11 Best Things to Keep in a Safe Deposit Box

11 Best Things to Keep in a Safe Deposit Box

by: Bob Niedt   September 24, 2021

These valuables and documents, along with some items you hold dear, should be stored securely at your bank.

With digital records and cloud storage becoming the norm, the bricks-and-mortar safe deposit box might seem ready to join our growing list of things that will soon disappear forever. But don’t rush to declare the safe deposit box a relic of the past just yet. There can still be times when you’ll need to be able to produce certain original documents (including ones that have a raised seal) rather than digital scans or photocopies, and some valuables simply can’t be digitized.

Installing a safe in your home is one alternative to a safe deposit box, but they aren’t foolproof, says Luke Reynolds, chief of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's Outreach & Program Development Section. Home safes are more susceptible to fire and water damage, not to mention theft, than bank safe deposit boxes, Reynolds says.

On the other hand, access to your safe deposit box can be limited, more so during emergencies. For example, the coronavirus pandemic reduced operating hours for some bank branches, and limited access or required appointments for in-branch services, such as access to safe deposit boxes. Moves like that complicate your ability to retrieve important documents or items when you need them.

Our best advice: Use a safe deposit box and a home safe. Hard-to-replace items that you might need frequently or in a hurry, such as your passport, are best kept in the home safe, while other important items you rarely need stay in the safe deposit box.

Here are 11 of the best things to keep in a safe deposit box at your bank, updated for 2021. This guidance should also help you determine the size of the safe deposit box you wish to rent (important legal documents may take up a lot of room).

1 of 11   Social Security Card

Having your Social Security number fall into the hands of an identity thief can be the start of years of headaches as you are forced to file disputes, freeze accounts and monitor credit reports for signs of financial fraud. It’s why we rank the Social Security card among the worst things to keep in your wallet in case it’s ever lost or stolen.

Stow your Social Security card in your safe deposit box. On the rare occasions when you actually might need to produce it, say, for a real estate closing, you can plan to retrieve the card. Then immediately return it to the bank vault. Meantime, memorize the number, if you haven’t already, for filling out routine paperwork.

2 of 11   Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Certificates

Vital records that are rarely needed but a hassle to replace are prime candidates for your safe deposit box. We're talking birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates and divorce certificates. The same goes for adoption-related documents; in particular, birth certificates from an overseas adoption are extremely difficult to replace if lost or destroyed.

Government agencies typically can issue certified copies of vital records, but it’ll cost you time, money and a lot of frustration. You’ll also need to provide proof that you are entitled to copies. Virginia, for example, charges $12 per certified record (versus $25 in California and $53 in New York), and it can take weeks to receive the document by mail.

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