What is the Safest way to mail important documents?

ByManoj Bhatt

Like most people, your important documents probably consist of a few tax records and a Social Security card. You know it’s a good idea to keep them in one secure place instead of stashing them all over the house or office. But what’s the safest way to get those documents from Point A (your home) to Point B (the accountant’s office)?

Among the options: special envelopes, locked boxes and one-way mailers. “I see people taking their Social Security card around in their wallet all the time,” says Mark Kuhr, USPS manager of packaging services. “It’s like carrying your bank account in your pocket.” Here are some tips on keeping them safer:

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  • Envelope: If your documents fit, store them in a padded envelope designed for the purpose. These envelopes, available at office- and school-supply stores and catalogs such as Quill (800-789-1331), can resist everything from water to fire to crushing force equivalent to that of a car. The envelopes are also available with locking tabs, further security for your documents.

These envelopes can cost up to $100 each plus shipping charges. But Kuhr says they’re worth the investment if you don’t want to risk damage. Just make sure that whatever you use is big enough — it should be at least an inch longer and wider than your document.

  • Box: A cash box or a metal locking file cabinet is better protection for your documents, but the only ones that will hold 8-by 11-inch paper are bulky and heavy when full. Besides — who has room for this kind of storage in their home? If you do have space, Kuhr recommends taking a cash box to your postal carrier and asking that he hold it until you need it.

  • Cardboard file boxes: These work as long as they’re not flimsy and as long as the box is large enough. But Kuhr warns: “I’ve seen people put pins in them or use string instead of heavy tape.” The result: a box that seems secure but tears open when moved.

  • Mailer: This is a one-way envelope, with no flap to seal it after mailers are inserted inside. The USPS sells these for 41 cents to 79 cents each, depending on how many you buy. “They’re great,” Kuhr says, “and they’re secure because there are no flaps for the paper to get caught in. But people have to put them in another envelope or package — which can defeat their one-way purpose.”

So what’s the safest way to mail important documents? “The best packaging involved two envelopes,” Kuhr says. “One inside the other. The inner envelope should have a locking tab.”

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Or simply place your most important documents in a manila envelope and store them away for safekeeping.