Money Lock Boxes: Cash Boxes, Locks and What They're Actually For

A money lock box is a cash box with a lock

A money lock box is a portable container for cash. Many are made of sheet steel with a carry handle, and many open to a removable tray with compartments for bills and coins. The lock is usually a key, a combination wheel or dial, or a small keypad.

The search terms overlap. Cash box, petty cash box, cash box with combination lock, money box with key — all of them land on this page. What they share is portability and a lock that controls who opens the lid. What they don't share is a burglary rating or, in most cases, a fire rating. Those belong to safes.

This page lists every lock box we track. If you want something heavier, built to stay put, our money safes page covers home safes, floor safes and lock boxes suited to cash. For lock boxes in general — documents, medication, small valuables — see lock boxes.

Who a money lock box suits, and who should skip it

A cash box suits anyone who handles cash in small amounts and needs to move it:

• Events and sales. A register table at a fundraiser, a market stall, a garage sale.
• Petty cash. A desk drawer at a small office, club or church.
• Shared access. A treasurer and two volunteers who all need to open the same box — a combination lock helps here.
• Household cash. Envelope budgeting, allowance money, a spare-cash stash.

Skip it, or pair it with something else, if:

• You're storing a large amount of cash at home. A light box can be carried off whole. A small safe that's bolted down, or a money safe, is the better place for savings. Cash in a home safe isn't a bank deposit; the FDIC lists safe deposit boxes and their contents as not covered by deposit insurance, and a box at home has no deposit insurance at all.
• You need fire protection. Check the fire column; if it shows "—", plan for none.
• You're storing a firearm. That's a job for a handgun safe with a lock built for it.

What to look for in a money lock box: the lock, the tray, the tether

A cash box lock has one realistic opponent: the person who wasn't supposed to open it. Kevin, our hypothetical burglar, doesn't bother with the lock. He takes the handle. So check the lock for daily use, and plan for the handle separately.

Lock type.

• Key: simple and fast. Keys can be lost or copied; check how many come with the box and keep the spare somewhere else.
• Combination (wheel or dial): no key to lose, and several people can share access. Check whether the combination can be changed and how.
• Keypad: fast and reprogrammable. Needs batteries and a backup key or override. Check where the battery compartment is.

The tray. Count the bill and coin compartments against how you'll use the box. A removable tray lets you lift the cash out and store checks or larger items underneath.

Steel thickness. Where the listing states gauge, lower numbers mean thicker steel. Under the federal U.S. Standard Gauge, 16 gauge is 0.0625 in and 18 gauge thinner still. A cash box is light by design; thicker steel adds weight and some resistance to casual prying.

Hinges and lid. A lid that sits flush with the body, with hinges that aren't easy to reach from outside, is harder to pry than one with a gap.

Tether or mounting. A cable loop or mounting holes let you secure the box to a desk or shelf while it's in use. Without one, the box's only defense against being carried off is your attention.

Size. Check exterior dimensions if the box will live in a drawer or inside a larger safe, and interior dimensions if you're storing checks or bank bags.

Ratings. Burglary ratings like UL 1037 apply to residential security containers, not cash boxes, so don't expect one. A fire rating, if stated, should give the time, the temperature or UL class, and who tested it.

Handling cash with a lock box: habits that matter more than the lock

A cash box is a tool for a process. For a club, an event or a small office, the process does more of the protecting than the steel does. A few habits that cost nothing:

• Start with a known float. Count the opening cash, write it down, and have a second person initial it.
• Count with two people at the end. The same two, or at least not the same one person every time.
• Keep a log sheet in the tray. Date, opening amount, closing amount, who counted.
• Deposit often. The less cash sitting in a portable box, the less a lost or stolen box costs.
• Split the access. One person holds the key or code; another holds the log. For a combination lock, change the code when the people who know it change.
• Store keys apart from the box. A key on the handle, or a code taped inside the lid, turns the lock into decoration.

At home, the same idea applies on a smaller scale. Keep what you need for the week in the box, and the rest in a bank or a bolted safe.

How to read the money lock box table

The table lists every lock box we track. Key-only lockboxes for doors, the kind used for house keys, are not included.

• Lock column: key, combination, keypad or fingerprint. Pick the one that matches how many people need access.
• Capacity and dimensions: check the box against the drawer or safe it will live in.
• Weight: heavier boxes are harder to carry off, and harder to carry to an event.
• Fire column: many rows may show "—". A rating, where present, names a time, temperature and who tested it.

When two boxes look the same, choose the one with the clearer lock description and a tether option. The tray layout comes next. Price tier, not price, is shown; the Check price button has the current Amazon price.

Where a cash box should live between uses

A portable box is only as secure as the place it's kept. During the day, keep it within reach and tethered if you can. Overnight, put it somewhere locked: a desk drawer that locks, a cabinet, or inside a safe. Our hidden safe ideas guide covers spots that are less obvious than the top drawer of the desk, including the places burglars commonly check first. For compact home safes that a cash box can sit inside, see our safe boxes page.

Pick the lock that fits the people who need it. Change any default code on day one, keep the spare key somewhere else, and lock the box inside something heavier at night.