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 PennLive Recent Obituaries and Verify Central Pennsylvania Funeral Notices
Looking for the most recent PennLive obituaries? PennLive obituary results are published through the Patriot-News obituary pages. Start with the Today page or name search, then use the handling funeral home to confirm service, cemetery, livestream and donation details.
Quick Answer: Where Should You Start?
Newest notice
Use the Patriot-News Today page for newly published PennLive obituary notices.
Known name
Use the dedicated Patriot-News search page with first name, last name and filters.
Funeral details
Open the handling funeral home’s own memorial before travelling, donating or sending flowers.
Legal proof
Use Pennsylvania Vital Records when a bank, insurer, estate or government office needs a certified death certificate.
How to Check Today’s PennLive / Patriot-News Obituaries
Find a PennLive Obituary by First and Last Name
The current Patriot-News search page provides separate first-name and last-name fields and additional filters for publication date, result type, location, newspaper and more.
Use PennLive Filters Instead of Scrolling Through Every Notice
The Patriot-News browse page currently provides multiple ways to narrow results.
Publish date
Useful when you know roughly when the obituary appeared.
Location
Separate Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Hershey, Carlisle and other communities.
Funeral home
Useful when you know the provider but not the exact publication date.
High school
Helpful when several people share the same name.
College
Penn State and other school associations can help confirm identity.
Result type
Separate current obituaries from memorial notices when needed.
Obituary vs. Memoriam: Check the Result Type
Recent death notice
An obituary normally announces a recent death and may include family, funeral, cemetery, donation and guestbook details.
Later remembrance
An in-memoriam notice can appear months or years after death. Do not treat its publication date as the death date.
Common PennLive / Patriot-News Search Areas
A PennLive obituary is not limited to Harrisburg city. Current Patriot-News results regularly include communities across Central Pennsylvania.
Harrisburg & Hershey
Also search Hummelstown, Middletown, Steelton, Linglestown, Lower Paxton and surrounding communities.
Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill & Carlisle
A funeral home, cemetery or residence may be west of the Susquehanna even when the newspaper is PennLive.
New Cumberland & Lemoyne
Search the municipality and funeral-home name when the surname is common.
Palmyra & nearby communities
Some Patriot-News notices are connected with communities east of Hershey.
Duncannon & nearby towns
Search the county, funeral home and cemetery if the town is small.
Search beyond one county
Residence, hospital, funeral home, newspaper and cemetery can all be in different counties.
Confirm the Correct Person Before Sharing the Notice
| Compare | Why it helps | Pause when… |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Similar names are common across Central Pennsylvania. | Middle or former surname differs. |
| Age | Separates people with the same name. | The age is clearly wrong. |
| Relatives | Family names are strong identity clues. | None of the relatives match. |
| Location | Helps distinguish Harrisburg-area people from wider Pennsylvania results. | There is no known local connection. |
| Funeral home | Creates a first-party verification route. | The provider serves an unexpected region. |
| School / employer | Useful for common names. | The biography belongs to another person. |
See how RecentObituaries.info verifies obituary information.
Verify Funeral, Visitation and Cemetery Details
Date and time
Visitation, funeral, Mass, memorial and graveside service can happen at different times.
Exact address
The funeral home, church, cemetery and reception may each have different addresses.
Public or private
Do not assume every service is open to the public.
Livestream
Use only a link supplied by the funeral home, church or family-authorized memorial.
Flowers or donations
Follow the family’s stated preference and verify a charity on its own official website.
Last-minute changes
Call before a long drive when weather, schedule or venue details could have changed.
How to Submit an Obituary to Patriot-News
The current Patriot-News obituary pages include a Submit an Obituary option.
Prepare these details first
- Full name and preferred name.
- Age and community.
- Family-approved obituary text.
- Photo you have permission to publish.
- Funeral, visitation and burial details.
- Handling funeral home.
- Approved flower or memorial-donation instructions.
- Billing contact.
