Why Keeping Track of Your Vital Records is Essential for Every Family

We all know where our keys, credit cards, and phone are located (well, most of us!)… but what about our birth certificate or marriage certificate? 

 

These vital records have a very important role in establishing our identity, and are needed to do things like apply for a passport, get health insurance, enroll a child in school, and even claim an inheritance. Despite their important role, these papers often sit lonely and forgotten in a drawer, only being remembered when we need them. 

 

If this sounds like your situation, don’t worry! This blog post will go into everything you need to know, including a list of important documents, why keeping track of them is important, and how to properly store your vital records. 

 

What are Vital Records?

To put it briefly, vital records are official documents that record significant life events and/or help establish your identity. Some of the most popular vital records are birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, and death certificates.

 

Each of these documents are necessary for both legal and personal procedures like obtaining government benefits, applying for a passport, or managing the inheritance process when a loved one passes away.

 

Let’s take a very popular example: the birth certificate! A birth certificate is the first official document that is issued for a person and is used for a multitude of things, like providing proof of identity, establishing citizenship, and ensuring access to education, healthcare, social services, and much more. 

 

Life Events That Require a Vital Record

There are many important moments in our life where we’ll need to either provide a vital record, or we’ll get one as a result (like a marriage certificate). Let’s take a look at some typical examples… 

 

When you’re planning to travel abroad, you’ll need to have a valid passport in order to enter your destination. But before you can get your passport, you’ll need to apply for one — and the first document they’ll ask for is a birth certificate as proof of citizenship. Likewise, if you’re applying for a visa, residence permit, or even a second citizenship, many countries will ask for your birth certificate to confirm your legal status and identity.

 

Another significant life event is getting married. Beyond celebrating with family and friends, throwing an unforgettable party, and receiving presents, you’ll also receive an important gift from the government: your marriage certificate! 

 

This document legally recognizes the partnership between two people (i.e. you and your spouse) and is used for various purposes like filing taxes, changing your last name, claiming benefits through your spouse, and more. As another fun fact, marriage certificates are also an essential tool in genealogical research and can help future generations trace their family history.

 

As the familiar nursery rhymes goes, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage… so naturally, another significant life event is the birth of a child. After a baby is born, a birth certificate is one of the most important documents that they’ll need. It not only serves as the child’s first official form of identification but is also required for obtaining a Social Security number, enrolling in school, getting healthcare, filing taxes, and accessing government benefits. 

 

Although nobody wants to think about it, the death of a family member is one final life event that requires documentation. A death certificate is needed to settle the deceased’s estate, including distributing assets, closing bank accounts, and accessing life insurance or retirement benefits. Additionally, a death certificate is often necessary for canceling government-issued identification (like a driver’s license or Social Security number), and for finalizing funeral arrangements. 

 

Why Keeping Track of Vital Records is Important

Imagine this scenario: you’re getting ready to tie the knot with the love of your life. The venue is booked, you found your dream dress, the flowers are perfect, and everything has been leading up to this fairytale wedding… but there’s one tiny problem: you can’t find your birth certificate! 

 

Without it, you can’t get a marriage license and, therefore, can’t formally get married. While it may seem like a far-fetched situation, situations like this are much more common than you might think! 

 

Vital records are often overlooked until the moment you need them most, and when they’re misplaced or disorganized, they can cause delays, stress, and (oftentimes expensive!)  complications. 

 

Storing Your Vital Records

Now that you know why keeping vital records is important, let’s take a look at how to store them!

 

First, avoid laminating your documents because it can damage the paper and make it difficult to verify their authenticity. Instead, opt for a fireproof, waterproof, and high-quality safe to store physical copies. For extra security, you can also use a bank safety deposit box. 

 

Additionally, consider scanning your documents and storing their digital copies in encrypted cloud storage. This also has the added benefit of allowing you to access them from anywhere. Keep backup copies and share the location of your documents with trusted family members in case of emergencies.