diff --git a/docs/reference/toctree.txt b/docs/reference/toctree.txt
index 76e021447a..496b9ff538 100644
--- a/docs/reference/toctree.txt
+++ b/docs/reference/toctree.txt
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
     generated/ak.from_feather
     generated/ak.to_feather
     generated/ak.from_avro_file
+    generated/ak.to_safetensors
+    generated/ak.from_safetensors
 
 .. toctree::
     :caption: Conversions for machine learning
diff --git a/requirements-test-full.txt b/requirements-test-full.txt
index d3d934ef95..894277140e 100644
--- a/requirements-test-full.txt
+++ b/requirements-test-full.txt
@@ -7,4 +7,5 @@ pyarrow>=12.0.0;sys_platform != "win32" and python_version < "3.14"
 pytest>=6
 pytest-cov
 pytest-xdist
+safetensors>=0.6.2
 uproot>=5
diff --git a/src/awkward/operations/__init__.py b/src/awkward/operations/__init__.py
index 54c8f9c28d..c2e8723686 100644
--- a/src/awkward/operations/__init__.py
+++ b/src/awkward/operations/__init__.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 from awkward.operations.ak_from_raggedtensor import *
 from awkward.operations.ak_from_rdataframe import *
 from awkward.operations.ak_from_regular import *
+from awkward.operations.ak_from_safetensors import *
 from awkward.operations.ak_from_tensorflow import *
 from awkward.operations.ak_from_torch import *
 from awkward.operations.ak_full_like import *
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@
 from awkward.operations.ak_to_raggedtensor import *
 from awkward.operations.ak_to_rdataframe import *
 from awkward.operations.ak_to_regular import *
+from awkward.operations.ak_to_safetensors import *
 from awkward.operations.ak_to_tensorflow import *
 from awkward.operations.ak_to_torch import *
 from awkward.operations.ak_transform import *
diff --git a/src/awkward/operations/ak_from_safetensors.py b/src/awkward/operations/ak_from_safetensors.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3eff1a5daf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/awkward/operations/ak_from_safetensors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+# BSD 3-Clause License; see https://github.com/scikit-hep/awkward/blob/main/LICENSE
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import fsspec
+
+import awkward as ak
+from awkward._dispatch import high_level_function
+
+__all__ = ("from_safetensors",)
+
+
+@high_level_function()
+def from_safetensors(
+    source,
+    *,
+    storage_options=None,
+    virtual=False,
+    # ak.from_buffers kwargs
+    buffer_key="{form_key}-{attribute}",
+    backend="cpu",
+    byteorder="<",
+    allow_noncanonical_form=False,
+    highlevel=True,
+    behavior=None,
+    attrs=None,
+):
+    """
+    Args:
+        source (path-like): Name of the input file, file path, or
+            remote URL passed to [fsspec.core.url_to_fs](https://filesystem-spec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/api.html#fsspec.core.url_to_fs)
+            for remote reading.
+        storage_options (None or dict): Any additional options to pass to
+            [fsspec.core.url_to_fs](https://filesystem-spec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/api.html#fsspec.core.url_to_fs)
+            to open a remote file for reading.
+        virtual (bool, optional): If True, create a virtual (lazy) Awkward Array
+           that references buffers without materializing them. Defaults to False.
+        buffer_key (str, optional): Template for buffer names, with placeholders
+           `{form_key}` and `{attribute}`. Defaults to "{form_key}-{attribute}".
+        backend (str, optional): Backend identifier (e.g., "cpu"). Defaults to "cpu".
+        byteorder (str, optional): Byte order, "<" (little-endian, default) or ">".
+        allow_noncanonical_form (bool, optional): If True, normalize
+            safetensors forms that do not directly match Awkward. Defaults to False.
+         highlevel (bool, optional): If True, return a high-level ak.Array. If False,
+             return the low-level layout. Defaults to True.
+         behavior (Mapping | None, optional): Optional Awkward behavior mapping.
+         attrs (Mapping | None, optional): Optional metadata to attach to the array.
+
+    Returns:
+        ak.Array or ak.layout.Content: An Awkward Array (or layout) reconstructed
+        from the safetensors buffers.
+
+    Load a safetensors file as an Awkward Array.
+
+    Ref: https://huggingface.co/docs/safetensors/.
+
+    This function reads data serialized in the safetensors format and reconstructs
+    an Awkward Array (or low-level layout) from it. Buffers in the safetensors file
+    are mapped to Awkward buffers according to the `buffer_key` template, and
+    optional behavior or attributes can be attached to the returned array.
