Lost Share Certificate Recovery Process in 2026

Need help with your own case? See our lost share certificate recovery services.

Why a lost certificate is a bigger problem than it looks

Physical share transfers have been barred since 1 April 2019, so physical shares must be dematerialised before they can be sold. A lost certificate blocks that step. If dividends have also gone unpaid for 7 consecutive years, the shares themselves may already have been transferred to the IEPF under the Companies Act.

That is why the first job is to find out where the shares sit today: still in the company's records, in an unclaimed suspense account, with a successor company after a merger, or in the IEPF.

SEBI's December 2025 rules for lost share certificate recovery

The Letter of Confirmation lets you request credit of the shares to your demat account. It replaces the old practice of printing a fresh paper certificate.

The process in broad stages

1. Locate the holding: confirm the company, the current registrar and whether the shares are still in the folio or have moved to a suspense account or the IEPF.
2. Report and request: tell the registrar the certificate is lost and ask for a duplicate, with KYC updated. SEBI no longer freezes folios without KYC, but KYC is still needed before any service.
3. Complete the value-based requirements: simplified papers up to ₹10 lakh, or the advertisement and FIR route above that.
4. Receive the Letter of Confirmation and ask your depository participant to credit the shares.

If the shares have already moved to the IEPF, the route is different: company confirmation, then Form IEPF-5 on the IEPFA's claims portal, which is also free.

Do you need help with this?

Yes. Applying to the registrar costs nothing beyond the documents themselves, and many shareholders complete a straightforward duplicate request on their own. It is worth trying directly if the certificate is in your name, your signature matches and the company still exists under the same name.

When lost certificate cases get complicated

• The holder has died, so duplicate issue and transmission to the heirs must be handled together.
• Your signature or name has changed since the shares were bought.
• The company merged or changed its name, and the entitlement follows the scheme's swap ratio.
• You do not know the folio number and only have an old dividend letter or annual report.
• Dividends went unpaid for years and the shares are now in the IEPF.
• The holding is above ₹10 lakh, so an advertisement and FIR are required.

How Expertvuw helps, in broad stages

1. Review: we check what the family holds and where the shares sit now.
2. Tracing and documents: we work with the registrar to confirm the folio and prepare the duplicate, KYC and any correction papers.
3. Filing and follow-up: we follow up with the registrar, or with the company and IEPFA if the shares have moved.
4. Credit: shares are credited to your own demat account.

Expertvuw Management Pvt Ltd is a private company with offices in Delhi and Gurugram, serving clients across India and abroad. We are not affiliated with SEBI, any registrar or the IEPFA. You stay the applicant throughout.

When you need help with a lost share certificate

If the registrar has asked for papers you cannot produce, or the case involves a death, a merger or the IEPF, get the case reviewed before sending more documents. Our duplicate share certificate recovery services page explains how we support these cases. Related help: physical shares to demat, signature mismatch correction, IEPF claim services and old share certificates value check. Or book an initial case review.

Frequently asked questions

How do I recover a lost share certificate in 2026?

Write to the company's registrar reporting the loss and asking for a duplicate, with your KYC updated. Under SEBI's December 2025 rules, holdings up to ₹10 lakh need simplified documents. The duplicate is issued as a Letter of Confirmation, which you use to credit the shares to your demat account.

Is an FIR needed for a lost share certificate?

Under SEBI's circular of 24 December 2025, an FIR and a newspaper advertisement are needed only where the value of the holding is above ₹10 lakh. For smaller holdings, the simplified documentation route applies without either. The value is worked out on the basis the registrar applies, so confirm it with the registrar before deciding which route you are on.

Will I get a new paper share certificate?

No. Duplicates are now issued in demat form through a Letter of Confirmation. You submit it to your depository participant, who credits the shares to your demat account. If you do not have a demat account, you will need to open one first.

What if the shares have already gone to IEPF?

Then the claim is made to the IEPF Authority, not the registrar. You obtain the company's confirmation of entitlement and file Form IEPF-5 on the IEPFA's portal, free of cost. See our IEPF claim services page for how this works.

Can a legal heir get a duplicate of a deceased parent's certificate?

Yes. The duplicate issue and transmission are usually handled together. SEBI's July 2026 transmission rules simplify documents for smaller values. The heir usually needs the death certificate, KYC and heirship papers alongside the duplicate request. Our legal heir share recovery page explains the heir's route in broad terms.

How do I find the folio number if I have lost everything?

Old dividend warrants, annual reports, letters from the company or bank statements showing dividend credits often carry the folio number. Companies also publish unpaid dividend lists on their websites, and the registrar can search its records by the holder's name and old address. A free search on iepf.gov.in is also worth doing in case the shares have moved.