To fill out USAR Form 37-R, the Key/Lock Inventory List, download the current fillable PDF from the U.S. Army Reserve publications portal, physically audit every lock in your area of responsibility, and record each one across the form’s four columns: Use, Location of Key(s), Key/Lock Serial Number, and Number of Keys. The form is governed by USAR Pamphlet 190-1, and accuracy is what keeps a routine inventory from turning into a property-loss investigation.
Get the Current Version First
The active form is dated 1 May 08 and available as a fillable PDF in the USAR Forms section of usar.army.mil, listed as “USAR Form 37-R Key/Lock Inventory List.”1U.S. Army Reserve. Publications It replaced the older USARC Form 37-R, which is obsolete.2United States Army Reserve. USAR Form 37-R Key/Lock Inventory List
Use the digital PDF rather than a photocopy. Handwriting legibility problems get flagged during command inspections, and a fresh download rules out working from an outdated local copy. If your unit keeps a shared version on a network drive, check its revision date against the one posted on the Reserve site before you start.
Audit Before You Write
The form is only as reliable as the walkthrough behind it. Before opening the PDF, walk every room, closet, arms room, and exterior access point in your area of responsibility. For each lock, collect four things on a scratch sheet:
- What the lock secures — the supply cage, office door, filing cabinet, or weapons rack it protects.
- Where the keys are physically stored — a specific key box slot, safe, or drawer, not “on hand.”
- The serial number stamped on the lock body and on each key. If a number is worn or illegible, flag that lock for replacement before finalizing the inventory.
- The total number of keys actually in your possession, compared against what your unit was authorized.
Doing the audit first, then transferring the data to the form, avoids the back-and-forth that leads to errors. It also gives you time to identify missing keys or unreadable serial numbers before anything goes on the official record.
Filling In Each Field
The form is a single-page grid with a header block and four columns. It holds up to 30 line entries per page, and multi-page inventories use the page-numbering block at the top.2United States Army Reserve. USAR Form 37-R Key/Lock Inventory List
Unit/Activity Header
Enter the full official designation of the unit or activity, exactly as it appears on your property book. Informal shorthand or abbreviations cause problems during inspections that cross-reference the inventory against property accountability records.
Column 1: Use
Describe what each lock secures with enough specificity that someone unfamiliar with the building could find it. “Bldg 2140 Arms Room Door,” “Supply Cage #3, Rm 104,” and “Filing Cabinet, S-2 Office” are the right level of detail. If a lock protects a sensitive item storage area, note that in the description so inspectors can verify the appropriate lock type is in place.
Column 2: Location of Key(s)
Record where the keys are physically stored. A numbered slot in a key control box, a safe in the orderly room, or a sealed envelope in the commander’s office are all acceptable if the entry is traceable. Vague entries will not survive an inspection.
Column 3: Key/Lock Serial Number
Enter the serial number from the lock body. If the keys carry their own identifying numbers, include those too. Serial numbers are what tie a physical lock to its paper trail, so verify every digit against the hardware rather than copying from an older document.
Column 4: Number of Keys
Write the total count of keys that currently exist for that lock. If three were issued and you can only find two, record the number actually on hand and start the reporting process for the missing key. Catching that mismatch is exactly what this column exists for.
Authenticating and Storing the Completed Form
USAR Form 37-R has no signature blocks. Your unit’s standard operating procedure or the guidance in USAR Pam 190-1 dictates how the completed inventory gets authenticated. Most units attach the finished 37-R to a memorandum signed by the person who conducted the physical inventory and the Key Control Officer or commander who verified it, then route it through internal administrative channels.
AR 190-51 requires that completed key control registers and inventory records be kept in unit files for at least one year.3Kansas Department of the Army. Army Regulation 190-51 – Security of Unclassified Army Resources (Sensitive and Nonsensitive) A completed 37-R stays active until a new inventory supersedes it, and the retention clock starts on the superseded copy. Store the form in the unit’s key control file with the DA Forms 5513 and related correspondence, in a location with controlled access.
How the 37-R Differs from DA Form 5513
The 37-R captures a snapshot of what locks and keys your unit has. DA Form 5513, the Key Control Register and Inventory, tracks the day-to-day movement of those keys: who signed them out, when they came back, and who witnessed each transfer.4U.S. Army Recruiting Command. DA Form 5513 Key Control Register and Inventory DA Form 5513 is governed by AR 190-11 and includes sections for joint and semiannual inventories.
When you conduct one of those periodic inventories, the serial numbers and key counts on your DA Form 5513 should match the most recent 37-R. Any mismatch has to be resolved before the inventory is signed off.
What a Discrepancy or a False Entry Costs
A missing key is a potential security breach, not just an inventory problem. The affected lock should be replaced or re-keyed, and the loss documented. Under AR 735-5, lost, damaged, or destroyed government property triggers a Financial Liability Investigation of Property Loss to determine what happened and whether anyone owes money.5U.S. Army. Financial Liability Investigations of Property Loss (FLIPL) Info Sheet
Falsifying the form is far more serious. Under UCMJ Article 107, anyone subject to military law who signs a false official document or makes a false official statement knowing it to be false faces punishment as a court-martial may direct.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 907 – Art. 107. False Official Statements; False Swearing Recording two keys when only one exists, or listing a serial number you never verified, falls squarely inside that statute. Papering over a discrepancy converts a minor property issue into a criminal one, so record what you actually found and report the gap.