How to Order a Pennsylvania Death Certificate
A PennLive obituary is not certified legal proof. Pennsylvania Department of Health issues certified death certificates for eligible applicants.
| Service | Current cost | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Death certificate | $20 each | Pennsylvania charges the same certificate fee regardless of quantity. |
| Online service fee | $10 | Added to the certificate fee for online ordering through Pennsylvania’s authorized vendor. |
| Mail order | $20 each | Pay by check or money order. Cash is not accepted by mail. |
| Military fee waiver | May apply | Eligible Armed Forces applicants can qualify for certificate-fee waivers under current state rules. |
Two Pennsylvania death-certificate versions
With medical information
Includes cause and manner of death. Pennsylvania notes this version may be needed for life-insurance or pension claims and family medical history.
Without medical information
Excludes medical details and can be used for tasks such as closing accounts or transferring property. Pennsylvania currently offers this option for deaths after 2019.
Who may qualify?
Pennsylvania currently allows eligible adults including certain close relatives, estate representatives, attorneys and people with a documented direct financial interest to apply. Supporting documents may be required.
Mailing address
Division of Vital Records
Death Certificate Processing Unit
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103
Vital Records phone: 844-228-3516
Microsteps before paying
When a Pennsylvania Death Certificate Becomes Public
Pennsylvania death certificates become public 50 years after the year of death and are transferred to the Pennsylvania State Archives.
Recent death
Use the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records and follow current applicant-eligibility rules.
Older public record
Use Pennsylvania State Archives research tools for death certificates that have entered the public record.
Pennsylvania State Archives
1681 N. Sixth Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102-1106
Phone: 717-783-3281
Search Older Patriot-News Notices at Dauphin County Library
The East Shore Area Library maintains an on-site microfilm collection that includes The Patriot-News from January 1, 1946 through December 31, 2015.
East Shore Area Library
4501 Ethel Street
Harrisburg, PA 17109
The microfilm collection is available for on-site research. The collection also includes older local publications and selected Pennsylvania county-history resources.
Better archive-search method
- Write the full name and alternate spellings.
- Estimate the death or publication date.
- Search several days after the expected death date.
- Try spouse, parent, employer or town when the surname is common.
- Look for “death,” “funeral,” “services” and “burial” when an item is not labeled obituary.
- Use Pennsylvania State Archives for older public death records.
Verify a Pennsylvania Funeral Director or Funeral Establishment
The Pennsylvania State Board of Funeral Directors regulates funeral directors and funeral establishments. The public can verify licenses through the Pennsylvania Licensing System, known as PALS.
State Board of Funeral Directors
2525 N. 7th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Phone: 1-833-367-2762
How to File a Pennsylvania Funeral Professional Complaint
If you believe a Pennsylvania-licensed professional acted unethically, below professional standards or without a required license, the Department of State provides a formal complaint process.
Complaint help line: 1-800-822-2113 from Pennsylvania.
Burial and Cremation Assistance Worth Checking
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services can provide burial or cremation payment for certain eligible deceased residents.
Who may qualify?
- Certain people who received Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
- Certain people receiving DHS cash assistance before death.
- People already found eligible for qualifying cash assistance before death.
- Certain long-term nursing-home residents covered by the program’s older eligibility rule.
Microsteps
Veteran Burial Benefits Near the PennLive Area
Families of eligible Veterans can use county Veterans Affairs offices and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for burial, grave-marker and national-cemetery help.
Dauphin County burial allowance
Dauphin County lists a county burial allowance for qualifying Veterans and spouses of deceased Veterans. The county says the application must be made within one year after death.
County grave markers
Dauphin County also describes county grave-marker and headstone benefits for qualifying deceased Veterans.
Indiantown Gap National Cemetery
60 Indiantown Gap Road
Annville, PA 17003
Phone: 717-865-5254
- VA currently lists the cemetery as open for casketed and cremated remains.
- Grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk.
- Current office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., excluding federal holidays except Memorial Day.
- Eligible Veterans, spouses and certain dependents may qualify for burial.
- Families can request eligibility determination before the time of need.
Funeral Price Rights Before You Agree to Pay
The Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule gives consumers important price and choice protections.