+
+    The safetensors file **must contain** `form` and `length` entries in its
+    metadata, which define the structure and length of the reconstructed array.
+
+    Example:
+
+        >>> import awkward as ak
+        >>> arr = ak.from_safetensors("out.safetensors")
+        >>> arr  # doctest: +SKIP
+        <Array [[1, 2, 3], [], [4]] type='3 * var * int64'>
+
+        Create a virtual (lazy) array that references buffers without materializing them:
+
+        >>> virtual_arr = ak.from_safetensors("out.safetensors", virtual=True)
+        >>> virtual_arr  # doctest: +SKIP
+        <Array [??, ??, ??] type='3 * var * int64'>
+
+
+    See also #ak.to_safetensors.
+    """
+    # Implementation
+    return _impl(
+        source,
+        storage_options,
+        virtual,
+        buffer_key,
+        backend,
+        byteorder,
+        allow_noncanonical_form,
+        highlevel,
+        behavior,
+        attrs,
+    )
+
+
+def _impl(
+    source,
+    storage_options,
+    virtual,
+    buffer_key,
+    backend,
+    byteorder,
+    allow_noncanonical_form,
+    highlevel,
+    behavior,
+    attrs,
+):
+    try:
+        from safetensors import _safe_open_handle
+    except ImportError as err:
+        raise ImportError(
+            """to use ak.from_tensorflow, you must install the 'safetensors' package with:
+
+        pip install safetensors
+or
+        conda install -c huggingface safetensors"""
+        ) from err
+
+    fs, source = fsspec.core.url_to_fs(source, **(storage_options or {}))
+
+    buffers = {}
+
+    def maybe_virtualize(x):
+        return (lambda: x) if virtual else x
+
+    with fs.open(source, "rb") as f:
+        with _safe_open_handle(f, framework="np") as g:
+            metadata = g.metadata()
+            for k in g.offset_keys():
+                buffers[k] = maybe_virtualize(g.get_tensor(k))
+
+    if "form" not in metadata or "length" not in metadata:
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            "Missing required metadata in safetensors file: 'form' and 'length' are required."
+        )
+    form = ak.forms.from_json(metadata["form"])
+    length = int(metadata["length"])
+
+    # reconstruct array
+    return ak.ak_from_buffers._impl(
+        form,
+        length,
+        buffers,
+        buffer_key=buffer_key,
+        backend=backend,
+        byteorder=byteorder,
+        simplify=allow_noncanonical_form,
+        highlevel=highlevel,
+        behavior=behavior,
+        attrs=attrs,
+    )
diff --git a/src/awkward/operations/ak_to_safetensors.py b/src/awkward/operations/ak_to_safetensors.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3282b4aa20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/awkward/operations/ak_to_safetensors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+# BSD 3-Clause License; see https://github.com/scikit-hep/awkward/blob/main/LICENSE
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import fsspec
+
+import awkward as ak
+from awkward._dispatch import high_level_function
+from awkward._layout import HighLevelContext
+
+__all__ = ("to_safetensors",)
+
+
+@high_level_function()
+def to_safetensors(
+    array,
+    destination,
+    *,
+    storage_options=None,
+    # ak.to_buffers kwargs
+    container=None,
+    buffer_key="{form_key}-{attribute}",
+    form_key="node{id}",
+    id_start=0,
+    backend=None,
+    byteorder=ak._util.native_byteorder,
+):
+    """
+    Args:
+        array: An Awkward Array or array-like object to serialize.
+        destination (path-like): Name of the output file, file path, or
+            remote URL passed to [fsspec.core.url_to_fs](https://filesystem-spec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/api.html#fsspec.core.url_to_fs)
+            for remote writing.
+        storage_options (None or dict): Any additional options to pass to
+            [fsspec.core.url_to_fs](https://filesystem-spec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/api.html#fsspec.core.url_to_fs)
+            to open a remote file for writing.
+        container (dict, optional): Optional mapping to receive the generated buffer
+            bytes. If None (default), a temporary container is used and discarded
+            after writing.
+        buffer_key (str, optional): Format string for naming buffers. May include
+            `{form_key}` and `{attribute}` placeholders. Defaults to
+            `"{form_key}-{attribute}"`.
+        form_key (str, optional): Format string for node forms when generating buffer
+            keys. Typically includes `"{id}"`. Defaults to `"node{id}"`.
+        id_start (int, optional): Starting index for node numbering. Defaults to `0`.
+        backend (str | object, optional): Backend used to convert array data into
+            buffers. If None, the default backend is used.
