Where do the checklist items come from?

From Paperlock’s own scenario pages — moving house, new baby paperwork, death in the family, starting a new job and international travel documents. The checklist repeats their items and figures word for word (the ‘five to ten death certificates’, the ‘about 30 days’ benefits window) and links each list to its page. The pages are written for the United States; check your own state’s rules where they differ.

Are my ticks saved anywhere?

Only in this browser, in local storage, under a key per checklist. They are never sent to a server, there is no account, and clearing the site’s data or using a private window removes them. Reset clears a list on purpose.

Can I print the checklist?

Yes. The print button uses a print stylesheet that hides the page chrome and prints only the list with its checkboxes, grouped as on screen. Save as PDF from the print dialog works the same way.

Is this legal or financial advice?

No. It is a list of documents people are usually asked for in these situations, with the practical notes from the scenario pages. Deadlines such as benefits enrollment windows and DMV address-change limits vary by employer, plan and state, so confirm the ones that matter with the organisation that sets them.

Why are these five scenarios and not others?

They are the five paperwork moments where people most often search for a checklist, and each already has a full scenario page on the site to copy from. Other scenarios — renting, a mortgage, tax season, a car accident — have pages too, and can be added as lists once they settle.

Free tool

Printable document checklist for moving, a new baby, a death in the family, a new job and travel

Updated October 15, 2026

Pick the moment — moving house, a new baby, a death in the family, starting a new job, an international trip — and get the documents it will ask for as a checklist you can tick, print or download as text. Every item is copied from the matching Paperlock scenario page. Your ticks are saved in this browser only; nothing leaves your device.

5 printable document checklists with 110 items in total, copied item for item from the Paperlock scenario pages for moving house, a new baby, a death in the family, starting a new job and international travel (US scope). Ticks are saved in your browser only.

Runs entirely in your browser — your files are never uploaded anywhere.

Step-by-step guide: Important documents organizer: how to choose one and set it up so you can actually find things

Which moment?

Scope: United States. Copied from the matching Paperlock scenario page; check your own state’s rules where they differ.

Ticks are saved in this browser’s local storage only — not on any server. They come back on this device; they do not follow you to another. Nothing you tick is sent anywhere.

The 5 checklists, in full (110 items)

Every row below is what the widget above shows, in the same order, so the lists can be read — and quoted — without touching a form. Each one links the scenario page it was copied from and has its own printable page.

Scope: United States. The scenario pages are written for US paperwork; deadlines vary by state, employer and plan.

Moving house — 24 items

For about eight weeks, everyone — the landlord, the utility company, the DMV, the kids’ school — wants proof of something. The paperwork side of a move, in one list. Open this list on its own page →

Document or task	Why, where, how urgent
The document that starts everything
☐ Signed lease — or, if you bought, the closing packet: deed, settlement statement, inspection reports	Proves the new address before you have a single bill; photograph or scan the signed version the day you get it
Utilities and address changes
☐ Electric, gas, water: close old accounts, open new ones	Keep final bills and new account confirmations
☐ Internet/cable: schedule install, return old equipment	Keep the return receipts — disputes here are common
☐ USPS: file mail forwarding	Keep the confirmation number
☐ Bank and credit cards: update address	Do it before cards get reissued
☐ DMV: update license and registration	Keep the new documents; deadlines are often 10–30 days
☐ Insurance (auto, health, renters/home): update address, adjust coverage	Keep the new policy documents
☐ Employer/payroll and IRS: update address	Keep the confirmation, so your W-2 doesn’t chase you
If kids are moving too: school transfers
☐ Proof of the new address (the lease again)
☐ Birth certificate
☐ Immunization records
☐ Transcripts or records from the old school	Request them before the move — routine while enrolled, slow after you’ve left
Movers
☐ The contract or estimate	Know whether it is binding or non-binding before moving day
☐ The inventory list (bill of lading)	The official record of what went on the truck and its condition — read it before signing at both ends
☐ Damage claim paperwork	Claim windows are short; check the contract for the deadline and photograph damage the day you find it
☐ Rental truck agreement, with photos of the truck before and after	If you move yourself
Deposit photos
☐ Old place, after it is empty: every room, every wall, inside the oven, under the sinks, plus the meter readings
☐ New place, before the boxes arrive: every existing scratch, stain and wobbly cabinet, with a timestamp
☐ Move-in/move-out condition report, filled in honestly, with a copy kept
Keep the old place’s papers
☐ Old lease
☐ Move-out condition report and photos
☐ All deposit correspondence
☐ Final utility bills
☐ Movers’ inventory	Hold everything until the deposit is back and every account shows a zero balance — and a year or two beyond

