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 Recent Fort Worth Obituaries and Verify Funeral Details
Start with the person’s name, then check Fort Worth newspaper and obituary listings. Once you find the likely notice, use the handling funeral home to confirm the service, cemetery, livestream, flowers and donations.
If you need legal proof of death, use Tarrant County Vital Records or Texas DSHS instead of an obituary page.
Choose the Task You Need to Complete
Find a recent death notice
Search Star-Telegram and broader Fort Worth listings, then confirm the person on the funeral-home memorial.
Confirm a service
Check visitation, funeral, church, cemetery, livestream and public/private status before travelling.
Get a death certificate
Use Tarrant County when it holds the record, or Texas DSHS for the statewide route.
Search an older obituary
Use the Fort Worth History Center, newspaper archives, genealogy databases and cemetery clues.
Use the Right Source for the Right Question
| What you need | Best starting source | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Recent Fort Worth obituary | Star-Telegram, Legacy or funeral-home obituary page | Match the correct person and open the original memorial. |
| Current funeral time | Handling funeral home | Recheck date, time, address and public/private status before leaving home. |
| Older obituary | Fort Worth History Center and newspaper archives | Search surname, date range, spouse, city directory and cemetery clues. |
| Certified local death record | Tarrant County Clerk Vital Records | Check whether the county holds the record, then prepare ID and eligibility proof. |
| Statewide Texas death record | Texas DSHS Vital Statistics | Use the state route when local issuance is unavailable or inconvenient. |
| Investigated death | Tarrant County Medical Examiner | Use official case findings for reportable deaths in the Medical Examiner district. |
| Funeral-home verification | Texas Funeral Service Commission | Verify the establishment or funeral director before paying an unfamiliar provider. |
Fastest Way to Find Recent Fort Worth Obituaries
For a wider search workflow, use our obituary search guide.
Search the Wider Fort Worth Area When One City Gives No Result
A person may live in Fort Worth but have a funeral home, church, hospital, cemetery or newspaper connection in another Tarrant County community.
Fort Worth, Benbrook, White Settlement
Try the person’s Fort Worth neighborhood, White Settlement Road area, Benbrook or west-side funeral-home location.
Keller, Hurst, Euless, Bedford
Search northeast Tarrant County when family, church, hospital or funeral-home ties point outside Fort Worth.
Lake Worth, Saginaw, Azle area
Try the funeral-home city or cemetery town when the residence was Fort Worth but services are northwest of the city.
Arlington and Grand Prairie
Search east Tarrant County and the individual funeral-home page. Arlington also has its own vital-record rules for recent deaths.
Mansfield and south Tarrant County
Add the cemetery, church, funeral-home name or Mansfield when Fort Worth-only searches are too narrow.
Dallas-Fort Worth crossover
Hospital, cemetery, newspaper and family locations may cross county lines. Search Dallas-area sources when the Fort Worth result is incomplete.
Verify the Correct Person Before Sharing the Obituary
| Compare | Why it matters | Pause when… |
|---|---|---|
| Age or birth year | Same-name results are common in a large metro area. | The age differs significantly. |
| Relatives | Spouse, parents, children and siblings are strong identity clues. | None of the listed relatives are familiar. |
| City / county | Separates Fort Worth from other Texas or DFW matches. | The notice has no expected local connection. |
| Funeral home | Gives you a first-party confirmation route. | The provider is unrelated to the expected area. |
| Church, school or employer | Adds local identity clues beyond the name. | The biography conflicts with known facts. |
| Dates | Separates a current death from an older obituary. | The result belongs to a different year. |
Verify Funeral and Cemetery Details Before Travelling
Time
Viewing, visitation, funeral, graveside service and reception may all have different times.
Address
The funeral home, church, cemetery and reception can be in separate locations.
Public or private
Check whether the service, burial or family visitation is public before attending.
Livestream
Use only the stream linked from the funeral home, church or authorized memorial.
Flowers / donations
Follow the family’s current instruction instead of an old copied obituary or social-media post.
Call if details conflict
When two sources disagree, contact the handling funeral home before driving or paying.
Can’t Find the Fort Worth Obituary? Try This Order
Find Older Fort Worth Obituaries and Death Notices
Fort Worth History Center
The Fort Worth History Center serves as the City of Fort Worth’s municipal archives and is designed for historical and genealogy research.
501 E. Bolt Street
Fort Worth, TX 76110
Phone: 817-392-7740
The genealogy/local-history team currently asks researchers to contact staff for an appointment.
