Skip to Main Content
Menu
Contact Us Search
CA Department of Insurance
CA Department of Insurance
CA Department of Insurance

Home Inventory Guide

Commissioner Jones offers the following tips for home inventory keeping:

A home inventory should be completed to keep track of your belongings and valuable items. A home inventory guide is available to all consumers through the Department of Insurance by calling us at 800-927-4357 or downloading here: Home Inventory Guide.

In addition, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has launched an app for your iPhone® or Android phone which allows you to create a home inventory of your possessions. The free app lets you quickly photograph and capture images, descriptions and serial numbers, and stores the information electronically for safekeeping. The app organizes everything by room and category, and creates a back-up file for e-mail sharing. You can get further information about the app from the NAIC.

Photographs of household goods are especially helpful when an item is hard to describe on paper, or if a purchase receipt cannot be obtained. Each photograph should be labeled with date stamps and any additional pertinent information.

We recommend the following tips:

  1. Walk around with a video camera, video every drawer and comment about each item, email to someone offsite; or
  2. Download the NAIC app for Android, iPhone®; or
  3. Download our Department of Insurance paper version of the home inventory guide (or we can mail you one)

A copy of the inventory and supporting documentation, such as receipts and model numbers, should be stored in a safe place, such as a safe-deposit box, work office, or a relative's house. These records should also include financial documents such as insurance policies and mortgage information.

Home inventories should be updated at least once per year, and your insurance company should be notified of new purchases so that you are adequately insured for the entire amount of your belongings.

Google Translate