+        byteorder (str, optional): Byte order for numeric buffers. Defaults to the
+            system's native byte order.
+
+    Returns:
+        None
+            This function writes the safetensors file to `destination`. If
+        `container` is provided, it will be populated with the raw buffer bytes.
+
+    Serialize an Awkward Array to the safetensors format and write it to `destination`.
+
+    Ref: https://huggingface.co/docs/safetensors/.
+
+    This function converts the provided Awkward Array (or array-like object) into raw
+    buffers via `ak.to_buffers` and stores them in the safetensors format. Buffer names
+    are generated from `buffer_key` and `form_key` templates, allowing downstream
+    compatibility or layout reuse.
+    The resulting safetensors file includes metadata containing the Awkward `form` and
+    array `length`, which are required for `ak.from_safetensors` to reconstruct the array.
+
+    Example:
+
+        >>> import awkward as ak
+        >>> arr = ak.Array([[1, 2, 3], [], [4]])
+        >>> ak.to_safetensors(arr, "out.safetensors")
+
+
+    See also #ak.from_safetensors.
+    """
+    # Implementation
+    return _impl(
+        array,
+        destination,
+        storage_options,
+        container,
+        buffer_key,
+        form_key,
+        id_start,
+        backend,
+        byteorder,
+    )
+
+
+def _impl(
+    array,
+    destination,
+    storage_options,
+    container,
+    buffer_key,
+    form_key,
+    id_start,
+    backend,
+    byteorder,
+):
+    try:
+        from safetensors.numpy import save
+    except ImportError as err:
+        raise ImportError(
+            """to use ak.to_safetensors, you must install the 'safetensors' package with:
+
+        pip install safetensors
+or
+        conda install -c huggingface safetensors"""
+        ) from err
+
+    fs, destination = fsspec.core.url_to_fs(destination, **(storage_options or {}))
+
+    with HighLevelContext(behavior=None, attrs=None) as ctx:
+        layout = ctx.unwrap(array, allow_record=True, primitive_policy="error")
+
+    layout = ak.ak_to_packed._impl(
+        layout,
+        highlevel=False,  # doesn't matter, but we can avoid extra wrapping/unwrapping
+        behavior=ctx.behavior,
+        attrs=ctx.attrs,
+    )
+
+    form, length, buffers = ak.ak_to_buffers._impl(
+        layout,
+        container=container,
+        buffer_key=buffer_key,
+        form_key=form_key,
+        id_start=id_start,
+        backend=backend,
+        byteorder=byteorder,
+    )
+
+    metadata = {
+        "form": form.to_json(),
+        "length": str(length),
+    }
+
+    byts = save(buffers, metadata)
+    # save
+    try:
+        with fs.open(destination, "wb") as f:
+            f.write(byts)
+    except Exception as err:
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            f"Failed to write safetensors file to '{destination}': {err}"
+        ) from err
diff --git a/tests/test_3685_to_from_safetensors.py b/tests/test_3685_to_from_safetensors.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..532311475b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_3685_to_from_safetensors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# BSD 3-Clause License; see https://github.com/scikit-hep/awkward/blob/main/LICENSE
+#
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+
+import pytest
+
+safetensors = pytest.importorskip("safetensors")
+
+
+def test_roundtrip():
+    import awkward as ak
+
+    array = ak.Array([[1, 2, 3], [], [4, 5], [6], [7, 8, 9, 10]])
+
+    path = "./test.safetensors"
+    ak.to_safetensors(array, path)
+
+    loaded = ak.from_safetensors(path)
+    virtual_loaded = ak.from_safetensors(path, virtual=True)
+
+    os.remove(path)
+
+    assert array.layout.is_equal_to(loaded.layout, all_parameters=True)
+    assert array.layout.is_equal_to(
+        virtual_loaded.layout.materialize(), all_parameters=True
+    )
+
+
+def test_virtual_array_to_safetensors():
+    import awkward as ak
+
+    array = ak.Array([[1, 2, 3], [], [4, 5], [6], [7, 8, 9, 10]])
+
+    path = "./test_virtual{}.safetensors".format
+
+    ak.to_safetensors(array, path(0))
+    virtual_loaded = ak.from_safetensors(path(0), virtual=True)
+
+    ak.to_safetensors(virtual_loaded, path(1))
+    loaded = ak.from_safetensors(path(1), virtual=False)
+
+    os.remove(path(0))
+    os.remove(path(1))
+
+    assert virtual_loaded.layout.materialize().is_equal_to(
+        loaded.layout, all_parameters=True
+    )