What the library can help you search
The Fort Worth genealogy collection includes local-history material, census records, city directories, microfilm and subscription research databases.
- Star-Telegram archive resources
- Historical newspapers
- City directories
- Census and genealogy databases
- Fort Worth municipal archives
- Regional photographs and local-history collections
Historic cemetery clue
The City of Fort Worth identifies dozens of historic cemeteries within city limits. For an older burial, use the cemetery name as a research clue, then confirm the actual burial through cemetery, archive or family records.
Fort Worth Death Certificate: Tarrant County or Texas DSHS?
An obituary is not certified legal proof. Use an official death certificate when an estate, insurer, bank, pension plan, title company, court or government office asks for one.
Tarrant County Clerk
First copy: $21
Additional copy of the same record: $4 when purchased at the same time.
Certified death records can be requested in person, by mail or online through the County Clerk’s approved VitalChek route when Tarrant County has access to the record.
Texas DSHS Vital Statistics
First copy: $20
Additional copy of the same record: $3 when ordered at the same time.
Death verification: $20.
Use this route for statewide Texas records or when the local county route is not appropriate.
Who can usually request a recent Texas death certificate?
Texas lists immediate family as a child, parent or guardian, brother or sister, grandparent or spouse. A legal representative or another person with documented direct interest may also qualify under state rules.
Before ordering
- Confirm the person’s full legal name.
- Know the date or approximate date of death.
- Know the city or county where death occurred.
- Prepare current government-issued identification.
- Confirm your eligibility or legal interest.
- Ask how many certified copies each institution actually needs.
- Check the final fee before payment.
Tarrant County vs. state decision
| Situation | Try this route first | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth / county record held locally | Tarrant County Clerk | Local offices can provide certified copies when the county has the record. |
| Need statewide Texas route | Texas DSHS | State Vital Statistics handles Texas death records statewide. |
| Arlington death from 1971-present | Check Arlington city registrar first | Tarrant County says it does not have access to those death records. |
| Grapevine death from 1973-present | Check Grapevine city registrar first | Tarrant County identifies a city-record exception. |
| Certificate not filed yet | Handling funeral home | Ask whether the death record has been filed before repeatedly ordering. |
See also our Death Certificate & Vital Records Guide.
Tarrant County Vital Records Offices Near Fort Worth
County Vital Records services are available at the downtown office and neighborhood offices. Current standard office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
| Office | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County Plaza | 200 Taylor Street, 3rd Floor, Fort Worth, TX 76196-2000 | 817-884-1550 |
| Charles F. Griffin Building | 3212 Miller Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76105 | 817-884-1550 |
| Southwest Subcourthouse | 6551 Granbury Road, Suite 110, Fort Worth, TX 76133 | 817-884-1550 |
| Northwest Subcourthouse | 6713 Telephone Road, Suite 202, Lake Worth, TX 76135 | 817-884-1550 |
Texas DSHS Processing Times and Fees
| Request | Current state guidance | Important note |
|---|---|---|
| Texas.gov death certificate | About 20–25 business days | Shipping time is not included. |
| Mail death certificate | About 25–30 business days | Incomplete applications are rejected and processing restarts after resubmission. |
| Austin walk-in | Often same day | Some applications require 24 hours or more. |
| Expedited state processing | Priority handling | Texas currently lists a $25 expedited service fee; expedited processing does not guarantee record issuance. |
Tarrant County Medical Examiner: When to Use It
The Medical Examiner is not an obituary service. It matters when a death falls under official investigation, including certain deaths without medical attention, violent or unnatural deaths, or other reportable circumstances.
| Need | Official route | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Case status or findings | Medical Examiner Case Records | Use the official case-record search for reportable deaths in the district. |
| In absentia family question | Medical Examiner | Legal next-of-kin may call the office. |
| Records or official office help | Tarrant County Medical Examiner | Call before visiting if you are unsure which department handles the request. |
Tarrant County Medical Examiner
200 Feliks Gwozdz Place
Fort Worth, TX 76104
Phone: 817-920-5700
Business hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
The Medical Examiner district covers Tarrant, Denton, Parker and Johnson counties for reportable cases.
Tarrant County Burial Assistance for Families Without Resources
Tarrant County has a burial/disposition assistance program for qualifying families when the death occurred in Tarrant County and neither the estate nor next-of-kin has enough resources to pay for final disposition.
Death location
The death must have occurred within Tarrant County.
Estate resources
The deceased person’s estate must lack sufficient resources to pay for disposition.
Family resources
Next-of-kin must also lack sufficient resources under the program requirements.
