Search Obituary, Death and Burial Records by Name
Enter the person’s first name, last name and last known state to prepare an obituary, death, burial, cemetery, memorial and related public-record search.
Find the Right Mobile Notice Before You Travel
Search current Mobile-area obituaries, identify the correct person and move to the funeral-home memorial when you need final service details.
This guide also helps with missing notices, old Press-Register archives, obituary submissions and certified Alabama death records.
Sources checked July 15, 2026: AL.com/Legacy Mobile Metropolitan Area obituary tools, first-party Mobile funeral homes, Mobile Public Library, Mobile County Health Department and Alabama Department of Public Health.
Find the Right Source in About 60 Seconds
Do not search every website at once. Start with the newest newspaper listing, verify the person, then move to the source that controls the detail you need.
Use the newest Mobile Metropolitan Area listing for notices published in the current cycle.
Try surname first, then add first name, maiden name, nickname or one local clue.
Verify identity, relatives, location and funeral-home or service information.
Funeral home for services, library for archives and vital records for legal proof.
Current naming: many residents still type “Mobile Press Register recent obituaries,” but the current AL.com/Legacy obituary page is labeled Mobile Metropolitan Area Obituaries.
Why the name changed: the Mobile Press-Register published its final print edition in February 2023. Current notices continue online, while older records may still use Press-Register, Mobile Register or earlier newspaper titles.
Find Today’s and Recent Mobile Obituaries
Use the Today page for the newest publication cycle. Use Browse when the notice may be several days or weeks old, or when you need filters.
Search in Five Practical Steps
Start With the Surname
A surname-only search avoids missing an entry that uses a nickname, middle name, maiden name or different first-name spelling.
Add the First Name
Use the legal first name first. Try a common nickname only after checking the legal-name result.
Widen the Publication Date
The obituary may appear days after the death because the family is still approving text, photographs or service arrangements.
Add One Strong Local Clue
Use Mobile, Daphne, Saraland, Theodore, a funeral home, church, school, employer or cemetery—not several uncertain clues at once.
Open the Full Notice
Do not rely on a search snippet. Open the obituary and compare the person, publication date, funeral home and service information.
Official Search Routes
For the newest published notices, open today’s Mobile Metropolitan Area obituaries.
For recent dates and broader filters, use the Mobile Metropolitan Area Browse page.
When you know the person’s name, use the Mobile obituary name-search page.
When the notice may come from another publisher or funeral home, check the wider Legacy Mobile, Alabama obituary page.
Search Recipes You Can Copy
"First Last" obituary Mobile Alabama
"First Maiden-name" obituary Mobile
"First Last" obituary "funeral home"
"Last name" obituary spouse Mobile
"First Last" obituary "June 2026"
"First Last" obituary Daphne OR Saraland
Insider search trick: if the person was widely known by a nickname, search both ways. Newspaper notices often use the legal name in the heading and place the nickname inside the obituary text.
Read the AL.com Obituary Page Correctly
The page can display local notices, featured notices and national “Obituaries in the News.” These are different result groups.
| Page area | What it contains | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Today’s Obituaries | Notices in the newest Mobile Metropolitan Area publication cycle. | Check identity and publication date before opening service details. |
| Featured Obituaries | Selected notices given prominent placement. | Do not assume a missing person has no obituary because they are not featured. |
| Obituaries in the News | Nationally notable deaths that may have no Mobile connection. | Ignore this section when searching for a local family member. |
| Browse by school or funeral home | Grouped notices connected to institutions or providers. | Use this when a name search is broad or spelling is uncertain. |
Use the Four-Match Identity Rule
Do not share an obituary until at least four independent details point to the same person.
Legal name, nickname, middle name, maiden name or former surname.
Age, birth year, death date or expected publication period.
Relatives, school, church, military service, employer or community.
Funeral home, church, cemetery, visitation or memorial location.
Wrong-person warning: the same name can appear in Mobile, Baldwin County and neighboring Gulf Coast communities. A name and city alone are not enough.
Keep the Three Dates Separate
Death and Publication
The person may die on one date and have the obituary published several days later. Recent-result filters normally use the publication date.
Service and Burial
Visitation, funeral, burial and reception can occur on different dates or at different locations.
