diff --git a/src/hdmf/container.py b/src/hdmf/container.py
index 9da5eb037..db5c38e93 100644
--- a/src/hdmf/container.py
+++ b/src/hdmf/container.py
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 from uuid import uuid4
 from six import with_metaclass
 from .utils import docval, getargs, ExtenderMeta
+from .query import HDMFDataset
 from warnings import warn
+from copy import deepcopy
 
 
 class Container(with_metaclass(ExtenderMeta, object)):
@@ -126,6 +128,30 @@ def parent(self, parent_container):
                 parent_container.__children.append(self)
                 parent_container.set_modified()
 
+    def __deepcopy__(self, memo):
+        ''' Create a deep copy of this Container
+        Reset the root parent to None, set all container_source to None, and set new object_id value
+        '''
+        deepcopy_method = self.__deepcopy__
+        self.__deepcopy__ = None
+        cp = deepcopy(self, memo)
+        self.__deepcopy__ = deepcopy_method
+
+        cp.__parent = None
+        cp.__container_source = None
+        cp.__object_id = str(uuid4())
+        cp.__modified = True
+
+        for child in cp.children:
+            child.parent = cp
+
+        # resolve HDMFDataset after and separately because DataIO can wrap an HDMFDataset
+        for k, v in cp.__dict__.items():
+            if isinstance(v, HDMFDataset):
+                setattr(cp, k, v.dataset)
+
+        return cp
+
 
 class Data(Container):
 
diff --git a/src/hdmf/data_utils.py b/src/hdmf/data_utils.py
index f2fc0b9b5..10c8b7562 100644
--- a/src/hdmf/data_utils.py
+++ b/src/hdmf/data_utils.py
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@
     from collections import Iterable  # Python 2.7
 
 from operator import itemgetter
-
 import numpy as np
 from six import with_metaclass, text_type, binary_type
+from copy import deepcopy
 
 from .container import Data, DataRegion
 from .utils import docval, getargs, popargs, docval_macro, get_data_shape
@@ -512,6 +512,9 @@ def __next__(self):
     def __iter__(self):
         return self.data.__iter__()
 
+    def __deepcopy__(self, memo):
+        return deepcopy(self.data)
+
 
 class RegionSlicer(with_metaclass(ABCMeta, DataRegion)):
     '''
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_container.py b/tests/unit/test_container.py
index 8927e4b0f..7e5e3800b 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_container.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_container.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import unittest2 as unittest
 
+from tests.unit.test_utils import Foo
 from hdmf.container import Container
+from hdmf.query import HDMFDataset
+from hdmf.data_utils import DataIO
+from copy import deepcopy
 
 
 class Subcontainer(Container):
@@ -118,6 +122,51 @@ def test_type_hierarchy(self):
         self.assertEqual(Container.type_hierarchy(), (Container, object))
         self.assertEqual(Subcontainer.type_hierarchy(), (Subcontainer, Container, object))
 
+    def test_deepcopy(self):
+        parent_obj = Container('obj1')
+        parent_obj.container_source = 'a file'
+        parent_obj.set_modified(False)
+        child_obj = Container('obj2')
+        child_obj.parent = parent_obj
+        child_obj.container_source = 'a file'
+        child_obj.set_modified(False)
+        child_child_obj = Container('obj3')
+        child_child_obj.parent = child_obj
+        child_child_obj.container_source = 'a file'
+
+        parent_copy = deepcopy(parent_obj)
+        self.assertEqual(parent_copy.name, 'obj1')
+        self.assertEqual(parent_copy.children[0].name, 'obj2')
+        self.assertEqual(parent_copy.children[0].children[0].name, 'obj3')
+        self.assertNotEqual(parent_copy.object_id, parent_obj.object_id)
+        self.assertNotEqual(parent_copy.children[0].object_id, child_obj.object_id)
+        self.assertNotEqual(parent_copy.children[0].children[0].object_id, child_child_obj.object_id)
+        self.assertIsNone(parent_copy.container_source)
+        self.assertIsNone(parent_copy.children[0].container_source)
+        self.assertIsNone(parent_copy.children[0].children[0].container_source)
+        self.assertTrue(parent_copy.modified)
+        self.assertTrue(parent_copy.children[0].modified)
+        self.assertTrue(parent_copy.children[0].children[0].modified)
+
+        child_copy = deepcopy(child_obj)
+        self.assertIsNone(child_copy.parent)
+
+    def test_deepcopy_data(self):
+        parent_obj = Foo('obj1', HDMFDataset([1, 2, 3, 4, 5]), 'a string', 10)
+        parent_obj.container_source = 'a file'
+        parent_obj.set_modified(False)
+        child_obj = Foo('obj2', DataIO(HDMFDataset([1, 2, 3, 4, 5])), 'a string2', 20)
+        child_obj.parent = parent_obj
+        child_obj.container_source = 'a file'
+
+        parent_copy = deepcopy(parent_obj)
+        self.assertListEqual(parent_copy.my_data, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5])
+        self.assertEqual(parent_copy.attr1, 'a string')
+        self.assertEqual(parent_copy.attr2, 10)
+        self.assertListEqual(parent_copy.children[0].my_data, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5])
+
+        # TODO test deepcopy with references and H5Dataset
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_utils.py b/tests/unit/test_utils.py
index e4cd1310c..1a4ef01ee 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_utils.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 class Foo(Container):
 
     @docval({'name': 'name', 'type': str, 'doc': 'the name of this Foo'},
-            {'name': 'my_data', 'type': 'array_data', 'doc': 'some data'},
+            {'name': 'my_data', 'type': ('array_data', 'data'), 'doc': 'some data'},
             {'name': 'attr1', 'type': str, 'doc': 'an attribute'},
             {'name': 'attr2', 'type': int, 'doc': 'another attribute'},
             {'name': 'attr3', 'type': float, 'doc': 'a third attribute', 'default': 3.14})