When people first set up a digital vault, the most common question is not how to use it — it is what to put in it. Storing too little defeats the purpose; storing too much creates clutter that nobody can find anything in. This guide breaks down the documents that genuinely belong in a vault, organized by category, with notes on priority.
The "first 90 days" priority list
If you do nothing else, scan and upload these in the first month or two:
- Government-issued ID (driver's license or state ID, both sides)
- Passport(s) for every family member
- Social Security cards
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificate, if applicable
- Current health insurance card, both sides
- Current auto insurance declarations
- Current homeowners or renters insurance declarations
- Most recent tax return
- Will and any related estate documents
These are the documents you actually need under stress — the ones a hospital, a customs officer, or an insurance adjuster will ask for. Having them in one secure place ends most "where is...?" emergencies before they start.
Identity documents
The foundation of any vault. These are documents that prove who you are and connect you to government and financial systems.
- Driver's license / state ID (front and back)
- Passport (photo page and any visa pages)
- Birth certificate (long-form, certified copy)
- Social Security card
- Naturalization or citizenship documents
- Military ID and discharge papers (DD-214)
- Marriage certificate
- Divorce decree
- Adoption records
- Name change documentation
For everyone in your household. Tip: scan in high resolution — some passport offices require very specific image quality if you need a replacement.
Financial accounts and records
The records that document what you own, what you owe, and where everything is held.
- Bank account statements (most recent 3-6 months)
- Investment account statements
- Retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, pension)
- Brokerage accounts
- Cryptocurrency exchange accounts (account info only — never seed phrases in plain form)
- Mortgage documents
- Home equity line documents
- Auto loan paperwork
- Student loans
- Credit card statements (for active reference; older ones can be deleted)
- Tax returns for at least the last seven years
- W-2s, 1099s, and other tax source documents
- Property tax bills
Tip: include a single "account inventory" document that lists every account, the institution, the account number (or last four), and any login URLs. This is the document your family will reach for first in an emergency.
Insurance
Insurance is the category where every household over-trusts memory. People remember they have a policy but cannot remember the policy number, the carrier's name, or what is covered.
- Health insurance card and policy
- Dental and vision insurance
- Auto insurance (declarations page and full policy)
- Homeowners or renters insurance
- Umbrella liability policy
- Life insurance (every policy, including any through employers)
- Long-term care insurance
- Disability insurance
- Travel insurance, if you carry an annual policy
- Pet insurance
Always store the declarations page (the summary with policy number, coverage limits, and contact info), and a copy of the full policy if available.
Medical and health records
In a medical emergency, you do not have time to call multiple providers and chase paperwork.
- Vaccination records (every family member, especially children)
- Allergies and medication lists
- Chronic conditions and ongoing treatment plans
- Surgical history
- Family medical history
- Lab and imaging results from significant events
- Medical power of attorney
- Advance medical directive / living will
- HIPAA authorization
- Provider contact list
Children's records are especially worth digitizing — school enrollment, camp paperwork, sports leagues, and many activities require proof of vaccinations on short notice.
Legal and estate planning documents
These are the documents that determine what happens when you cannot act for yourself.
- Last will and testament
- Revocable living trust documents
- Durable power of attorney (financial)
- Healthcare proxy / medical power of attorney
- Advance directive / living will
- HIPAA authorization
- Pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreement
- Guardianship designations for minor children
- Letter of intent (non-legal but practical)
- Funeral and burial preferences
- Pet care instructions
For a fuller breakdown, see our guide on estate planning essential documents.
Property and real estate
Documents that prove ownership and define obligations on physical assets.
- Deed for primary residence
- Deeds for any other property
- Title for vehicles, boats, recreational vehicles
- Mortgage documents
- Lease agreements (for rentals or as a landlord)
- HOA documents and contact information
- Home inspection and appraisal reports
- Home warranty documents
- Major appliance warranties and manuals
- Home improvement records (helpful for tax basis and insurance claims)
- Land surveys
Tip: photograph or scan major possessions periodically for insurance purposes. A home inventory video is an underrated insurance document.
Education and professional credentials
- Diplomas (high school, college, graduate)
- Transcripts (you will need them more times than you expect)
- Professional licenses
- Certifications and continuing education records
- Resume and CV
- Employment contracts
- Severance agreements
- Non-disclosure agreements
- Pension and retirement plan documents from previous employers
These are often the documents people forget until they need them — and original transcripts in particular can take weeks to obtain from a school's registrar.
Digital and online accounts
A surprisingly important category, especially for estate planning.
- A list of all online accounts (no passwords — those belong in a password manager)
- Email accounts and primary recovery addresses
- Cloud storage account list
- Social media account list
- Subscription services (this also helps with annual reviews)
- Domain names and hosting accounts
- Cryptocurrency exchange and wallet locations (locations only — never the actual keys in any cloud)
- Digital photo and video archive locations
The point is not to give anyone immediate access — it is to give your family or executor a map of where your digital life lives.
Documents that probably do not belong in a vault
A vault should be intentional. Most everyday documents belong in regular cloud storage, not the vault. Consider keeping these out:
- General work files
- Casual photo collections
- Recipes
- Old school papers
- Letters and personal correspondence (unless legally relevant)
- Generic receipts (except major purchases)
The rule of thumb: if losing the document would cost you money, time, or legal standing, it goes in the vault. If losing it would only be mildly annoying, it does not.
Organizing what you scan
After about 50 documents, organization becomes the real challenge. The system that holds up over time is usually:
- A consistent top-level category (Identity, Financial, Insurance, Medical, Legal, Property, Education, Digital)
- A subcategory by person, if relevant
- Clear filenames with dates: "Smith-Auto-Insurance-2026.pdf" is far better than "policy-final-v2.pdf"
- Tags for cross-cutting attributes (expiration date, account holder, related party)
MyDataDeposit's features include structured categories and tagging designed for exactly this workflow. The right organization makes the difference between a vault that gets used and one that becomes another digital pile.
Where to start
Pick one category from the first 90 days list. Scan everything in that category this weekend. Repeat next weekend with another. Within two months, you will have a vault that is genuinely useful — and your family will be far better prepared for any of the situations a household tends to face.