20 Personal Important Documents to Keep Safe

Have you ever looked at an important document and, while looking for it, feeling anxious and stressed, you ask yourself, "Where did I put that paper? I can't believe I can't find it! I need to organize these documents and keep them in a safe (affiliate) place!" And, after the situation passes, you never get around to gathering the relevant essential documents to keep because it would take too much time or energy.

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In a recent Caring.com study, 58% of American adults admitted to not creating a will or living trust. Read more about the staggering stats. By putting all these important documents together, you can see what you have and don't. As a result, it will quickly know the missing document tasks.

Below is a list of important documents and images to guide you.

Personal documents to keep in a safe place

Here are the documents you need to keep indefinitely:

Adoption paperwork

The adoption paperwork is essential to keep for your children. They may want to know the place and other information when they are adults.

Auto/Truck titles

When you purchase a vehicle, you should always keep this title paperwork in a safe (affiliate) place. You will need it when you sell or trade in your vehicle for a new one.

Birth Certificate

While you can get a copy of your birth certificate, it will take some time. So, keeping this paper safe (affiliate) will have it as a supporting document if you need it to prove who you are.

Current deeds and mortgage

Your deed comes when you pay off your mortgage. However, the current mortgage paperwork should be kept in a safe (affiliate) place, so it is handy if you want to refinance or need information about your mortgage.

Current insurance policies (life, home, renter, auto, etc...)

You will need to change these current insurance policies from the old ones every six months or a year.

Death Certificate

If you have someone who has died in your household, keeping their death certificate handy, especially right after they passed, will make it easy to find if you need to send it to someone to close an account.

Divorce Decrees

If you had a divorce, keep these papers safe (affiliate); this will be important if you have to dispute charges from your ex.

Relevant medical paperwork

If you have major surgery and many bills, keep them all until everything is paid or rectified.

Lease paperwork

Car or equipment lease paperwork should be kept to ensure you know the end of the lease period and the additional costs you need to pay when you turn the item in.

Marriage license

Military paperwork

Naturalization/Citizenship paperwork

These papers should be left in physical paper form. If you lose them, you must pay to get a new one.

Old Drivers License

Only keep the most recent old one. This will help your DMV if you lose your current passport.

Passports (old and new)

Only keep one old passport for each family member who has a passport.

Patents and copyrights

If you have any patents or copyright documents, you should keep them in a safe place for easy access if you need them.

It's not easy to get a new social security card. Make sure your card is the current version. It's free to get this replaced. Visit the Social Security Administration website for more information.

It's important to know what the Social Security Administration has been reporting as your income over the years, so it's important to get this document and update it every year. Visit MySocialSecurity.gov for more information and to set up an account.

Stocks and bond certificates

You should keep any purchased stocks and bond paperwork you may have in this secure place so you can turn it in or sell it later.

Tax returns

Some tax returns are digital and available, but it's best to keep a paper copy of the current year for reference. It can either be in a safe or in a clear bin. For future reference, make sure you know where it is located. These tax returns should also be included in the supporting documents.

Wills (living will, power of attorney, etc.)

Lastly, any wills you may have should be clearly labeled and available to family members who need them.

The image below also shares this list. Feel free to share it with your family and friends. It's a delicate way to remind them to take care of tasks.

IMPORTANT Documents To Keep In A Safe Place infographic

Hey, if you have a small business, this post on our sister site will help you gather the essential documents for your business.

Who should know where my important documents are?

If you have no family member, any close family member or friend should know where all these documents are located. Your designated power of attorney should also know where these documents are and how to get them.

If you place them in a bank safe, be sure to give the person who is responsible for them access to them after you are gone. Usually, they need to go to the bank with you so the bank can add that person to the account.

Where to store these important documents?

These documents should be stored indefinitely in a safe and dry place, such as a bank’s safe deposit box or a fireproof safe (affiliate) in your home.

If you wish to file it in a safe deposit box, get a box big enough to fit a file accordion folder (affiliate). This way, you can add the organized papers to the accordion folder (affiliate) and store the entire folder in the safe deposit box. A smaller plastic one with a lot of tabs (affiliate) works nicely. (The links below are from Amazon (affiliate), and I will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)