Copied from the scenario page: Moving house

New baby — 11 items

Most of the pile can wait. A few pieces genuinely can’t. In the order they will come at you. Open this list on its own page →

Document or task	Why, where, how urgent
Birth certificate
☐ Order two or three certified copies from the state or county vital records office	Order in week 1–2; it usually takes a few weeks
☐ Keep the hospital discharge summary and the birth registration receipt	Interim proof while you wait
Social Security number
☐ Say yes when the hospital offers to apply as part of birth registration	The card arrives by mail a few weeks later
☐ If you missed that step: apply at a Social Security office with the birth certificate and your own ID
☐ When the card arrives, photograph it and put the paper somewhere safe
Insurance — the one with a real deadline
☐ Add the baby to your health insurance	A birth is a qualifying life event; the window is commonly around 30 to 60 days but varies by plan — call HR in week 1
☐ Ask about a dependent care FSA	Often has its own enrollment window tied to the same life event
Pediatric records
☐ Vaccination record	The most-requested document of the first five years — photograph it after every visit
☐ Visit summaries, growth charts, referral letters, test results
Childcare contracts and receipts
☐ Enrollment contracts and deposit receipts
☐ Weekly invoices	No receipt, no reimbursement — needed for a dependent care FSA or tax credits

Copied from the scenario page: New baby

Death in the family — 40 items

Almost none of this is urgent. Beyond caring for the body and telling close family, most of it can wait days or weeks. Open this list on its own page →

Document or task	Why, where, how urgent
The first days
☐ Legal pronouncement of death	Hospital or hospice staff do this; at home, call the hospice nurse or 911
☐ Choose a funeral home; tell them about any pre-arrangements	A pre-paid contract is usually with the other important papers — look before you agree to anything
☐ Tell the funeral director if the person was a veteran	VA burial benefits often apply; the funeral home needs the DD-214
☐ Tell close family and friends, then the employer
☐ Find the will and any pre-arrangements	Filing cabinet, safe, safe deposit box, the attorney who drafted it, a trusted adult child’s house
☐ Secure the home, pets, car and mail	Keep every envelope — bills and statements are how you discover accounts nobody knew about
The first two weeks
☐ Order five to ten certified death certificates through the funeral home	Banks, insurers, Social Security, the DMV and pensions nearly all want a certified copy
☐ Social Security: confirm the funeral home reported the death	Benefits paid for the month of death or later generally must be returned; survivors may be eligible for benefits
☐ Pension plan administrators and the VA
☐ Employer HR: final paycheck, unused vacation, group life insurance, retirement plan, continued health coverage
☐ Life insurance: one claim per policy, filed by the named beneficiary with a certified death certificate	Look for policies in the files, in premium payments on bank statements, and through the employer
☐ Banks and credit cards: notify each; cancel cards held in the person’s name alone	Keep paying the mortgage, utilities and insurance on the home; the estate can reimburse later
☐ Credit bureaus: send the death certificate to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion and ask for a “deceased — do not issue credit” notice
☐ Digital accounts: locate the phone passcode and any password list before the number is cancelled
The first months
☐ Probate or the small-estate alternative	The court’s appointment of the executor (“letters testamentary”) is what banks want for accounts in the person’s name alone
☐ The final income tax return	Gather the last few years of returns now; they map the accounts that paid interest or income
☐ Retirement accounts: contact each plan with a death certificate	IRAs and 401(k)s pass by beneficiary designation, not by the will
☐ Property titles	Keep homeowners insurance active and tell the insurer the house may be vacant
☐ Vehicles: DMV transfer with a death certificate and the court letters or a small-estate affidavit	Keep the auto insurance going until the title changes
☐ Subscriptions and everything recurring	Each incoming statement in the first two months reveals a few more
Documents to gather: who asks for what
☐ Certified death certificates	Banks, insurers, Social Security, DMV, pensions, county recorder · certified copies — order 5–10
☐ Will and any trust documents	Probate court, executor, estate attorney · original signed will
☐ Social Security number	Funeral home, Social Security, insurers, IRS · number only
☐ Birth certificate	Social Security, pensions, VA (survivor benefits) · certified copy
☐ Marriage certificate	Social Security, pensions, insurers (spousal benefits) · certified copy
☐ Divorce decree, if any	Pensions, Social Security (prior-spouse benefits) · certified copy
☐ Military discharge papers (DD-214)	Funeral home, VA, national cemeteries · copy is usually fine; the National Archives on request
☐ Life insurance policies	The insurer, for each claim · copy; the insurer has the original
☐ Health, homeowners, and auto policies	Insurers, to cancel or transfer · copy
☐ Bank and credit card statements	Executor, to find and settle accounts · copy
☐ Investment and brokerage statements	Executor, probate court inventory · copy
☐ Retirement plan and IRA statements	Plan administrator, beneficiaries · copy
☐ Pension or annuity paperwork	Plan administrator · copy
☐ Deeds and mortgage documents	County recorder, title company, probate court · original deed if you have it; recorded copies exist
☐ Vehicle titles and registrations	DMV, buyer or new owner · original title
☐ Recent tax returns (last 3–7 years)	Executor, whoever files the final return, IRS · copy
☐ Safe deposit box key and contract	The bank · original key
☐ Passwords, phone passcode, digital access	Executor, family · whatever exists
☐ Funeral pre-arrangement or plot deed	Funeral home, cemetery · original if there is one
☐ Bills, loans, and subscription notices	Executor, to settle or cancel · copy

