What documents to shred, and what to keep: the FTC and IRS timelines
Shred anything with your personal information once you no longer need it. The FTC's guide: keep most statements for a year, tax returns and their records at least three years, property papers while you own it, and vital records forever, locked up.
By the editors of ProtectYour.com Last reviewed 4 min read
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Key takeaways
- Shred now: ATM receipts, offers of credit or insurance, cleared checks after 14 days, old credit reports, expired cards and IDs, and prescription information for medicines you no longer take.
- Keep for a year: bank statements, pay stubs, card and utility bills, undisputed medical bills. Shred paper copies if you can get them online.
- Keep at least three years: tax returns and supporting records. The IRS says longer in some cases, up to seven years for a bad debt or worthless securities.
- Keep forever, locked up: birth certificates, Social Security cards, passports, marriage and divorce papers, wills and military records.
- Use a cross-cut or micro-cut shredder, or a community shred day. Strip-cut shredders leave readable strips.
The keep-or-shred list
This table follows the FTC's June 2025 guidance on which documents to keep and which to shred, with tax periods from the IRS.
How long to keep personal documents, per the FTC (2025) and IRS
| Keep | Documents |
|---|---|
| Shred now | ATM receipts, offers of credit or insurance, cleared checks (after 14 days), credit reports, prescription information for medicines you no longer take, expired warranties, expired credit cards, driver's licenses and other IDs |
| 1 year | Bank statements, pay stubs, undisputed medical bills, credit card and utility bills, deposited checks. If you can get these electronically, the FTC says you can shred the paper |
| At least 3 years | Income tax returns and supporting records: canceled checks, receipts, W-2s, 1099s and records of a home sale |
| While you own it | Vehicle and home titles or deeds, mortgage and car loan documents, home improvement receipts, leases, major appliance receipts and warranties |
| Forever, locked up | Birth or adoption papers, Social Security cards, passports, citizenship or residency papers, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, military records, wills, powers of attorney, retirement and pension plans, family death certificates, and vital health records |
Tax records: when three years is not enough
The IRS's general rule is three years from filing, with longer periods in some cases:
- Six years if you left out income that was more than 25% of the gross income on your return.
- Seven years if you claim a loss from worthless securities or a bad debt deduction.
- Indefinitely if you did not file a return or filed a fraudulent one.
- Property records until the period of limitations runs out for the year you dispose of the property. That can mean decades for a house.
- Employment tax records for at least four years, if you employ people.
When in doubt, keep tax papers seven years. The cost is a box in a closet. For anything you keep, a locked drawer or fire-resistant box beats a shoebox.
Why shredding still matters
Most identity theft today starts online, but paper still leaks. The Social Security Administration lists rummaging through trash as one of the ways scammers collect personal data. A pre-approved credit offer, a bank statement or an old pay stub gives a thief your name, address and account details, and sometimes part of your Social Security number.
You can also cut down what arrives. Opt out of prescreened credit and insurance offers at OptOutPrescreen.com or 1-888-567-8688, and switch statements to electronic. Our guide to protecting your mail covers the rest.
Hard-to-shred items
Choosing a shredder
Shredders are rated by how small they cut. A strip-cut shredder makes long strips that can be pieced back together. A cross-cut shredder cuts strips into short pieces, and a micro-cut shredder into tiny particles. For household documents, cross-cut or micro-cut is the sensible minimum. Many shredders list a P-level from the DIN 66399 standard; P-4 or higher is a common choice for home use.
If you shred a few times a year, you may not need one at all. Many towns, credit unions and police departments run free community shred days; the FTC suggests looking for one.
Common questions
How long should I keep bank statements?
About a year, according to the FTC's 2025 guidance. It groups bank statements with pay stubs, card and utility bills. Keep any that support a tax return as long as the tax records. If you can get them online, you can shred the paper copies.
How long should I keep tax returns?
At least three years, the IRS's general period. Keep them six years if you underreported income by more than 25%, seven years for a worthless securities or bad debt claim, and indefinitely if you did not file or filed a fraudulent return.
What should I shred right away?
The FTC's list: ATM receipts, offers of credit or insurance, cleared checks after 14 days, credit reports, prescription information for medicines you no longer take, expired warranties, and expired credit cards, driver's licenses and other IDs.
Your next step
Related guides
- Mail theft and identity theft: how to protect your mailboxBank statements, new cards, checks and tax forms still travel by mail, and a thief only needs a few minutes at your mailbox. The free fixes are Informed Delivery, prompt pickup and fewer paper statements. A locking mailbox helps where theft is common.
- Medical identity theft: the warning signs and how to fix your recordsMedical identity theft is when someone uses your name or insurance to get care, prescriptions or payouts. It usually shows up as a bill or explanation of benefits for care you never got. The fix is to get your records, correct them in writing, and report it.
- How to freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnionA credit freeze is free, takes about half an hour for all three bureaus, and is the single best defense against someone opening accounts in your name.
- The IRS Identity Protection PIN: how to get one and why it is worth five minutesAnyone with an SSN or ITIN who can verify their identity can get a free six-digit IP PIN from the IRS. With it, a tax return filed under your number without the PIN is rejected, which blocks the most common form of tax identity theft.