Lost the Share Certificate

Lost or Misplaced your Shares Certificate (Physical copy)?

If someone loses a physical share certificate of a stock in India and wishes to redeem (sell or dematerialize) those shares, they must follow a standard procedure to obtain a duplicate share certificate from the company before any sale or dematerialisation can take place. Here’s what needs to be done:

Steps to Redeem shares after losing the Physical Share Certificate

1.Report the Loss

• Immediately inform the company's Registrar and Transfer Agent (RTA) about the loss of the share certificate.
• Provide all available details (name, folio number, share certificate number if known).

2.Lodge a Police Complaint

• File an FIR (First Information Report) with the police mentioning details of the lost share certificate such as the certificate holder’s name, folio number, and distinctive numbers if available.
• Obtain a copy of the FIR; this is compulsory in most cases.

3. Prepare and Submit Required Documents

You’ll typically need to submit the following to the company’s RTA:

• Application letter requesting issue of a duplicate certificate.
• Copy of police FIR detailing loss of certificate.
• Indemnity bond on a non-judicial stamp paper (usually Rs. 500) as per the company’s format.
• Affidavit on stamp paper (usually Rs. 100) that you have genuinely lost the certificate.
• Advertisement in a newspaper (as per company/RTA direction), announcing the loss of share certificate.
• Any other documents as specified by the company or RTA (such as KYC documents: PAN, address proof, etc.).

4. Company Verification & Issue of Duplicate Certificate

• The company and its RTA will verify your documents and process your request.
• They may have a waiting period (15 days to 1 month) to hear any objections.
• Once satisfied, the company will issue you a duplicate share certificate.

5. Dematerialize the Duplicate Certificate (Recommended)

• Once you have the duplicate, apply to dematerialize (convert to demat) the shares by submitting the duplicate certificate to your Depository Participant (broker).
• After dematerialization, the shares will be credited to your demat account, making future transactions easier and more secure.

6. Redeem/Sell the Shares

• With the shares now in your demat account, you are free to sell directly through your broker, following standard demat procedures.

Important Notes

• Without the duplicate certificate, you cannot redeem or dematerialize physical shares.
• Keep records of all communication and receipts for your submissions.
• If the shares have been transferred to the IEPF (Investor Education and Protection Fund) due to unclaimed dividends, there is a separate process to claim these from the IEPF after you obtain legal/succession documents if required.

Summary Table: Key Documents Needed

By following these steps and providing accurate documentation, you can recover lost physical shares and redeem them in compliance with Indian regulations.

Regards,

Honvest Team.