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Gathering Essential Documents to Protect Your Family
in an Emergency

A emergency grab & go binder is a simple way to keep your most important documents, records, and emergency plans organized in one place. If an emergency happens, having this information gathered ahead of time can make it easier to manage your household and find what you need without added stress. You can create your binder in the format that works best for you: physical, thumb drive, or cloud-based. Although the storage method may vary, the information included is generally the same.

The categories below are designed to help you organize your binder one step at a time. Not every family will need every item listed on this page, so think of these lists as a helpful guide. Choose the information that makes the most sense and provides the best fit for your household’s needs.

Grab & Go Binder

Assembling Your Emergency Binder

Documents & Records

Financial

Include institution names, account numbers, customer service numbers, websites, and a secure way to access online accounts.

  • checking accounts
  • savings accounts
  • credit cards
  • debit cards
  • safe deposit box information
  • 401(k) accounts
  • retirement accounts
  • stocks
  • bonds
  • mutual funds
  • other investments
  • last 3 years of tax returns

Insurance Policies & ID Cards

  • homeowners insurance
  • auto insurance
  • life insurance
  • health insurance
  • dental insurance
  • insurance ID cards

Medical & Health

  • health insurance card
  • allergies
  • dietary restrictions
  • medical conditions
  • past surgeries
  • major treatments
  • current medications
  • copies of prescriptions
  • immunization record
  • blood type
  • medical device information
  • doctors and specialists
  • pharmacy information

Legal

  • general power of attorney
  • medical power of attorney
  • durable power of attorney
  • limited power of attorney
  • springing power of attorney
  • advanced healthcare directives
  • will & codicil
  • trust & amendments
  • contact information for attorneys, trustees, executors, guardians, or anyone named in your legal documents
  • general power of attorney
  • medical power of attorney
  • durable power of attorney
  • limited power of attorney
  • springing power of attorney
  • advanced healthcare directives
  • will & codicil
  • trust & Amendments
  • Contact info for those mentioned

Identification Records

  • social security card
  • passport
  • driver’s license
  • state issued ID card
  • military ID
  • military service records
  • naturalization documents
  • immigration documents
  • utility bill as proof of residency
  • social security card
  • passport
  • driver’s license
  • state issued ID card
  • military ID
  • military service records
  • naturalization documents
  • immigration documents
  • utility bill as proof of residency

Vital Records & Certificates

  • birth certificate
  • death certificate
  • marriage certificate
  • divorce decree or record
  • adoption records
  • foster care records
  • church records
  • religious records
  • birth certificate
  • death certificate
  • marriage certificate
  • divorce decree or record
  • adoption records
  • foster care records
  • church records
  • religious records

Family, Custody & Support Records

  • child custody agreement
  • child support orders
  • visitation agreements
  • family court orders
  • prenuptial agreement
  • postnuptial agreement
  • spousal support orders
  • alimony
  • child custody agreement
  • child support orders
  • visitation agreements
  • family court orders
  • prenuptial agreement
  • postnuptial agreement
  • spousal support orders
  • alimony

Home & Property

  • home deed
  • real estate purchase agreement
  • original sales contract
  • appraisal
  • memorandum of land contract
  • property tax statements
  • warranty contracts
  • home inventory list
  • mortgage information
  • renters insurance policy
  • HOA contact information

Vehicle Records

  • vehicle title
  • vehicle registration
  • vehicle sale contract
  • vehicle lease agreement
  • trade-in paperwork
  • auto loan paperwork
  • proof of insurance
  • roadside assistance information

Business Records

  • bill of sale
  • business license
  • operator’s license
  • franchise agreement
  • business property title
  • formation documents
  • EIN or tax ID documents
  • partnership documents
  • incorporation documents
  • bill of sale
  • business license
  • operator’s license
  • franchise agreement
  • business property title
  • formation documents
  • EIN or tax ID documents
  • partnership documents
  • incorporation documents

School & Employment Records

  • diplomas
  • transcripts
  • certificates
  • employment contracts
  • school records
  • employee ID information
  • professional licenses
  • resume
  • work history summary
  • school enrollment records
  • diplomas
  • transcripts
  • certificates
  • employment contracts
  • school records
  • employee ID information
  • professional licenses
  • resume
  • work history summary
  • school enrollment records

Household Accounts

If you need to contact a service provider after an evacuation or disaster, having account information in one place can save time and stress.