Search the Wider Mobile Metropolitan Area
A person may live in Mobile, use a Daphne funeral home, attend church in Saraland and be buried elsewhere. Search family connections rather than one city only.
Mobile County Locations
Mobile, Prichard, Chickasaw, Saraland, Satsuma, Semmes, Theodore, Tillmans Corner, Grand Bay, Bayou La Batre and Dauphin Island.
Baldwin County Locations
Daphne, Spanish Fort, Fairhope, Bay Minette, Robertsdale, Foley, Gulf Shores and nearby communities.
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Remove the city from the search. The listing may use the funeral-home location or former hometown.
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Try maiden and married surnames. Friends, school records and family notices may use different names.
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Search the spouse or parent. A family member’s name can separate the correct person from similar results.
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Use a school or church clue. AL.com and Legacy may connect notices to schools, colleges and local institutions.
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Check the funeral home directly. The first-party memorial may appear before the newspaper listing.
Check Mobile Funeral Homes for Final Service Details
The newspaper listing helps you find the notice. The funeral home handling the arrangements is usually the better source for final service times, venue changes, flowers, donations, livestreams and cemetery instructions.
| First-party provider | Location and phone | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Ascension Funeral Home & Crematory | 1016 Hillcrest Road, Mobile 251-634-8055 |
Memorial pages, service information and direct provider confirmation. |
| Mobile Funeral Home and Crematory obituaries | 690 Zeigler Circle W, Mobile 251-633-4733 |
Recent provider notices, visitation details and locally managed memorials. |
| Mobile Memorial Gardens obituaries | 6040 Three Notch Road, Mobile 251-661-7700 |
Recent notices, service schedules, directions and obituary notifications. |
| Small’s Mortuary obituary listings | Mobile and West Mobile locations 251-431-0559 |
Mobile, West Mobile, Daphne and Mt. Vernon notices and branch verification. |
| Radney Funeral Home-Mobile | 3155 Dauphin Street, Mobile 251-479-4547 |
Individual memorials, upcoming services and direct venue confirmation. |
| Pine Crest Funeral Home | 1939 Dauphin Island Parkway, Mobile 251-478-5227 |
Funeral-home and cemetery arrangements, memorials and location confirmation. |
The 48-Hour Service Rule
When the service is today, tomorrow or within 48 hours, do not rely only on the first version of the obituary. Recheck the memorial and call if any detail is unclear.
- Confirm whether the event is public, private or invitation-only.
- Check the date, Central Time and exact starting time.
- Confirm whether visitation and funeral are at different locations.
- Check whether burial is at a separate cemetery.
- Ask whether severe weather changed the schedule.
- Confirm parking and accessibility when needed.
- Save each venue separately in your phone.
- Recheck the memorial on the morning of the service.
Short Call Script
“Hello, I am checking the public arrangements for [full name]. The notice shows [date, time and place]. Can you confirm the exact venue, whether it is public, whether burial is elsewhere and whether anything has changed?”
Mobile travel tip: downtown events, tunnel traffic, bridges, causeways and Gulf Coast weather can change travel time. Do not use the funeral-home address when the notice lists a church or cemetery as the actual service location.
Flowers, Donations and Livestream Safety
- Use the individual first-party memorial page.
- Match the person and service date before ordering flowers.
- Follow “in lieu of flowers” instructions exactly.
- Verify a named charity on its own official website.
- Do not pay through a social-media comment or unsolicited message.
- Do not post private addresses, financial details or family disputes in a guestbook.
What to Do When the Obituary Is Missing
A blank search can mean the notice is delayed, private, listed under another name or city, or available only from the funeral home.
Search the Surname Only
Remove an uncertain middle name, age, date or city that may be blocking the result.
Try Other Name Forms
Use maiden names, former surnames, nicknames, initials and hyphenated spellings.
Widen the Publication Window
Search the days or weeks after the death, not only the expected death date.
Search Nearby Communities
Try the residence, former hometown, funeral-home city, church and cemetery location.
Check First-Party Funeral Homes
A provider memorial can be published before the newspaper obituary is approved.
Move to Archives When Appropriate
Current obituary pages are not designed for notices from many years or decades ago.
Private-family choice: not every death produces a newspaper obituary, public guestbook, livestream or open funeral service.
Do not announce a death from social media alone. Confirm the identity with a family-authorized notice, first-party funeral home or appropriate official record.
