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 Richmond Virginia Obituaries and Verify Funeral Details
Search the person’s full name with Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield or another nearby locality. Then confirm the correct notice through the funeral home or original publisher. If you need legal proof, use Virginia Vital Records instead of an obituary copy.
Start With What You Need
Recent obituary
Search Richmond Times-Dispatch and Richmond-area obituary listings by full name.
Funeral details
Use the handling funeral home for the latest viewing, funeral, church, livestream and burial information.
Older notice
Use Library of Virginia newspaper collections and Richmond historical indexes.
Official record
Use Virginia Vital Records when an estate, bank, insurer or government office needs a certified death certificate.
Where to Find Today’s Richmond Virginia Obituaries
The strongest starting points are the Richmond Times-Dispatch obituary pages, Richmond-specific current listings and the handling funeral home.
Richmond Times-Dispatch Today
Use the newspaper’s dedicated current-obituary page when you are checking notices published today.
Richmond Times-Dispatch Browse
Browse by publication date, funeral home, location, school and other filters when the notice is not on today’s page.
Richmond VA local listings
Use Richmond-area listings when the obituary was published by a funeral home or another source instead of the newspaper.
How to Search Richmond Obituaries by Name
Search the Greater Richmond Area, Not Just Richmond City
A person may be described as “from Richmond” even when the home address, funeral home, church, cemetery or legal death record belongs to a nearby county.
Independent city
Search Richmond separately from surrounding counties. Useful neighborhood clues include Northside, Southside, East End and West End.
North, west and east metro
Try Henrico, Glen Allen, Short Pump, Sandston, Highland Springs and Varina where relevant.
South and southwest metro
Try North Chesterfield, Midlothian, Chester, Bon Air and nearby communities.
North of Richmond
Mechanicsville, Ashland and Hanover funeral homes may serve families described as Richmond-area residents.
Goochland & Powhatan
Search rural and suburban county sources when a Richmond-only query gives no result.
Petersburg, Hopewell & Colonial Heights
Some Central Virginia families have Richmond connections but publish notices through Tri-Cities funeral homes or newspapers.
Verify the Correct Person Before Sharing an Obituary
| Compare | Why it helps | Pause when… |
|---|---|---|
| Age or birth year | Separates people with the same name. | Age is substantially different. |
| Relatives | Spouse, children, parents and siblings are strong identity clues. | No family names match. |
| Locality | Distinguishes Richmond city from Henrico, Chesterfield and nearby counties. | There is no known area connection. |
| Funeral home | Creates a first-party verification route. | The provider serves a completely different region. |
| School / church / employer | Useful when the name is common. | The biography clearly belongs to someone else. |
| Dates | Separates current notices from older obituaries and memoriams. | The result is from another year or generation. |
See our obituary verification methodology for the source hierarchy used on this website.
Before You Attend a Richmond Funeral or Memorial
Check each time
Viewing, visitation, funeral, memorial, Mass, graveside service and burial can happen at different times.
Check each address
The funeral home, church, cemetery and reception may all have different locations.
Public or private?
A public obituary does not automatically mean every service is open to everyone.
Livestream
Use only a link supplied by the funeral home, church or family-authorized memorial.
Flowers or donations
Follow the family’s instruction. Verify a charity on its own official website before donating.
Call if details conflict
Confirm current arrangements with the handling funeral home before a long drive or payment.
Can’t Find the Richmond Obituary? Try This Order
Find Older Richmond Obituaries and Death Notices
Richmond has unusually strong historical newspaper resources through the Library of Virginia.
Virginia Chronicle
The Library of Virginia provides free full-text searching and digitized images from millions of historical Virginia newspaper pages.
Richmond Times-Dispatch archive
Virginia residents can use Library of Virginia access to Richmond Times-Dispatch databases. The Library also holds Richmond newspaper microfilm.
Richmond Newspaper Card Index
The Library of Virginia maintains an index covering Richmond Times-Dispatch and Richmond News Leader articles primarily from the 1940s through 1985.
Virginia Newspaper Directory
Use the directory to identify original, microfilm and digitized holdings for Richmond-area newspaper titles.
Older Richmond search tricks
- Search surname only when OCR misses the full name.
- Try “died,” “death,” “funeral,” “buried,” “interment” and “services.”
- Search a spouse, parent or sibling when the deceased person’s name is poorly scanned.
- Search Richmond city separately from surrounding counties.
- Search several weeks around the expected date.
