Official Source Library
The U.S. sources we rely on when writing obituary and after-death practical guides
Obituary searching often mixes funeral-home pages, newspapers, public notices and official government portals. This page explains which sources we use and what each one can and cannot prove.
Official and High-Trust Source Map
| Need | Best official source | What it helps with |
|---|---|---|
| Certified death certificate | USA.gov death certificate page and CDC/NCHS vital records directory | Find the correct state/local vital records office, request method and eligibility rules. |
| State-by-state vital records | CDC Where to Write for Vital Records | Find official state or territory vital statistics offices for death, birth, marriage and divorce records. |
| Funeral home price rights | FTC Funeral Rule and FTC funeral costs checklist | Understand General Price List rights and compare funeral costs. |
| Report a death to SSA | SSA when someone dies and USA.gov Social Security death report | Learn when a funeral home normally reports death and when family should call SSA. |
| Veteran burial benefits | VA burial and memorial benefits and USA.gov veteran burial | Check VA cemetery, burial allowance and memorial benefit routes. |
| VA committal schedule | VA Daily Burial Schedule | Search published committal services where the family authorized listing. |
| Mail after death | USPS mail for deceased guidance | Learn forwarding/stopping mail rules and executor documentation. |
| Identity theft/fraud | IdentityTheft.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov | Use FTC reporting tools for suspected identity theft or scams. |
Important Limitations
- A funeral-home obituary is usually not a certified legal record.
- A newspaper death notice may be paid by a family or funeral home and can contain human error.
- A government vital-record office may restrict certified copies to eligible family members, legal representatives or people with a direct interest.
- State procedures, fees and processing times change, so we link readers to the current official page instead of copying stale forms.
- We do not publish Social Security numbers, personal account numbers, full home addresses or private documents.
How Readers Should Use These Links
Start with the obituary or funeral-home page for service details. Use a state vital-record office for certified death certificates. Use SSA or USA.gov guidance for federal benefit reporting. Use FTC pages for funeral-price rights. Use VA resources for veterans burial benefits. When a page on our site is missing an official link, please tell us through Corrections & Updates.