How to Store Important Documents

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Social security cards, birth certificates, marriage licenses, tax papers — we all have a number of documents in our home that it is important to keep safe. Safe from what? Several things, like unexpected disasters like floods and fires or simply misplacing these items in a messy room. “It is so easy for them to be damaged, destroyed or lost when you don’t have a system for preserving them,” says Ashley La Fond, founder of home organization company Of Space & Mind. “Also, if you are ever subject to a weather event or fire, you won’t be able to rescue documents if they aren’t in one place.”

Not having these documents when you need them can prevent you from being able to do important life things, such as renewing your driver’s license or filing taxes. Not only that, replacing these things can be arduous and annoying. To ensure you always have these documents when you need them, we turned to top organization experts to find out what documents you should pay special attention to and how to store them so they stay safe. We also got product recommendations that can make that organization a bit easier.

SKIP AHEAD Why is it important to properly store important documents? | What documents are important to save and safely store? | What is the safest way to store important documents? | Products that help you organize your documents | Why Trust NBC Select?

There are several reasons why it’s crucial to store important documents properly. First, you want to be able to grab them quickly if you need them — whether it’s because there’s a sudden disaster or you need to do something quickly with them. “People often waste a lot of time looking for important papers because they are not organized in any way,” says Robyn Reynolds, owner of the organization company Organize2Harmonize. “Often, too much time is spent looking for things, which can lead to missing important deadlines.”

Beyond that, not correctly storing your documents can leave you at risk for other potential issues — like losing them or, worse, having them stolen. “Identity theft is a real issue and not having documents stored properly makes you an easier target.” says La Fond. “Birth certificates, passports and immigration paperwork should be stored where they are protected from theft and can be easily reached in case of an emergency.”

To some degree, what is considered an important document will vary by person or family. However, some documents are likely to be universally important to everyone. “The most important types of documents are government-issued as they are the hardest to replace,” says La Fond. “These are the things you will need in an emergency and having them scattered prevents you from a quick exit.” Below, experts told us these are some of the most important documents to store safely:

• Birth certificates
• Death certificates
• Passports
• Social security cards
• Marriage licenses
• Military service and discharge decrees
• Property deeds
• Vehicle titles
• Insurance policies
• Business licenses
• Current will and trust documents
• Tax documents
• Medical documentation

When storing important documents, you’ll first want to consider where they should be. “Ideally, you want them to be in a centralized spot in your home so they’re easy to get to,” says La Fond. “At the same time, you want to avoid spots that are super obvious or near exits to safeguard against theft.” That means the drawer of your desk in your home office may not be such a great place. Instead, think about a closet that’s easy to access or a special cabinet in a home library or bedroom.

In terms of how to store them, La Fond suggests keeping everything together in a lockable, fireproof storage box. “I always tell my clients to have what I call a ‘grab-and-go box,” adds Reynolds. “The idea is you want something you can quickly grab that has everything in it. Too many people store their documents in different folders in a filing cabinet, which isn’t the best if you need to grab everything and leave at a moment’s notice.”

Another option is to store certain documents digitally. While you need hard copies of things like social security cards and birth certificates, other things are too cumbersome to store physically. “Financial documents and tax documents should be stored electronically unless your accountant tells you otherwise — nobody needs to be storing boxes and boxes of old documents,” says La Fond.

It doesn’t hurt to have a digital version, even for documents you need physical copies of. “This way you always have a copy and can even reference it when you’re not at home,” says La Fond. “Scan passports, licenses and certificates and save them digitally with an easy-to-follow filing system. Don’t overcomplicate it. If you have to think too hard to file something, then you’re gone too far.”

To store your documents electronically, you can download a scanner app and store them in a folder on your desktop or in the cloud. One thing to keep in mind: If you use a shared computer, it may not be a good idea to keep these items on your desktop, where other people can access them. Servers like DropBox and OneDrive are specifically created to keep these documents secure and out of the hands of cyber thieves or hackers.

According to our experts, storing your documents in something fireproof that protects them from water is key. Our experts also agreed that it’s important to store files in something quick and easy to grab should you need to leave the house quickly with them.

DocSafe Document Bag with Lock

This bag is bigger than a shoe box, zips shut and has a handle to make it easy to grab and go should you need to. It’s both water and fire-resistant and has three zippered mesh pockets to hold passports or licenses or computer drives. The main compartment can hold several documents and it has a lock to keep everything secure. This bag has a 4.4-star average rating from over 9,000 reviews on Amazon.

SentrySafe Black Fireproof and Waterproof Safe

If you prefer more of a filing cabinet storage solution, consider this small document safe. It is fireproof and waterproof in liquid up to 8 inches. You can store documents in hanging folders to keep them organized and neat. One thing to note: This safe weighs just under 40 pounds, making it one of the heavier options on this list. It has a 4.6-star average rating from over 13,500 reviews on Amazon.

Tamfile Fireproof Accordion File Organizer with Handle

This handle bag looks similar to a laptop bag and has a 12-pocket accordion file organizer inside to keep documents separate but together. It also has mesh pockets intended for things like passports, credit cards and other forms of identification and a zippered pocket on the front. It is waterproof and fireproof, according to the brand, and lightweight.

Engpow Fireproof File Folder

This folder is a sleek and compact option for those with few documents to store. It closes with a zipper and will easily fit legal size documents. Inside, it has a 13-pocket accordion file folder to organize your papers. The outside is coated in silicone to keep it fireproof and waterproof, according to the brand. This option has a 4.6-star average rating from over 8,200 reviews on Amazon.

Andyer Two Pockets Fireproof Document Bag

Even smaller than the previous option, you can slide a handful of documents into this fireproof sleeve to protect them. It is also water resistant, according to the brand, and closes with a zipper. Along with papers, you can slide an iPad into it for safekeeping. This file folder has a 4.7-star average rating from over 7,650 reviews on Amazon.

At NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and experience. We also ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

• Ashley La Fond is the founder of the home organization company Of Space & Mind.
• Robyn Reynolds is the owner of the organization company Organize2Harmonize

Bethany Heitman is a contributor at NBC Select and a journalist who regularly covers beauty, home and lifestyle. For this story, she interviewed experts on how to safely store important documents.