An important documents checklist for emergencies covers five groups: identity records, insurance policies, medical information, financial and legal papers, and property records. Keep originals in a fireproof and waterproof box or a safe deposit box, put copies in your emergency kit, save password-protected digital copies, and tell a trusted person where everything is.
After a fire, flood or evacuation, these papers help you prove who you are, file insurance claims and get your finances moving again. Ready.gov notes that having this information on hand should make registering for FEMA help smoother after a presidentially declared disaster.
This list draws on FEMA's Safeguard Critical Documents and Valuables guide and Utah's emergency management checklist. Not every household will have every item.
Birth, marriage, divorce and adoption certificates
Child custody papers
Passports, driver's licenses and Social Security cards
Green cards, immigration records and military IDs
Current photos of each family member
Pet ownership papers and ID tag details
Home or renters, auto, health and life policies
Agent names, phone numbers and policy numbers
Appraisals, photos and lists of valuable items
A home inventory: photos or video of each room and your belongings
Health, dental, Medicare, Medicaid and VA benefit records
Medication, prescription, immunization and allergy information
Medical equipment and pharmacy details
Living will and medical power of attorney
Contact details for doctors, dentists, specialists and your vet
Checking, savings, retirement and investment account details
Credit card, loan and automatic payment information
Pay stubs and records of government benefits
Recent tax statements
Will, trust and power of attorney
Deed, mortgage, lease or rental agreement
Vehicle titles, registration, loan papers and VINs
A photo of the house with the address visible
Safe deposit box location and number
An emergency contact list, including employers, schools and utility companies
Your household emergency plan and a local map with meeting places marked
Some cash in small bills, since Ready.gov warns that ATMs and credit cards may not work during a disaster
Originals at home. FEMA suggests a fireproof and waterproof box or safe.
Originals away from home. A bank safe deposit box or a trusted friend or relative are other options. FEMA says to check with your bank or your state's laws about who can open a safe deposit box if the holder dies or becomes incapacitated.
Copies in your emergency kit. Ready.gov lists copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records, saved electronically or kept in a waterproof, portable container. Utah suggests shrinking printed copies so they fit easily in your kit.
Utah describes printed copies as useful for identification and reference during an emergency and for recovery afterward. For the rest of your go-bag, see our emergency kit checklist.
FEMA suggests saving electronic copies in a password-protected format on a removable flash drive or external hard drive kept in your fireproof and waterproof box, or using a secure cloud service. Utah suggests an encrypted flash drive. A few habits make backups easier to use in a hurry:
Scan or photograph each document clearly, front and back.
Name files plainly, such as "Passport, Maria, expires 2031."
Use one folder per category from the checklist above.
Protect the files with a strong password, and don't send that password by plain email or text.
Test that you can open the backup on a second device.
A perfect folder does not help if nobody can find it. Choose one or two trusted people, such as an adult child, sibling or close friend, and tell them:
Where the box or safe is, and where the key or code is kept
Which bank holds your safe deposit box, if you have one
How to reach your digital backup if you can't
Who your insurance agent and lawyer are
FEMA also suggests keeping emergency phone numbers or other contact details with your documents, since questions may come up after a disaster. Write the locations on one index page and keep it with your family emergency plan. List where things are, not passwords or full account numbers.
Print or copy the checklist above.
Walk through the house and pull every document into one pile.
Note anything missing and order replacements.
Scan or photograph everything.
Put originals in your fireproof, waterproof box or safe deposit box.
Put copies and a small amount of cash in your emergency kit.
Tell your trusted person where everything is.
Set a reminder to review it once a year and after big changes like a move, a new car, a marriage, a birth or a new policy.
When you review, check your insurance too. Ready.gov suggests confirming your coverage limits and notes that homeowners insurance does not typically cover flooding.
Originals that are hard to replace, such as birth and marriage certificates, passports, Social Security cards, deeds, titles, wills, powers of attorney and insurance policies. Add a password-protected flash drive with scans.
It is one option FEMA lists for originals. Check with your bank or state law about who can access the box if the holder dies or is incapacitated, and keep copies at home.
Scan them, save them in a password-protected or encrypted format, and keep the files on a removable drive in your safe or in a secure cloud service. Then test that you can open them.
ID, insurance policies and agent contacts, proof of address such as a deed or lease, bank details and medical information are the core items. Having them ready also helps if you register for FEMA assistance.
Family Ready: Emergency Plan is an iPhone app for building a household emergency plan, with sections for contacts, health, documents, money, insurance, home, dependants, pets and more. It can track important dates, set a review schedule of 3, 6 or 12 months, and create a free dated Emergency Snapshot PDF. Your plan is stored encrypted on your device, no account is needed to start, and the app is free with an optional Family Ready Plus subscription.
Get Family Ready free on the App Store
Safeguard Critical Documents and Valuables, FEMA P-1096 (FEMA, PDF)
Important Documents Checklist (Utah Division of Emergency Management)