How to Keep Birth Certificates and Other Documents Safe Through Whatever Life Throws Your Way

Life is full of surprises – some are greatly anticipated and exciting, while others can cause shock and disbelief. Even while it is difficult to be fully prepared for these changes and challenges, there are things you can do to ensure your birth certificate and other vital documents are kept safe and secure. Let’s look at some different scenarios and situations, below, which you could experience during your lifetime.

1.      Natural Disasters – From floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes to earthquakes and fires, Mother Nature can throw us a curve ball from time to time. You can store important documents, paperwork, and birth certificates in a portable fire-proof safe, like the one you may have had at your university, and which is also waterproof. Another option is to store them in a safety deposit box at your bank or credit union.

1. Moving – People move all the time, and things tend to get misplaced and sometimes lost during moves. Prior to moving, ensure all important paperwork, birth certificates, and so on are gathered together and put into a portable tote, safe, or an accordion file. Never pack this with your other belongings, but, rather, keep it separate and move it yourself.
2. Heading off to University – During your time at college, you will need to have access to your birth certificate, social security card, passport, and other documents. Prior to starting school, invest in a small, lockable, and fire-proof safe you can store under your bed or in a closet.
3. Marriage – When you get married, you will want to gather together both your own and your new spouse’s important documents and keep them all in one location for safe keeping.
4. Traveling Abroad – While visiting foreign countries, you will need your passport and other essential documents. Make sure to keep these safe at all times by securing them in the hotel’s safety deposit box, renting a safety deposit box from a bank, or in a small and secure document holder you can keep with you at all times.

Once you have everything gathered, another useful tip is to make digitalized copies of each document, birth certificate, social security card, etc. You can take pictures using a camera or your smartphone, or use the scanner on your all-in-one printer. However, just make sure to store the electronic files on an external device you can put in your personal safe or bank safety deposit box.

Aside from these types of events, there can be times when documents accidently get misplaced or lost. You may encounter this while initially trying to gather your items together. Getting replacement driver licenses, passports, and social security cards requires having a copy of your birth certificate. If you have lost your birth certificate, too, you can get a birth certificate online, quickly and easily, from Fast Birth Certificates. For more information or assistance, contact us using our online form or call us at (415) 528-2585 today!