Search Older Mobile Press-Register Obituaries
The newspaper used several titles over its long history. Current listings, online newspaper archives and library microfilm cover different periods.
| Research need | Best starting source | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Current and recent notices | Mobile Metropolitan Area Browse | Not a complete historical newspaper archive. |
| Full-color Mobile Register pages | Mobile Public Library NewsBank resources | A library card or onsite access may be required. |
| Older local newspapers | Local History & Genealogy Library | Microfilm research may require browsing by date rather than name. |
| Selected digitized historical material | FamilySearch Mobile Press-Register catalog | Selected coverage is not a complete newspaper run. |
| Commercial name search | ObitsArchive or GenealogyBank | Verify years and subscription terms before paying. |
Archive OCR Tricks That Actually Help
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Search a wider year range. Use two or three years when the death year is uncertain.
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Search part of the surname. Old scans may misread one or two letters.
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Try a spouse or parent. Another family name may scan more clearly.
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Search funeral and cemetery words. Service text may be indexed even when the name is not.
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Browse the newspaper page image. A visible obituary can exist even when text search returns nothing.
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Save a complete citation. Record newspaper title, date, page, column and archive source.
Research shortcut: search both “Press-Register” and “Mobile Register.” Older databases may index the newspaper under a title used during that period.
Submit a Mobile Obituary Without Costly Mistakes
Create one family-approved master copy before opening the publishing portal. This prevents different relatives and the funeral home from working from conflicting versions.
Prepare the Master Copy
- Full legal name and preferred display name
- Nickname, maiden name or former surname
- Birth date, age and death date
- Mobile or Gulf Coast community connection
- Surviving and predeceased family members
- Education, employment, military, church and community details
- Visitation, funeral, memorial and burial details
- Funeral-home name and verified contact information
- Approved flower or memorial-donation wording
- Approved photograph and caption
- Name of the family-authorized submitter
Keep private data out: do not publish Social Security numbers, account information, identification numbers, private email addresses or unnecessary residential addresses.
Control the Price Without Damaging the Notice
- Get the live quote before making final length decisions.
- Check whether print, online publication or both are included.
- Ask whether photographs create separate charges.
- Confirm whether multiple publication dates cost extra.
- Protect names, dates and service information when shortening text.
- Remove repeated phrases before removing useful life details.
- Save the preview, receipt and confirmation number.
Editing trick: cut repeated expressions such as multiple versions of “deeply loved” before cutting names, military service, community work or funeral instructions.
After the family approves the complete text, use the Mobile Metropolitan Area obituary submission portal.
Legacy explains the preview and publication process in its official publishing instructions.
Correct a Published Notice
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Save the URL and publication date. Include the order or confirmation number when available.
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Copy the exact error. Quote the incorrect name, date, address or sentence.
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Prepare approved replacement text. Do not send several possible versions.
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Contact the original submitter first. This may be the funeral home or family account holder.
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Ask about online and print separately. A printed edition cannot be changed after publication.
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Save written confirmation. Keep the revised preview, support email or case number.
Use a Death Certificate When an Obituary Is Not Legal Proof
Banks, insurers, estates, pensions, courts and government agencies may require a certified Alabama death certificate rather than an obituary.
| Document | Best use | Certified legal proof? |
|---|---|---|
| AL.com obituary | Public notice, biography and publication information. | No |
| Funeral-home memorial | Current service, cemetery, flowers and livestream information. | No |
| Alabama death certificate | Legal, financial, estate and government requirements. | Yes |
Mobile County In-Person Office
The Mobile County Vital Records office processes certificates at the downtown Main Health Center. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; certificate processing stops at 4:00 p.m. because the forms can take up to 30 minutes.
Mobile County Health Department — Vital Records251 North Bayou Street
Mobile, Alabama
Telephone: 251-690-8150
Call-Before-Visit Script
“I need a certified Alabama death certificate. Can you confirm my eligibility, the ID I should bring, the current fee, payment method and whether the record can normally be issued during my visit?”
Current Listed Fees
| Item | Listed fee | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| First certified copy | $15 | Includes the record search and one certified copy or failure-to-find certificate. |
| Additional same-record copy | $6 each | Must be ordered at the same time. |
| State expedited request | $15 additional | Confirm the current state expedite process before mailing. |
| Mobile card payment | $1.95 administrative charge | Listed for credit or debit payments at the main health center. |
Who Can Obtain a Record Less Than 25 Years Old?