How to Get a Virginia Death Certificate in 2026
Use a certified death certificate when an estate, insurance company, bank, pension plan, property office, court or government agency needs official proof.
| Virginia Vital Records detail | Current guidance |
|---|---|
| Certified copy / search | $15 for each certified copy or search when no certified copy is made. |
| Online processing | VDH currently lists about 5 business days after a complete online application is submitted. |
| Mail processing | VDH currently lists about 8 business days after a complete paper application is received. |
| Main Richmond walk-in office | 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227. |
| Public lobby hours | Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. |
| Customer Care Center | 804-662-6200, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
Microsteps before ordering
For general certificate help, also see our death certificate and vital records guide.
You May Not Need to Use the Main State Office
Virginia allows certified death certificates to be issued through local health departments in many situations.
Henrico Health Department
Henrico states that certified death certificates can generally be obtained through any local Virginia health department regardless of where in Virginia the death occurred.
Important exception: when fewer than 30 days have passed since the death was filed, the certificate must be obtained from the city or county where the death was originally filed.
Henrico lists the same current $15 vital-record fee.
Henrico Health Department East
1400 N. Laburnum Avenue
Henrico, VA 23223
Phone: 804-652-3190
Henrico advises calling this location for an appointment.
Richmond Cemetery and Burial Search Help
The City of Richmond Cemeteries Division manages active and historic municipal cemeteries and provides genealogy help for some locations by appointment.
City Cemeteries Administrative Office
1401 S. Randolph Street
Richmond, VA 23220
Phone: 804-646-1401
General office assistance: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
City cemetery visiting hours are generally sunrise to sunset.
If an obituary names a Richmond cemetery
Richmond Veteran Cemetery and Burial Help
Richmond National Cemetery
1701 Williamsburg Road
Richmond, VA 23231
Phone: 804-795-2031
The cemetery is open daily from sunrise to sunset. The office is normally open Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Virginia Veterans Cemetery at Amelia
10300 Pridesville Road
Amelia Court House, VA 23002
Phone: 855-482-8387
Virginia allows Veterans to pre-apply for eligibility. Applicants should prepare military service documentation such as a DD-214 and marriage documentation when applicable.
How to Verify a Virginia Funeral Home or Funeral Professional
The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation provides an official license lookup.
Funeral Price Rights Before You Agree to Pay
Ask for prices by phone
Under the FTC Funeral Rule, funeral providers must give price information by telephone when you ask.
Request the General Price List
When discussing arrangements in person, ask for an itemized General Price List and keep it.
Select only what you need
You generally have the right to choose individual goods and services rather than an unwanted package.
Separate cemetery and newspaper charges
Ask which costs come from the funeral home and which are third-party charges.
Obituary Correction vs. Death Certificate Correction
Contact the publisher
If a name, date, service time or family detail is wrong, contact the funeral home or newspaper that published the notice. Give the exact URL and approved correction.
Use Virginia Vital Records
Changing a newspaper or funeral-home obituary does not change the certified death certificate. Vital-record amendments follow a separate process.
Flowers, Donations, Guestbooks and Livestream Safety
Flowers
Use the family-authorized obituary or funeral-home memorial. Confirm the correct person and service location first.
Memorial donations
Use the charity named by the family, then open that organization’s own website before paying.
Guestbooks
Assume public comments can be read by others. Do not post private addresses, account information, medical details or family disputes.
Livestreams
Do not pay an unknown website to unlock a funeral stream. Use the funeral home, church or family-authorized link.
After You Find the Obituary
Social Security
Ask the funeral home whether the death was reported to Social Security. If not, family members may need to contact SSA.
Death certificates
Ask banks, insurers and estate professionals how many certified copies they actually require.
Veteran benefits
Gather DD-214, death certificate, funeral invoices and cemetery documents early.
Insurance and banks
Ask whether a certified copy is required before mailing an original document.
Save every confirmation
Keep order numbers, case numbers, receipts and contact names together.
Protect private records
Keep Social Security numbers, account details and estate documents away from public guestbooks and memorials.
Use our after-death notification checklist for a larger administrative workflow.
Related RecentObituaries.info Guides
Recent Obituaries Virginia
Statewide Virginia obituary, locality, death-record, cemetery and archive guidance.
Obituary Search & Recent Notices
Search by name, date, funeral home, newspaper, cemetery or location.
Death Certificate & Vital Records
Understand when a certified government record is needed instead of an obituary.
How We Verify Obituary Information
See how funeral homes, newspapers, government records and cemeteries are checked.
Veterans Burial & Memorial Benefits
VA and state cemetery, marker, flag and burial-benefit guidance.
After-Death Notification Checklist
Organize Social Security, banks, insurance, records, mail and benefit notifications.
