Burglary Safes: What a Burglary Rating Actually Promises

A burglary safe is defined by its rating, not its looks

Plenty of safes look heavy duty. A burglary safe, on this page, is one that states a burglary rating: a UL Residential Security Container (RSC) rating, a UL 687 class such as TL-15 or TL-30, or another named standard. Our table includes every home safe, fire safe, floor safe, wall safe, gun safe and jewelry safe we track with such a rating stated. Safes whose rating is confirmed as absent are left out. Where we couldn't confirm either way, the safe stays in, with "—" in the rating column, so you can check it yourself.

Burglar resistant safes fall into two broad tiers:

• Residential Security Containers (UL 1037): the rating most gun safes and many large home safes carry, in Levels I, II and III
• Burglary-resistant safes (UL 687): TL-15, TL-30, torch-resistant TRTL classes and X6 classes tested on all six sides

These are different standards with different tests. A TL class is a higher class of product than an RSC. Our guide to UL safe ratings explains each one in detail, and the UL-rated safes page lists safes with any UL fire or burglary rating.

Who needs a burglar resistant safe, and who doesn't

A safe with a burglary rating is worth the extra weight and cost when theft is the main risk: firearms, jewelry, cash, coins, or anything that would be hard to replace and easy to sell. Burglary is common enough to plan for. The FBI estimates 661,800 burglaries in the United States in 2025, with 53.4% of burglary offenses at residential properties. In the FBI's 2025 incident data, burglary was most often reported between noon and 5:59 p.m.

You may not need one if:

• Fire is your main concern. A burglary rating says nothing about fire. A fire-rated safe or document safe may fit better; see our fire-rated safes page.
• You're storing documents only. A fire-rated box plus copies stored elsewhere may cover the real risk.
• You can't anchor anything and the safe is light. A burglary rating on a safe that can be carried away protects less than it looks. Pick a spot where it can be bolted down first.
• You need quick access to a handgun. Quick-access handgun safes are a different design brief; see the handgun safes page.

What to look for in a burglary safe: the standard, the weight and the anchor

Picture Kevin, our hypothetical burglar. Kevin has a pry bar, a pillowcase and a strong wish to be somewhere else. He doesn't have the afternoon. A burglary rating is a measure of how much of his afternoon the safe would ask for.

Which standard, and which level

Read the rating's exact name. The common ones, from the standards themselves:

• UL 1037 RSC Level I: resisted a 5-minute attack by one operator using common hand tools and a small electric drill, without the door opening or a 4-inch hand-hole being made
• UL 1037 Level II: 10 minutes of net working time by two experienced operators with more aggressive tools; failure is a 6-square-inch opening through the door or front face
• UL 1037 Level III: 10 minutes by two operators who may also use abrasive cutting wheels and power saws; a 2-square-inch opening through the door or body counts as failure
• UL 687 TL-15 and TL-30: tool-resistant classes for the door and front face; TL-30 is higher
• UL 687 TRTL and X6 classes: add torch resistance, or test all six sides

I haven't verified UL 687's exact attack times and opening sizes from UL itself, so this page doesn't quote them. The class names come from the standard's published scope.

Intertek, which issues the ETL marks, is an OSHA-recognized testing laboratory and can also test to these standards. The lab matters less than the standard and level named on the label.

Weight and anchoring

Weight is part of burglary resistance, and the standard says so. UL 1037 Level II and III containers must weigh at least 750 lb or be anchorable. Lighter or portable containers may also be drop-tested, because being carried off and dropped is a realistic attack.

An immovable safe is one that's heavy and anchored. Check the shipping weight, the number and size of the mounting holes, and whether anchors are included. Then bolt it down, into concrete or framing, as the manual specifies. Our guide on how to bolt a safe to the floor covers the details. A floor safe set into concrete is another route to the same result.

Steel, the lock and hidden hardware

Body and door steel are listed as a gauge, and lower numbers are thicker. Under the U.S. Standard Gauge, 10-gauge is about 0.141 in and 12-gauge about 0.109 in; a stated thickness in inches is the cleaner comparison. Insurance-style construction classes are a separate idea: Liberty Safe describes a "B" class as a body under ½ inch and a door under 1 inch, and notes the class isn't a UL test.

The lock has its own ratings. UL 768 covers mechanical combination locks and their resistance to manipulation. UL 2058 is UL's outline for high-security electronic locks. RSC Levels II and III require specific lock groups. Some safes also list a relocker, a hidden mechanism meant to keep the bolts locked if the lock is attacked; our safe relocker guide explains what it does.

How to read the burglary safe table

The table lists every safe we track with a stated burglary rating, plus those where the rating couldn't be confirmed either way. Reading notes:

• Burglary rating names the standard and level: UL RSC, TL-15, TL-30 or another named standard.
• "—" means not confirmed. Check the listing or the UL label before relying on it.
• Weight helps judge how hard the safe is to move, before anchoring.
• Fire rating, when present, is separate and shows duration, temperature and who tested it.
• Steel gauge reads backwards: lower is thicker.

People asking for the safest safe, or the best burglary safes, are usually asking which rating to buy. A practical approach: decide what you're protecting and how replaceable it is. For most homes, an RSC-rated safe that is anchored is a sound baseline. TL-rated safes are a higher tier, worth considering for high-value contents. Compare the rating first, then weight, then fire protection if you need both. A heavy duty safe with no stated rating can still be well built, but nothing on the label lets you verify it.

Choosing a burglary safe you can verify

Read the rating's exact name and level, and find it on the safe's UL or ETL label, not only in the ad copy. Pick a spot where the safe can be anchored, then choose the weight and steel that suit it. If fire matters too, look for a separate fire rating. Then sort the table by burglary rating and check the price on the safes that fit your space.