Should I destroy the passport of family member that passed away?

My grandmother who lived with us, passed away recently. All of her stuff is here in our home and we plan on putting it into storage for now. But I came across her passport and I'm not sure what to do with it. I would like to keep it but don't know if that is legal. Any suggestions?


_________________________________________________

Answer:

Hello,

You are not required to destroy your grandmother's passport. You could actually choose to keep it as something to remember her by. If you know where the passport is going to be at all times then you don't have to worry about her information possibly getting into the wrong hands.

If you are still uneasy about this or are worried about her passport falling into the wrong hands, I encourage you to call 1-877-487-2778. This the US passport information center and you will be able to talk to an operator about this completely free of charge.

They will ask you to send the passport with a death certificate to them so they can invalidate the passport. Tell them that you would like to have the passport back after they invalidate it.