Official and Primary Sources Used
Richmond Times-Dispatch Obituaries Recent notices, dates, funeral homes and obituary browsing. Richmond Times-Dispatch Obituary Search First-name, last-name and additional obituary filters. Virginia Department of Health — Vital Records Current death-certificate fee, processing, office and official ordering routes. Henrico County — Vital Records Local Richmond-area death-certificate service and current $15 fee. Library of Virginia — Virginia Chronicle Free searchable historic Virginia newspapers. Library of Virginia — Richmond Newspaper Index Richmond Times-Dispatch and Richmond News Leader research. City of Richmond Cemeteries Municipal cemetery contacts, genealogy and visitor information. VA — Richmond National Cemetery Official address, hours, grave locator and burial-space status. Virginia Department of Veterans Services — Amelia Cemetery Veteran cemetery eligibility, pre-application and contact information. Virginia DPOR License Lookup Official funeral-professional and regulated-business license search.Richmond Virginia Obituary FAQs
Where can I find recent obituaries in Richmond Virginia?
Start with Richmond Times-Dispatch obituary pages and Richmond-specific local obituary listings. Once you find a likely notice, confirm funeral and burial details through the handling funeral home.
How do I find Richmond obituaries published today?
Use the Richmond Times-Dispatch Today obituary page. If the person is not shown, use the browse or name-search page and check nearby publication dates.
How do I search a Richmond obituary by name?
Search the first and last name, then add Richmond VA. If no result appears, try surname only, nickname, maiden name, spouse, funeral home, church, cemetery or a nearby locality.
Why should I search Henrico and Chesterfield separately?
Richmond is an independent city and is legally separate from Henrico County and Chesterfield County. A person described as living in the Richmond area may have records or funeral arrangements in any of these localities.
How much does a Virginia death certificate cost in 2026?
Effective July 1, 2026, Virginia Department of Health charges $15 for each certified copy or vital-record search when a certificate is not produced.
Where is the main Virginia Vital Records office in Richmond?
The current walk-in office is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227. The public lobby is normally open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Can I get a Virginia death certificate from Henrico Health Department?
Henrico states that certified death certificates can generally be obtained from local Virginia health departments regardless of where in Virginia the death occurred. When fewer than 30 days have passed since filing, use the city or county where the death was originally filed.
How do I find an old Richmond obituary?
Use the Library of Virginia’s Virginia Chronicle, Richmond Newspaper Card Index, Richmond Times-Dispatch databases and newspaper microfilm. Search surnames, relatives and terms such as died, funeral, burial or interment.
Does the City of Richmond help with cemetery genealogy?
The City Cemeteries Division publishes cemetery contacts, and genealogy research is available by appointment for certain active cemeteries. Contact the cemetery office with the full name and approximate burial date.
Is Richmond National Cemetery open for new burials?
Richmond National Cemetery is currently closed to normal new interments. It may accept subsequent interments in existing gravesites and occasional limited exceptions. Contact the cemetery at the time of need.
What Veteran cemetery is near Richmond and accepting pre-applications?
The Virginia Veterans Cemetery at Amelia accepts eligibility pre-applications. Veterans should provide military service documentation such as a DD-214 and other required family documents.
How do I verify a Richmond funeral home or funeral professional?
Use the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation License Lookup. Search the business or professional name and compare the address and current status.
Can an obituary replace a certified death certificate?
No. An obituary is a public notice or memorial. Banks, insurance companies, estates, courts and government programs may require a certified death certificate.
Can a family choose not to publish an obituary?
Yes. A family may choose a private service, delayed announcement or no public obituary. The absence of an online obituary does not mean an official death record does not exist.
What should I verify before attending a Richmond funeral?
Confirm the correct person, visitation and funeral times, exact service address, whether the event is public, parking or accessibility needs, cemetery location and any livestream directly with the funeral home.
Before You Share, Travel or Pay
- Confirm the correct person with more than a matching name.
- Search Richmond city, Henrico and Chesterfield separately when necessary.
- Use the handling funeral home for current service details.
- Use Virginia Vital Records for certified legal proof.
- Use Library of Virginia resources for older Richmond obituaries.
- Verify unfamiliar funeral providers through Virginia DPOR.
- Check Veteran cemetery eligibility before making burial assumptions.
- Use only family-authorized flower, donation and livestream links.
- Keep private medical, financial and estate information out of public guestbooks.
RecentObituaries.info is an independent source-navigation guide. It is not Richmond Times-Dispatch, Legacy, a funeral home, cemetery, Virginia Department of Health, City of Richmond, Henrico County, Library of Virginia, DPOR or the Department of Veterans Services. Verify final details with the organization responsible for the notice, service, record or benefit.