Ask for prices by phone
A funeral provider must give price information by telephone when you ask.
Get the General Price List
When discussing funeral arrangements or prices in person, ask for the written itemized General Price List.
Choose individual services
You generally have the right to buy only the funeral goods and services you want, subject to limited required charges.
Separate outside charges
Ask which costs come from the funeral home and which come from cemeteries, newspapers, clergy, florists or other providers.
Flowers, Donations, Guestbooks and Livestream Safety
Flowers
Use the correct funeral-home memorial and verify delivery information before ordering.
Memorial donations
Open the family-named charity’s own official website before entering payment details.
Guestbook
Assume messages are public. Avoid private addresses, medical information, account numbers and family disputes.
Livestream
Use only links supplied by the funeral home, church or family-authorized memorial.
Obituary Correction vs. Death Certificate Correction
Contact the publisher or submitting funeral home
Save the obituary URL, identify the incorrect text and prepare the approved replacement wording.
Use Pennsylvania Vital Records
Changing a PennLive obituary does not change a Pennsylvania death certificate. Government-record amendments use a separate process.
After You Find the Obituary
Save the useful links
Keep the obituary, funeral-home memorial, cemetery and authorized donation pages together.
Social Security
Ask the funeral director whether the death was reported to Social Security. Contact SSA if reporting is not confirmed.
Death certificates
Ask banks, insurers and estate professionals what type and number of certified copies they require.
Veteran benefits
Gather DD-214, death certificate and funeral/cemetery documents when military service applies.
Keep receipts
Save obituary publication, funeral, certificate, cemetery and benefit receipts.
Maintain a contact log
Record the organization, date, contact person, case number and next step.
For a wider task list, use our after-death notification checklist.
Common PennLive Obituary Search Mistakes
Searching only “PennLive”
The current obituary pages are labeled Patriot-News. Search both terms when necessary.
Checking only today
The notice may have appeared several days earlier. Use Browse or Search.
Confusing memoriam with obituary
A memoriam can appear years after the death.
Trusting one service time
Confirm current arrangements with the funeral home before travelling.
Ordering from a random certificate site
Start with Pennsylvania Department of Health and its authorized ordering route.
Assuming no obituary means no record
A family may choose a private service or no public notice while a government death record still exists.
Related RecentObituaries.info Guides
Obituary Search & Recent Notices Guide
Search by name, city, newspaper, funeral home, date and cemetery clue.
Death Certificate & Vital Records Guide
Know when an obituary is not enough for legal or financial tasks.
How We Verify Obituary Information
See the source hierarchy used for publishers, funeral homes, records and cemeteries.
Veterans Burial & Memorial Benefits
Federal, state and county routes for burial, markers and survivor help.
After-Death Notification Checklist
Organize Social Security, banks, insurance, records, mail and fraud-prevention steps.
Official and Primary Sources Used
Patriot-News — Today’s Obituaries Current PennLive/Patriot-News featured and recent obituary notices. Patriot-News — Obituary Search Name search with date, location, newspaper and other filters. Patriot-News — Browse Obituaries Current browse route, location and funeral-home filters, school filters and submission entry point. Pennsylvania Department of Health — Death Certificates Current $20 certificate fee, eligibility, certificate types, ordering methods and military fee waiver. Pennsylvania State Archives — Death Records Public-record timing and historical death-certificate research. Dauphin County Library System — Microfilm Collection Patriot-News microfilm from 1946 through 2015 at East Shore Area Library. Pennsylvania Department of State — License Verification PALS lookup for funeral directors and other licensed professionals. Pennsylvania Department of State — Complaint Process Formal complaint route for licensed professionals or suspected unlicensed practice. Pennsylvania DHS — Burial & Cremation Services Eligibility rules for qualifying burial and cremation payment assistance. Dauphin County Veterans Affairs — Burial Benefits County burial allowance, grave-marker and headstone benefit information. VA — Indiantown Gap National Cemetery Current cemetery address, phone, hours, burial-space status and eligibility route. Federal Trade Commission — Funeral Rule Price-list and funeral consumer-choice protections.PennLive Recent Obituary FAQs
Where can I find the most recent PennLive obituaries?
