Records

Should copies of your ID go in the binder?

Copies can help. The originals usually stay put.

After a death, family members are often asked for details from the person's ID: full legal name, date of birth, driver's license number, passport number. Having copies nearby can save a search.

What people commonly keep copies of

• Driver's license or state ID, front and back
• Passport photo page
• Medicare and health insurance cards
• Military discharge papers (DD-214), if the person served

What's often kept separately

• The original Social Security card, which many people store somewhere secure rather than carrying it
• Original birth certificates and passports
• Any document with a full Social Security number

The tradeoff

Copies are useful for your family and also useful to anyone who shouldn't have them. Some people mark copies "COPY" across the front, and many keep the binder somewhere out of sight.

A photocopy usually can't replace the original. Agencies like the DMV or passport office typically ask for the original or a certified copy: an official copy ordered from the office that issued the document, with a raised or printed seal.