Copied from the scenario page: Death in the family

Starting a new job — 17 items

None of it is hard, but two or three of these papers have real deadlines, and most of them will matter again years from now. Open this list on its own page →

Document or task	Why, where, how urgent
The offer letter
☐ The final signed offer letter or employment contract — not the draft	Salary, bonus structure, equity, start date, title, severance terms: the signed copy is what counts
☐ Negotiation emails, exported or screenshotted	Promises made in email have a way of not appearing in the letter
Day one: the I-9
☐ Original documents for the I-9, located the week before you start	Either one document proving both identity and work authorization (most commonly a US passport) or a combination — typically a driver’s license plus a Social Security card or birth certificate
☐ Check the current acceptable-documents list on uscis.gov before day one
☐ Photograph the I-9 documents while you have them out
Tax forms
☐ W-4 (federal withholding) and usually a state equivalent	The IRS withholding estimator is worth ten minutes with two incomes or a salary jump
☐ Keep a copy of the W-4 you submitted	The first thing to compare against if your first real paycheck looks wrong
Benefits enrollment — the deadline that bites
☐ Your exact enrollment deadline — a date, not “30 days”	Most US employers give about 30 days from the start date; miss it and you generally wait for open enrollment
☐ The plan summaries for each option
☐ The confirmation page once you enroll — screenshot it
☐ Keep the plan documents after you choose	You will want the plan summary next to the first medical bills and insurance statements
The 401(k)
☐ Your contribution election and the plan’s match terms
☐ Your beneficiary designation	It quietly outranks your will for this account; keep a copy so you know what it says
Don’t let the old job evaporate
☐ Final pay stub from the old job	Shows paid-out vacation and year-to-date withholding to check against the W-2
☐ The COBRA notice, if there is a gap before new coverage starts
☐ Old 401(k) statements and rollover paperwork	A statement with the plan administrator’s name is how you find the money again in ten years
☐ Bonus letters, equity statements — anything proving what you earned

Copied from the scenario page: Starting a new job

International travel — 18 items

Every document on this list is easy to fix months out and miserable to fix at the airport. Roughly in order of how badly each one can ruin the trip. Open this list on its own page →

Document or task	Why, where, how urgent
Passport — it has the longest lead time
☐ Find the passport (actually find it) and check the expiration date against the six-month rule	Many countries require validity six months past your arrival or departure; a renewal takes weeks — do this the day you book
☐ Start the renewal now if the date is anywhere near the danger zone
Visas and travel authorizations
☐ Check the official government or embassy site of your destination — per trip, even for countries you have visited before	A growing number of visa-free destinations want an electronic travel authorization applied for online before you fly
☐ Note whether approval is instant or takes days, and whether you need a printed confirmation
☐ Check the transit country too, if you have a layover
☐ Save the confirmation email or PDF the moment it arrives
Insurance and health paperwork
☐ Travel insurance: the policy number, the 24-hour emergency assistance line, and what is covered	Medical care abroad and evacuation are the parts worth reading twice; many US health plans don’t cover you overseas
☐ Proof of vaccination where the destination requires it	Yellow fever is the classic example; some vaccines must be done weeks before travel to count
Copies, kept apart from originals
☐ A paper copy of the passport data page and visa, packed separately from the passport
☐ A digital copy you can open without internet — saved to the phone itself, not an email
☐ One full set left with someone at home who answers their phone
The numbers you hope you never dial
☐ Your embassy or consulate at the destination	Lost passport, arrest, serious emergency
☐ Insurer’s emergency assistance line	Medical help and pre-approval abroad
☐ Bank and card-loss numbers	Freezing cards works better before the thief shops
☐ One contact at home	The person holding your spare document set
☐ Where you are staying, written down	Immigration forms ask; jet lag deletes it
Traveling as a family
☐ Every item above, times each traveler — including a passport for each infant	In the US, children’s passports last only five years and expire out of sync with the adults’
☐ A notarized consent letter from the absent parent, if a child travels with one parent or with grandparents	Some countries ask for it; check the destination’s embassy site well ahead

Copied from the scenario page: International travel

How to use the document checklist

Pick the moment. Choose moving, new baby, death in the family, new job or travel from the menu. The list loads with its groups in the order the paperwork arrives.
Tick what you have. Tap a box as you find or file each document. The count at the top updates; ticks are saved in this browser so the list is where you left it next time.
Print or download. Print gives you a clean paper checklist with boxes. Download .txt gives you the same list as text, with [x] for ticked items.
Read the full scenario when something is unclear. Every list links the page it was copied from, which explains why each document matters and what to keep afterwards.

What it does

Five checklists — moving house, new baby, death in the family, starting a new job, international travel — copied item for item from the scenario pages, with the same US scope
Tick items as you go; ticks are kept in your browser’s local storage only and come back when you return
Print stylesheet: the list prints as a clean page with checkboxes and nothing else
Download as a plain .txt file with [x] marks, to paste into a note or share with family
Each list has its own page with the full item table and a link to the scenario it came from
Runs in your browser — no account, no upload, no tracking of what you tick

What is on each checklist?

The same items as the scenario page it was copied from, grouped the way the paperwork arrives. Moving house runs from the signed lease through the utility and address blitz, school transfers, the movers’ contract and inventory, deposit photos, and the old place’s papers you must keep. New baby covers the birth certificate copies, the Social Security number, the insurance enrollment window, pediatric records and childcare receipts. Death in the family follows the first days, the first two weeks and the first months, then lists the twenty documents the estate will ask for and who asks for each. Starting a new job walks through the offer letter, the I-9 originals, the W-4, benefits enrollment, the 401(k) forms and what to collect from the old job. International travel starts with the passport and the six-month rule and ends with the numbers to keep offline.

Checklist	The deadline that bites	Copied from
Moving house	DMV address change — often 10–30 days	Moving: the paperwork checklist
New baby	Adding the baby to health insurance — commonly 30 to 60 days	New baby, new paperwork
Death in the family	None in the first days; death certificates (five to ten) unlock everything after	What to do when someone dies
Starting a new job	I-9 originals within three days; benefits enrollment in about 30 days	Starting a new job: the paperwork week
International travel	Passport validity — the six-month rule, checked the day you book	International travel: the documents to sort

How are the ticks stored?

In your browser’s local storage, one small entry per list, holding the ids of the ticked items and nothing else. That is why the list is still ticked when you come back on the same device and browser, and why it is empty on a different one. Nothing is sent anywhere: the page makes no network request when you tick, print or download. A private window or a cleared site-data setting starts fresh, and the page says so if saving fails.

Why a checklist rather than the scenario page?

The scenario pages explain; the checklist executes. When you are standing in a half-packed kitchen or at the hospital discharge desk, you want the list of things to collect, the one-line reason, and a box to tick — not the paragraph. The two stay in sync because the checklist is generated from a single table that repeats the page’s items, and each list links back to its page for the reasoning.

What this checklist cannot do

It cannot know your state, employer or insurer. The scenario pages are written for the United States and the deadlines they quote are typical, not universal: benefits windows vary by plan, DMV limits by state, and probate steps by county. Treat each item as a prompt to confirm with the organisation that sets the rule. The lists also stop at documents — they do not cover the emotional or logistical side of a move, a birth or a death, which the scenario pages touch on and which no checklist can.

Keeping the documents themselves findable

A ticked box says you found the document once. The harder problem is finding it again eight months later. The habit the scenario pages recommend is the same for all five moments: photograph each document the day it arrives, before it enters the house pile. Paperlock does that on an iPhone — it reads the document, names it and files it behind Face ID — but a well-named album or a single envelope works too. The household document inventory is the next step once the moment has passed: a list of what you hold and where.