Important Documents

If you're a full time boondocker, where do you keep your important documents?

Do you keep them in a fireproof lock box bolted to the floor? A bank safe deposit box?

The things I'm thinking of are things that are a must to live life, Birth Certificate and Social Security Card. But also things like the last seven years of taxes.

I'd really like to hear your ideas and what you think is safe, but still gives you access to something like renewing a driver license.

I keep all that stuff in a safe deposit box. I do see how that could be a problem if I lost my drivers license while on the road. I don't trust anyone enough to give a key to that box, since it also contains grenades, Viagara, and Obama's real birth certificate.
I have several cubbyholes in my van but don't carry much of value with me. That's the nice thing about being poor, not having much to lose.
Sorry I'm not any help on this subject. I just needed to do something while waiting in the usual long line at Walmart.

Kudos to both of you for using the correct term "safe deposit box". There is NO such thing as a "safety deposit box." This only bothers those of us who are in the industry...

Eventually I will scan in copies of those and some other things, and keep in dropbox or someplace with even better encryption.

I have buried all my docs in the AZ desert

Actually, they are all in a briefcase that can easily be accessed to grab out of the van if something bad happens (fire). I have been meaning to do better, so this thread will give me some ideas. I guess what I should do is leave them with family which I regularly visit anyway (on my way now in fact). That way the worst case is that I have to wait for an overnight package if I were in need.

I have a document-sized plastic container tucked away in a small crevice in the van. I used to have a safe for it and my laptop but it took up too much space and I rarely used it for its intended purpose. Perhaps someday I'll get around to building or buying something more fire and theft-proof that isn't so big.

I have another stash with my parents and try to keep anything there I probably won't need in the next year - loan documents, old pay stubs and tax records, etc. Important stuff I scanned and emailed to myself.

I really like keeping digital copies of my documents. I've already digitized everything accept my SS Card.... including taxes and my driver lic. so if I lost it, police could look it up.

But these have never worked for any type of government function. To get a passport I had to send an original or certified copy of my birth certificate from my state of birth. It was returned in a separate mailing from the passport. Renewing the passport was easier, sent in my old passport as long as it was expired more then six (I think) months.

Driver License was the same way. Once they saw my birth certificate and SS Card once, I didn't need them to renew. But when we moved to another state it was time to jump the hoops again. Birth certificate, SS Card, and two documents to prove address, all original documents.

I was told that copies, which include digital copies, at best provides information that may help me get or replace original documents. In the same way the State Department recommends you carry a copy of your pass port in a separate location from your original, so they can look up your information if your past port is lost or stolen.

:huh: nothing is fool proof, just trying to think of a good choice. A fire box bolted or chained to the van might be one. Safe deposit box would have added expense and access issues but be very safe. I've been kicking myself for not ordering more then one birth certificate when I got the one. But I did get a pass port card when I renewed my pass port which I was told would work in place of a birth certificate when we moved to another state for a driver license.

I've been kicking around the idea of getting a mail receiving/forwarding account somewhere (I kind of need one anyway) and mailing myself my birth certificate along with a credit card and a few other recovery items. If my van is stolen or destroyed I could have the package mailed to me.

The service would have to be willing to hold onto things indefinitely, of course.

In regards to the post above about a briefcase, these are a little bigger, maybe but a lot tougher and safer for the contents and there not that expensive.
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