How to Store Copies of Identity Documents Securely

The most secure way to store a copy of an identity document is not to store it at all. Many checks only require you to see the document and record that you did. Where you genuinely must keep a copy, the rules are: keep it in one access-controlled place tied to the person's record, never in email or on personal devices, and delete it on a fixed date. Whether you are required to keep copies, and for how long, varies by jurisdiction and by the purpose of the check, so confirm the local rules.

First question: do you need the copy?

Ask what the law or your own process actually requires:

• Seeing the document — you check it is genuine and matches the person, then record the check.
• Recording details — you note the document type, number, expiry date and the date you checked.
• Keeping a copy — some regimes require a copy as proof the check was done.

If the first or second is enough, do that. A note saying "Passport checked in person on 27 March by M. Silva, valid until 2031" is often all you need, and it cannot be misused the way a scan can.

If you must keep a copy

1. One place, attached to the person or matter. The copy belongs with the employee file, tenancy or client record it relates to, not in a general "ID scans" folder that collects hundreds of documents behind one door.
2. Restricted access. Only the people who need to verify identity should be able to open it. A colleague who handles the same client's invoices does not.
3. Encrypted storage from a provider that encrypts data at rest and in transit, with two-factor authentication on every account that can reach it.
4. Out of email. If a document arrives by email, move it to the record and delete the email and its attachment, including from sent items if you forwarded it.
5. Off personal phones. Photos taken on a phone camera end up in personal galleries and cloud backups. Upload from the phone to the record and delete the local photo.
6. Mark the copy. Some organisations watermark copies with the purpose and date ("Copy for tenancy check, 27/03/2024"). It makes a stolen copy less useful for fraud elsewhere.

Collection matters too

The weakest moment is often the transfer. Asking someone to email a passport scan puts it in two mailboxes, a sent folder and possibly a backup. A secure upload link that drops the file directly into the right record is better. In person, scan straight into the system rather than via a shared office scanner that emails the result to a group inbox.

Delete on a date

Set the deletion date when you take the copy: the end of the relationship plus whatever period you need to show the check was done. When the date arrives, delete the copy and keep only the note that the check happened. Record the deletion. Screening for rentals is a common case of over-collection, covered in tenant screening records: what to keep and what to delete.

Protect the accounts, not just the files

Every control above fails if someone can sign in as you. Unique passwords and two-factor on every account with access to identity documents are part of storing them securely. See password hygiene for small offices.