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Search Georgia Obituaries

Look up obituaries, death records and people by name.

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Obituary guide

How to find an obituary in Georgia

For a recent death, start with the funeral home's website and the obituary page of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution or the local daily. For an older death, Georgia Historic Newspapers and the Georgia Archives are the main statewide sources.

What to have ready

  • The person's full name, including a maiden name or nickname
  • The approximate date of death and the city or county where they died
  • Their age or birth year
  • Names of close relatives

Georgia has 159 counties, so knowing the county narrows your search the most.

Where to look, by when the person died

When the person diedWhere to look
Last few yearsThe funeral home's website; the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and its Legacy.com page; The Telegraph (Macon), Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus), Augusta Chronicle and Savannah Morning News
1990s to recent decadesNewspaper databases at your public library; many Georgia libraries offer research databases through GALILEO with a library card
Older or historicGeorgia Historic Newspapers; the Georgia Archives; local indexes such as the Thomas County Public Library System's obituary list; the Digital Library of Georgia
Official death recordStatewide death registration began in 1919. Death records for 1919–1927 are online in the Georgia Archives' Virtual Vault, and 1919–1943 is indexed on FamilySearch. See how to order a Georgia death certificate.

Major newspapers' obituary pages

Recent listings are open to read. Older articles may need a subscription.

Libraries and archives

  • Georgia Archives in Morrow holds the original death certificates through 1943 and points you to historic regional newspapers for obituaries.
  • Thomas County Public Library System in Thomasville keeps a running list of obituaries in Thomas County. Since 2009 it has worked with the Jack Hadley Black History Museum and the Thomasville Genealogical Library to archive and index more than 4,200 African American obituaries from the area. Its branches also offer the Thomasville Times, 1861–1976, for in-library use only.
  • Your county library is often the best source for the local paper on microfilm.

Timeline expectations

  • Recent obituaries usually appear online within days, often before the service.
  • Georgia Historic Newspapers coverage varies by town and year.
  • The Archives doesn't post a turnaround time for research requests online.

Tips

  • Before 1919, Georgia had little statewide death registration, so newspapers, church records and cemetery records matter even more.
  • The Thomas County list gives each person's life span, which helps you tell apart people with the same name.
  • If a small-town paper isn't digitized, check the nearest regional daily too.

Last verified:

Note: Coverage years, fees and web addresses are set by the libraries, archives and newspapers listed and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not affiliated with them.

More about Georgia obituaries

Funeral programs

Daily newspapers didn't cover every death, and many African American families especially are better documented in funeral programs. A program usually has a photo, an obituary, a list of surviving relatives and the order of service. The Digital Library of Georgia hosts two searchable collections online: