At home in 2026, the safest place to keep your passport is in a fireproof and waterproof document safe that is bolted to the floor or a wall. This protects the document not only from theft but also from natural disasters like house fires or flooding, which can be devastating to paper-based identity documents. If a safe is not an option, choose a "cool, dry, and hidden" location that is not obvious to an intruder, such as a high shelf in a closet (away from the master bedroom, which is the first place thieves usually look). Avoid keeping it in a "junk drawer" or a portable file box that could be easily grabbed. In 2026, it is also standard practice to keep a high-resolution digital backup in an encrypted cloud storage vault, as well as a physical photocopy stored in a separate location from the original. This ensures that even if the physical book is lost or destroyed, you have the necessary information to expedite a replacement through the State Department or your local embassy.