-10 requests in a typical month. You can imagine that my backlog is extensive. If you'd like me to do a lookup for you, I truly appreciate your patience and understanding.

In order for me to be able to help you wade through the huge genealogical territory of Los Angeles, here are some suggestions that will help us both.

Vital Records Searches

Later on this page, I've listed contact information for Los Angeles County vital records searches. My strong suggestion is that you send for documents by mail. You don't get any faster service by asking someone to go to the office and personally request the document.

Obituaries in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles city newspapers (such as the L.A. Times and the now-defunct Herald-Examiner) generally publish obituaries only for celebrities, although I have found a few obits for "just plain folk." Death notices, which are paid announcements, appear more frequently. These vary in length but may give only the name of the decedent and the name of a mortuary.

There is no general index to obituaries and death notices; they can be found only by searching the full text of the newspaper. That said, there is an online index for LA Times obituaries, if your ancestor happened to be one of the "rich and famous" -- or a librarian in the LA area! Click here to search the index.

Obituaries, as opposed to death notices, are found more frequently in the suburban community newspapers. There are about 100 cities in Los Angeles County, most of which are listed at the "Los Angeles Cities and Towns" link below. Many of these communities have their own newspaper, and the libraries in these communities often keep back copies on microfilm. The Los Angeles Public Library does NOT do obit lookups. You may have better luck if you're researching someone who died in one of the smaller towns or suburbs.

Do your Homework Before Asking for an Obituary

As much as I would like, I simply am not able to do obit searches unless you provide the last known residence address and the date of death. I need the street address if your ancestor lived in the city of Los Angeles.

Vital Records

For persons who died in Los Angeles after July 1, 1905, death certificates are available from either the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder or the Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics. For further information on obtaining a death certificate from LA County click here.

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
12400 E. Imperial Highway
P.O. Box 53120
Norwalk, CA 90653
(562) 462-2137

Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics
Department of Health Services
410 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814-4381

Office of Vital Records
304 'S' Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 445-1719 or (916) 445-2684
Fax: (800) 858-5553

The California Death Index 1940-1997 can be searched online; the link is provided below. I've provided a link to the 1905-1929 Death Index as well. It's free but you have to register and navigate through several pop-up screens. The 1940-1997 California Death Index provides the following information:

You can use the Social Security Number to cross-reference the SSI Death Index, which may provide the zip code of the last known residence. The link to the SSI Death Index is provided below.

You may be able to reference census indices to find where your relative lived. The 1880 census is available free of charge at www.familysearch.org The 1900 census and 1910 census are indexed online at www.genealogy.com, which is a pay site The 1920 census and 1930 census are indexed online at www.ancestry.com, which is a pay site. LDS Family History centers and many libraries have access to the pay sites. You may also want to post a census lookup request at one of the lists at www.rootsweb.com. Several lists are dedicated to census lookups.

Other Hints for Finding Obituaries

  1. Many residents of Los Angeles lived somewhere else before moving to the Golden State. Look in the hometown newspaper for an obituary. Obituaries for Los Angeles residents who were born and raised in other parts of the United States -- particularly in small and medium sized communities -- are often found in their hometown newspapers.

  2. Church newsletters sometimes include the text of obituaries. If the local church does not have a copy, you may be able to contact church regional or district headquarters, which often maintain files of congregational newsletters.

  3. Some cemeteries maintain obituaries of the residents of that cemetery. Inquire to see if you can obtain a Lot Card. A Lot Card contains information on an individual -- or individuals - buried in a plot. You might be able to find out who bought the plot, and obtain current contact information for the family, in addition to death and burial data.

  4. Along the same line, some funeral directors maintain obituary files. Also, don't forget to look in the funeral memory book. In addition to giving you leads on relatives and friends of the decedent, many funeral homes will include a copy of the obituary in the memory/guest book.

  5. Begging may also yield a cherished copy of a yellowed, tattered obituary. Ask relatives and close family friends if they happened to keep a copy of an obituary. I was pleasantly surprised to find an obituary carefully tucked behind a framed photo of the decedent.

  6. If the decedent was employed at the time of death, you may want to contact the Human Resources office at the place of employment. They may have put one in the personnel file.

  7. Information librarians in the County's suburban areas may be willing to provide assistance in finding an obituary. Many of these libraries have the capability to process email requests; and several even have round-the-clock live online assistance. Use www.google.com and do a search for "~name of city~ library." You don't need to use the quotation marks.

  8. Was this a "newsworthy" death, a result of a traffic accident, crime, or other circumstance? If so, the newspaper articles will be helpful in providing death information.

    Priceless Contacts for Genealogical Assistance in Los Angeles

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    This page was last updated on January 08, 2003