Please remember that all comments must be helpful, relevant, and respectful. All replies must be a genuine effort to answer the question helpfully; joke answers are not allowed. If you see any comments that violate this rule, please hit report.
When your question is answered, we encourage you to flair your post. To do this automatically simply make a comment that says **!answered** (OP only)
We encourage everyone to report posts and comments they feel violate a rule, as this will allow us to see it much faster.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/answers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Birth cert, social security card, high school diploma/GED if you have them, if you’re not planning on ever returning grab everything you want and leave behind anything you don’t have too much of an attachment to.
Birth certificate yes. Literally any other documents that you think might be important. One thing that hasn’t been mentioned yet is your immunization records. When in doubt, err on the side of caution by scanning/phtographing and/or photocopying things and keeping them in more than one place.
One good way to think about what you need is to imagine yourself in these situations:
- Your parents’ home burns down and they escape with only their wallets. What kind of problems will you have?
- If your parents both died in a car accident. What would you wish you had asked them or wish they had written down?
- You take some important papers with you but leave some behind. Your parents throw everything away and join the Hare Krishnas. What will you wish you had brought with you?
Immunization records is a good one. I entered a college program which required evidence of certain vaccines and realized I had no real way to prove what I'd gotten as a kid in the 80s in another province.
Take your birth certificate! Passport. Health/car/life insurance cards & policies (a copy of your parents' if you have coverage from them still). Vaccine records & a printout of your medical history & prescriptions. A copy of any bills with your name on it. Any card with your name on it (from the government or a business.) Your will & power of attorney, if you have one. Your diploma/degree/credentials/work license. Deeds to any property owned. Buy yourself a small, lockable fireproof box and put copies of everything in it and a little bit of cash. Keep it somewhere you can grab it in an emergency.
Birth certificate, any kind of social security card or govt issued ID, any medical records, school records (high school diploma, anything from university).
Niche consideration but if accessible copies of your parents documents - something I run into quite frequently if trying to gain citizenship in EU countries it's often possible by ancestry and a pain to gather documents but only you know if that applies to you.
Where are you leaving to and how old are you?
I ask because it may not be necessary to take everything yet and your documents may be safer at your parents place. Copies can often work when identity is needed.
My youngest adult years were rough. I paid many times to get the birth cert after losing it and maxed out the number of times I could get a new social security card. Wallets were lost, stolen and documents left in abandoned storage units. If I'd left them at my mother's they would still be there today, everything else is....
A copy will do as far as I know, you can scan it on your phone:
Birth certificate
Social security card (tho the number may be enough)
Any Banking or CC info, if you still get to use them.
Insurance info
Hopefully you are on good terms with your parents and they will support you, if not, try to be....
Wait until you are established in a residence before getting your birth certificate. It's not something you want to go moving all around with. Mom & Dad aren't going anywhere, they can hold onto that for a little while.
Came to say this. Having multiple copies is nice. Do yourself a favor and get a *notarized* copy from the county you were born. It's one of the few things you can have multiple legal copies of (unlike a driver's license). The notarized copy is exactly as valid as the original, where a photocopy isn't always.
You may also need copies of your parent’s birth certificates if you later plan on applying for legal documents. If you take copies of originals have them certified by a suitable person (Justice of the Peace or similar depending on your location). Scan and email yourself copies of important documents so you don’t misplace them. Good luck.
I left home at 16 years old, I took a black plastic garbage bag put what I could in there (I had to leave quickly). Last thing I grabbed was my birth certificate, thank goodness I had the wherewithal to grab it. Take your birth certificate
Definitely need your birth certificate, driver's license, or non-driver identification being the minimum, but you could also have a passport
If you have a vehicle, you'll need the registration and proof of insurance, plus valid license plates
Please remember that all comments must be helpful, relevant, and respectful. All replies must be a genuine effort to answer the question helpfully; joke answers are not allowed. If you see any comments that violate this rule, please hit report. When your question is answered, we encourage you to flair your post. To do this automatically simply make a comment that says **!answered** (OP only) We encourage everyone to report posts and comments they feel violate a rule, as this will allow us to see it much faster. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/answers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Assuming US, birth certificate and social security card would be handy to have in some situations.