Alabama restricts death certificates for 25 years. Qualifying requesters include close family, a legal representative of the family or estate, and the informant named on the certificate.
- Mother or father
- Husband or wife
- Son or daughter
- Sister or brother
- Grandchild who demonstrates entitlement
- Legal representative of the family or estate
- Informant named on the certificate
Identification Rules From the Official PDF
One Primary Photo ID
Examples include a driver’s license, state ID, passport, military ID, resident card, tribal ID or another listed photo ID.
Or Two Secondary IDs
Examples include a recent utility bill, vehicle registration, property-tax bill, voter card or health-insurance card.
Official PDF detail: a primary ID may be current or expired no more than 60 days. If another person is designated to collect a restricted certificate, both applicant and designee must provide acceptable identification.
Prepare the Application Information
- Full legal name of the deceased
- Date and county or city of death
- Date of birth or age
- Spouse and parents’ names when known
- Your relationship or legal authority
- Acceptable identification
- Mailing address and daytime phone number
- Signed application and correct payment
Do not expose sensitive data: enter Social Security or ID information only on the official Alabama form when required. Never post it in an obituary search, guestbook or unofficial certificate website.
Ask Which Certificate Version Is Needed
For deaths beginning in 1991, the Alabama form permits copies with or without the cause of death. Ask the bank, insurer, court or agency which version it accepts before ordering several copies.
Review the Mobile County death-certificate instructions before visiting.
For mail, statewide county-office and authorized online options, use the Alabama Department of Public Health death-certificate page.
Download the official Alabama application and identification PDF before preparing the request.
Save This Information on Your Phone
- Correct obituary URL
- Funeral-home memorial URL
- Funeral-home telephone number
- Visitation date, time and address
- Funeral or memorial date, time and address
- Cemetery name and address
- Livestream link, when officially provided
- Flower or donation instructions
- Submission receipt or correction case number
- Death-certificate order receipt and copy type
Practical final check: take a screenshot of the service details for travel convenience, but reopen the live funeral-home memorial before leaving in case the family posts an update.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find Mobile Press-Register obituaries published today?
Use the Mobile Metropolitan Area Today page on AL.com and Legacy. Current online notices use the Mobile Metropolitan Area label even though many residents still search for the Mobile Press-Register name.
Why does the obituary page say Mobile Metropolitan Area?
The Mobile Press-Register published its final print edition in February 2023. Current obituary notices continue online through AL.com and Legacy under the Mobile Metropolitan Area label.
How do I search Mobile obituaries from the past 30 days?
Use the Mobile Metropolitan Area Browse page, search the surname and widen the publication-date range. Try maiden names, nicknames, funeral homes and nearby Mobile or Baldwin County communities.
Why can’t I find a recent Mobile obituary?
The notice may still be pending, may appear only on a funeral-home page, may use another surname or location, or may be private. Search name variations and first-party funeral homes before assuming no notice exists.
How do I know an obituary belongs to the correct person?
Match at least four details: name variation, age or date, family or life clues, and funeral-home or service location. Do not rely on a matching name alone.
Where should I verify funeral and visitation details?
Use the family-selected funeral-home memorial page to confirm the current date, time, venue, public or private status, cemetery, livestream and any changes. Call when the service is within 48 hours.
How can I search old Mobile Press-Register obituaries?
Start with Mobile Public Library’s Mobile Register NewsBank access and Local History and Genealogy microfilm. Paid newspaper archives and FamilySearch may provide additional coverage, but verify the available years before paying.
How do I submit an obituary for Mobile?
Use the Mobile Metropolitan Area obituary submission portal. Prepare family-approved text and service details, review every name and date, and confirm the current deadline, photo charges and final price before payment.
How do I correct a Mobile obituary?
Contact the funeral home or person who originally submitted the notice. Provide the obituary URL, exact incorrect wording and approved replacement, and ask whether online and printed versions require separate handling.
Can an obituary replace an Alabama death certificate?
No. An obituary is not certified legal proof. Eligible requesters can obtain Alabama death certificates through Mobile County Health Department, another Alabama county health department, the state office or its authorized online provider.