  • electricity
  • water
  • gas
  • trash & recycling
  • internet provider
  • landline provider
  • cell provider
  • satellite or cable
  • streaming services
  • electricity
  • water
  • gas
  • trash & recycling
  • internet provider
  • landline provider
  • cell provider
  • satellite or cable
  • streaming services

Personal Contacts

Written phone numbers are helpful in case you cannot access your cell phone.

  • family
  • friends
  • neighbors
  • church leader
  • work associates
  • employer
  • child's school
  • child’s close friends
  • child’s emergency pickup
  • family
  • friends
  • neighbors
  • church leader
  • work associates
  • employer
  • child's school
  • child’s close friends
  • child’s emergency pickup

Service & emergency contacts

  • police non-emergency
  • Poison Control: 800-222-1222
  • 24-hour nurse line
  • 24-hour pediatric nurse line
  • gas company
  • electric company
  • water or sewer company
  • road conditions
  • plumber
  • landlord
  • primary care physician
  • pediatrician
  • dentist
  • pharmacy
  • veterinarian
  • police non-emergency
  • Poison Control: 800-222-1222
  • 24-hour nurse line
  • 24-hour pediatric nurse line
  • gas company
  • electric company
  • water or sewer company
  • road conditions
  • plumber
  • landlord
  • primary care physician
  • pediatrician
  • dentist
  • pharmacy
  • veterinarian

Family Photos & Videos

Create a digital backup of your important family photos and videos and include it with your emergency binder. You can place copies on a thumb drive or store it with your physical binder in a labeled media envelope. If you use cloud storage, this is also a good place to keep digital copies so they can still be accessed if your home devices are lost, damaged, or left behind. These files can help preserve family memories and may also be useful for identification, proof of ownership, and insurance claims. Be sure to label digital media clearly so you know what it contains and update backups from time to time as new photos and videos are added.

Other ways to help protect digital copies or originals include:

  • fireproof safe
  • safety deposit box
  • external hard drive stored in a separate location
  • an extra thumb drive kept in a trusted family member’s home
  • cloud storage with secure account access information stored separately

Child Identification Kits

ID kits can be used to help identify family members. The main purpose of these kits is to have vital information readily available in case of an emergency.

Primarily intended for children, the National Child Identification Program ID kit enables parents to gather crucial details. These kits facilitate the straightforward documentation of a child’s physical attributes, fingerprints, and DNA on identification cards, which are subsequently stored at the parent or guardian’s home. Though intended for children, they can be used for any family member of any age. The price is under $10 per kit.

Learn more about the National Child Identification Program ID Kit system. Once you have completed each ID kit, be sure to add a copy to your emergency binder.

Pet Information

A pet identification packet can be very important if you become separated from your pet during an evacuation and need to prove ownership. It can also help a shelter, veterinarian, boarding facility, or trusted caregiver care for your pet while away from home. This packet should include a description of your pet, recent photos, veterinarian contact information, important medical records, vaccination history, medications, feeding instructions, microchip information, license information, and anything else that would help identify and care for your pet.

Your emergency binder is a good place to store a backup copy of this information, while another copy can be kept in your pet’s grab & go bag for quick access. See instructions for how to create a pet information packet.

Family Emergency Plans

Your emergency binder is a good place to keep a printed or digital copy of your family’s emergency plans so they are organized and easy to access when needed. It is also wise to keep another copy in a separate, easy-to-reach place in your home in case your binder is not immediately available.

The plans you include should reflect the needs of your household, but there are certain emergency plans that can be useful for most families. These may include plans for family communication, sheltering in place, evacuation, reunification, and other situations that could affect daily life during an emergency. This site includes 9 home-centered emergency plans and 14 disaster-specific plans that cover these topics and much more. To see the full list of plans, visit How to make emergency plans and click on each plan for more information.