Use the Patriot-News Today obituary page. PennLive obituary results are currently presented under the Patriot-News obituary pages.
Is PennLive the same as Patriot-News for obituary searches?
PennLive users are directed to obituary pages labeled Patriot-News. Searching either PennLive obituaries or Patriot-News obituaries can lead to the same current obituary platform.
How do I search PennLive obituaries by name?
Use the dedicated Patriot-News obituary search page and enter first and last name. If needed, narrow by publish date, location or other filters.
Can I browse PennLive obituaries by funeral home?
Yes. The Patriot-News browse page currently includes funeral-home filtering as well as location, high-school, college and publication-date browsing.
What is the difference between an obituary and a memoriam?
An obituary normally announces a recent death. A memoriam may be published months or years later, so the memoriam publication date should not be treated as the date of death.
How do I submit an obituary to Patriot-News?
Open the Patriot-News obituary page and choose the Submit an Obituary option. Prepare the approved text, photo, service details, funeral-home information and billing contact before starting.
How much is a Pennsylvania death certificate?
Pennsylvania currently charges $20 for each death certificate. An online order also has a $10 service fee through the state’s authorized vendor.
Does Pennsylvania offer different types of death certificate?
Yes. Pennsylvania offers a certificate with medical information and, for deaths after 2019, an option without medical information. Ask the organization requesting the certificate which version it requires.
Who can order a recent Pennsylvania death certificate?
Eligible applicants include certain close relatives, estate representatives, attorneys and people with a documented direct financial interest. Identification and supporting records may be required.
Can military families get free Pennsylvania death certificates?
Some qualifying Armed Forces applicants can receive a waiver of the certificate fee. Pennsylvania currently limits the waiver to ten copies per applicant per calendar year, and online service fees are not waived.
When do Pennsylvania death certificates become public?
Pennsylvania death certificates become public 50 years after the year of death and are transferred to the Pennsylvania State Archives.
Where can I research old Patriot-News obituaries?
Dauphin County Library System’s East Shore Area Library has Patriot-News microfilm covering January 1, 1946 through December 31, 2015 for on-site research.
How can I verify a Pennsylvania funeral director?
Use Pennsylvania’s professional license verification route and search through PALS. The system can show current license status and disciplinary history.
Does Pennsylvania help with burial or cremation costs?
Pennsylvania DHS provides burial or cremation payment for certain eligible deceased residents who met specified assistance-status and resource rules. Eligibility is determined through the local County Assistance Office.
Does Dauphin County have Veteran burial benefits?
Dauphin County lists burial allowances for qualifying Veterans and spouses of deceased Veterans, along with grave-marker and headstone benefits. The burial-allowance application must be made within one year after death.
Is Indiantown Gap National Cemetery open for new burials?
Yes. The VA currently lists Indiantown Gap National Cemetery as open for casketed and cremated remains, subject to federal burial eligibility.
What should I verify before attending a PennLive-listed funeral?
Confirm the correct person, service date and time, exact address, public or private status, cemetery, accessibility needs and any last-minute changes through the handling funeral home.
Before You Share, Travel, Submit or Pay
- Use the Patriot-News Today page for the newest PennLive notices.
- Use Search or Browse when the notice is not on today’s page.
- Confirm the correct person with more than a matching name.
- Use the handling funeral home for current service information.
- Use Pennsylvania Vital Records for certified legal proof.
- Use Dauphin County Library and Pennsylvania State Archives for older research.
- Verify funeral licenses through Pennsylvania PALS when needed.
- Check Pennsylvania burial assistance and Veteran benefits before assuming all costs must be paid privately.
- Do not post private medical, financial or family information in public guestbooks.
RecentObituaries.info is an independent source-navigation guide. It is not PennLive, Patriot-News, Legacy, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Dauphin County Library System, a funeral home, cemetery, VA office or government agency. Verify final publication, service, record, fee and benefit information with the organization responsible for it.