How to start
Burial Assistance information:
Tarrant County Medical Examiner Outreach Investigations
817-920-5700, extension 8678
Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery and Veteran Burial Benefits
The Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery is the closest major VA national cemetery serving many Fort Worth-area families and is currently listed by VA as open for burial space.
Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery
2000 Mountain Creek Parkway
Dallas, TX 75211
Phone: 214-467-3374
National Cemetery Scheduling Office: 800-535-1117
No-cost VA national cemetery benefits for eligible burials can include
- Gravesite in an open VA national cemetery.
- Opening and closing of the grave.
- Perpetual care.
- Government headstone or marker.
- Burial flag for an eligible Veteran.
- Presidential Memorial Certificate.
Funeral Price Rights Before You Agree to Pay
The Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule gives consumers important price-shopping and itemized-choice protections.
Ask for prices by phone
Funeral providers must give price information by telephone when asked.
Ask for a General Price List
When discussing funeral goods, services or prices in person, ask for the General Price List to keep.
Select individual services
You generally can choose the goods and services you want instead of buying a package containing unwanted items.
Ask for the written total
Before paying, get the selected goods and services in writing and identify cash-advance items separately.
Verify a Texas Funeral Home or File the Right Complaint
Texas splits death-care regulation among different agencies. Choose the regulator that matches the problem.
| Issue | Regulator | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Funeral home / director / embalmer / crematory | Texas Funeral Service Commission | License verification, professional conduct and funeral-service complaints. |
| Prepaid funeral contract | Texas Department of Banking | Permitted prepaid funeral sellers and consumer complaints. |
| Perpetual-care cemetery | Texas Department of Banking | Certain regulated cemetery complaints and trust/perpetual-care issues. |
| Insurance policy funding prepaid funeral | Texas Department of Insurance | Insurance or annuity issues connected with a prepaid arrangement. |
Correcting an Obituary Is Different From Correcting a Death Certificate
Contact the publisher or funeral home
Save the obituary URL, identify the exact incorrect text, prepare the approved replacement wording and contact the organization that published the notice.
A corrected obituary does not automatically alter any government record.
Use Texas DSHS for certificate corrections
Texas death-certificate corrections follow the state amendment process and eligibility rules.
Current state fees:
- Death-record correction filing: $15.
- First certified corrected copy: $20.
- Additional corrected copies ordered together: $3 each.
Flowers, Donations, Guestbooks and Livestream Safety
Flowers
Use the flower instructions on the handling funeral home’s memorial. Confirm the correct person and delivery location first.
Memorial donations
If a family names a charity, open the charity’s official website rather than paying through a copied obituary or comment.
Guestbook
Assume messages are public. Do not post Social Security numbers, bank details, private addresses or medical information.
Livestream
Use only the link supplied by the funeral home, church or family-authorized memorial.
After You Find the Obituary: Practical Next Steps
Social Security
Funeral homes generally report deaths to Social Security. If no funeral home is involved or reporting is unclear, contact SSA.
Survivor benefits
A spouse, some divorced spouses, children or dependent parents may qualify for survivor benefits depending on the deceased worker’s record.
Certificate copies
Ask each bank, insurer, pension administrator or estate office whether it truly needs a certified copy before ordering many copies.
Use our After-Death Notification Checklist for a broader workflow.
Common Fort Worth Obituary Problems and Quick Fixes
| Problem | Likely reason | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| No obituary appears | Delayed notice, private service, spelling difference or funeral-home-only posting. | Search surname only, widen dates and check funeral-home websites. |
| Too many matching names | Large DFW population and common names. | Add age, spouse, city, funeral home, cemetery or service date. |
| Service time changed | Family, weather or venue update. | Use the funeral-home memorial and call before travelling. |
| Death certificate unavailable | Record not yet filed, wrong registrar or eligibility/ID issue. | Ask whether the funeral home filed the record, then call Vital Records. |
| Old obituary not online | Notice predates modern web archives. | Use Fort Worth History Center, newspaper archives and genealogy collections. |
| Donation link looks suspicious | Copied obituary or fake fundraiser. | Return to the funeral-home notice and official charity website. |
Related RecentObituaries.info Guides
Search by name, location, date, funeral home, newspaper and family clues.
Know when certified government proof is needed instead of an obituary.
SSA, banks, insurance, mail, records and fraud-prevention tasks.
