An organizer for holding surgical instruments includes a tray that has instrument wells extending from the top surface of the tray. The shape of each instrument well corresponds to particular surgical instruments shapes. Each instrument wells depth corresponds to the height of a particular stack of surgical instruments. Pivoting locking bars extend over each instrument well to a locked position. In that position, instruments cannot be added to or removed from the instrument well. When the bar extends over the instrument well, the bar rests against the top instrument in the instrument well if the instrument well is full. If one or more instruments are missing from their instrument well, the locking bars intersection with the structure of the tray adjacent the instrument well is such that an end of the locking bar projects about the trays surface. Thus, one can notice quickly whether all instrument wells are full.