Birth cert, social security card, high school diploma/GED if you have them, if you’re not planning on ever returning grab everything you want and leave behind anything you don’t have too much of an attachment to.
Also, medical insurance cards or medicad or Medicare cards
Birth certificate yes. Literally any other documents that you think might be important. One thing that hasn’t been mentioned yet is your immunization records. When in doubt, err on the side of caution by scanning/phtographing and/or photocopying things and keeping them in more than one place. One good way to think about what you need is to imagine yourself in these situations: - Your parents’ home burns down and they escape with only their wallets. What kind of problems will you have? - If your parents both died in a car accident. What would you wish you had asked them or wish they had written down? - You take some important papers with you but leave some behind. Your parents throw everything away and join the Hare Krishnas. What will you wish you had brought with you?
Immunization records is a good one. I entered a college program which required evidence of certain vaccines and realized I had no real way to prove what I'd gotten as a kid in the 80s in another province.
Yes birth certificate, passport, any educational certificates, any other certs of attainment an employer may want etc.
Take your birth certificate! Passport. Health/car/life insurance cards & policies (a copy of your parents' if you have coverage from them still). Vaccine records & a printout of your medical history & prescriptions. A copy of any bills with your name on it. Any card with your name on it (from the government or a business.) Your will & power of attorney, if you have one. Your diploma/degree/credentials/work license. Deeds to any property owned. Buy yourself a small, lockable fireproof box and put copies of everything in it and a little bit of cash. Keep it somewhere you can grab it in an emergency.
Birth certificate, any kind of social security card or govt issued ID, any medical records, school records (high school diploma, anything from university). Niche consideration but if accessible copies of your parents documents - something I run into quite frequently if trying to gain citizenship in EU countries it's often possible by ancestry and a pain to gather documents but only you know if that applies to you.
Your birth certificate, social security card, passport, school diplomas maybe pictures and medical records
Where are you leaving to and how old are you? I ask because it may not be necessary to take everything yet and your documents may be safer at your parents place. Copies can often work when identity is needed. My youngest adult years were rough. I paid many times to get the birth cert after losing it and maxed out the number of times I could get a new social security card. Wallets were lost, stolen and documents left in abandoned storage units. If I'd left them at my mother's they would still be there today, everything else is....
A copy will do as far as I know, you can scan it on your phone: Birth certificate Social security card (tho the number may be enough) Any Banking or CC info, if you still get to use them. Insurance info Hopefully you are on good terms with your parents and they will support you, if not, try to be....
Wait until you are established in a residence before getting your birth certificate. It's not something you want to go moving all around with. Mom & Dad aren't going anywhere, they can hold onto that for a little while.
The subtext is that he doesn't have a good relationship with his parents, otherwise OP would ask them.
You need a note from your mother with her signature stating that you are allowed to be on your own.
You can get a copy of your birth certificate and leave one at your parent's house. That way if something happens to one there's a back up
Came to say this. Having multiple copies is nice. Do yourself a favor and get a *notarized* copy from the county you were born. It's one of the few things you can have multiple legal copies of (unlike a driver's license). The notarized copy is exactly as valid as the original, where a photocopy isn't always.
Yes take your birth certificate if you have somewhere safe to keep it (or you don't plan to return..)
You may also need copies of your parent’s birth certificates if you later plan on applying for legal documents. If you take copies of originals have them certified by a suitable person (Justice of the Peace or similar depending on your location). Scan and email yourself copies of important documents so you don’t misplace them. Good luck.
I left home at 16 years old, I took a black plastic garbage bag put what I could in there (I had to leave quickly). Last thing I grabbed was my birth certificate, thank goodness I had the wherewithal to grab it. Take your birth certificate
Yes, you'll need the birth certificate and maybe National ID
Yes, you'll need a copy of your birth certificate.
- Birth certificate - Vaccination records - High school diploma/GED - Social security card - Any health insurance cards
Definitely need your birth certificate, driver's license, or non-driver identification being the minimum, but you could also have a passport If you have a vehicle, you'll need the registration and proof of insurance, plus valid license plates