Official and Primary Sources Used
Fort Worth Star-Telegram — Local Obituaries Fort Worth-area obituary reporting and local death notices. Legacy — Dallas-Fort Worth Obituaries Broad DFW obituary listings and funeral-home notices. Tarrant County Clerk — Birth & Death Records Local death-certificate fees, eligibility, ID, order methods and city exceptions. Tarrant County Vital Records Locations Office addresses, phone, hours and downtown parking guidance. Texas DSHS — Death Records Statewide ordering, corrections, requirements and local-office guidance. Texas DSHS — Vital Record Fees State death certificate, verification, correction and expedited fees. Texas DSHS — Processing Times Current average business-day timing for online and mail requests. Fort Worth Public Library — Genealogy Fort Worth History Center, archives, genealogy databases and research help. Tarrant County Medical Examiner — Case Findings Official case-status route for reportable deaths in the Medical Examiner district. Tarrant County — Burial Assistance Program Eligibility and disposition help for families and estates without sufficient resources. Texas Funeral Service Commission — License Verification Verify funeral homes, funeral directors, embalmers and crematories. Texas Department of Banking — Cemetery & Prepaid Funeral Services Prepaid funeral and perpetual-care cemetery oversight. VA — Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery Cemetery address, contact, burial scheduling and current burial status. Federal Trade Commission — Funeral Rule Funeral price information and consumer rights.Recent Fort Worth Obituaries: Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find recent obituaries in Fort Worth?
Start with Fort Worth Star-Telegram obituary coverage and broader Dallas-Fort Worth obituary listings. Once you identify the likely person, open the handling funeral home’s memorial to verify service details.
How do I search Fort Worth obituaries by name?
Search the full name first. If no result appears, remove the middle name, try surname only, nickname, maiden name, spouse name, funeral home or a nearby Tarrant County city.
Why can’t I find a recent Fort Worth obituary?
The notice may not be published yet, the family may choose a private service, the obituary may use another name, or it may appear only on a funeral-home website. Widen the date range and search nearby DFW communities.
What source should I use for current funeral details?
Use the handling funeral home’s individual memorial page. Confirm the date, time, venue, cemetery, livestream and public/private status before travelling.
How much is a Tarrant County death certificate?
Tarrant County currently lists $21 for the first certified death certificate and $4 for each additional copy of the same record purchased at the same time.
How much is a Texas state death certificate?
Texas DSHS currently lists $20 for the first death certificate and $3 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. A death verification is $20.
Who can request a recent Texas death certificate?
Texas restricts recent death certificates. Immediate family members and certain legal representatives may qualify. Other applicants generally need documentation showing a direct, tangible interest.
How long are Texas death records confidential?
Texas death records are restricted for 25 years from the date of death. After that period, different public-access rules apply.
How do I find an older Fort Worth obituary?
Use the Fort Worth History Center, Star-Telegram archive resources, historical newspapers, genealogy databases, city directories and cemetery clues.
What is Tarrant County burial assistance?
Tarrant County provides disposition assistance in qualifying cases when the death occurred in the county and neither the estate nor next-of-kin has enough resources. Cremation is the primary disposition method under the program.
Where can I check a Tarrant County Medical Examiner case?
Use the official Tarrant County Medical Examiner Case Findings page for reportable cases in Tarrant, Denton, Parker or Johnson County.
How do I verify a Fort Worth funeral home is licensed?
Use the Texas Funeral Service Commission public license search. You can search licensed funeral establishments and funeral professionals before paying or signing an agreement.
Where do I complain about a Texas prepaid funeral contract or cemetery?
The Texas Department of Banking regulates permitted prepaid funeral sellers and many perpetual-care cemeteries. Funeral-home professional conduct is generally handled by the Texas Funeral Service Commission.
Is Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery open for new burials?
VA currently lists Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery as open for burial space. Eligibility must still be confirmed under VA rules.
Before You Share, Travel or Pay
- Confirm the correct person, not only a matching name.
- Use the funeral-home memorial for current service details.
- Save funeral, church, cemetery and reception addresses separately.
- Use Tarrant County or Texas DSHS for certified death records.
- Use the Medical Examiner only when the case falls within its official role.
- Check county burial assistance before paying if the family and estate lack resources.
- Verify an unfamiliar funeral provider through the Texas Funeral Service Commission.
- Check VA burial benefits before paying cemetery costs for an eligible Veteran.
- Never post private medical, financial or identity information in a public guestbook.
RecentObituaries.info is an independent information and source-navigation guide. It is not the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Legacy, a funeral home, Tarrant County, Texas DSHS, the Medical Examiner, TFSC, Texas Department of Banking, VA, SSA or FTC.