Duplicate Share Certificate Recovery Services: Lost or Damaged Certificates

Why a lost share certificate matters

A share certificate is evidence of ownership, not ownership itself. The company and its registrar and transfer agent (RTA) record who owns each folio. So a lost or damaged certificate does not cancel your shares.

It does, however, block almost everything you may want to do next:

• Physical shares cannot be sold or transferred, because transfers of physical shares have been barred since 1 April 2019. They must be dematerialised first, and that needs the certificate or its replacement.
• Heirs cannot complete transmission after the holder's death without dealing with the missing certificate.
• If dividends have gone unpaid for seven consecutive years, the shares may already have moved to IEPF, where a separate claim is needed.

If you realise a certificate is missing, tell the company's RTA promptly and keep a note of the folio and certificate details you have.

Do you need help with this?

Yes. The request goes to the company's RTA, and many shareholders complete simple cases on their own. The broad steps are:

1. Confirm the folio, the company's current name and its RTA.
2. Make sure KYC for the folio is up to date. SEBI stopped freezing folios without PAN or KYC in November 2023, but KYC is still needed before the RTA will act on any request.
3. Submit the request for duplicate securities with the documents the RTA asks for.
4. Receive the Letter of Confirmation and use it to get the shares credited to your demat account.

It gets harder when the holder has died, the company has merged, the signature on record no longer matches, or you only have a dividend warrant and no certificate number.

When shareholders and families need help

• Certificates were lost in a house move, a flood, termites or simply over decades.
• Only part of a set of certificates can be found.
• The holder has died and the family needs both a duplicate and transmission.
• The name or signature on record does not match current documents.
• The company has merged or changed its name, and the entitlement now sits with a successor.
• The holding is above ₹10 lakh, so an advertisement and FIR are also required.
• The shareholder or heir lives abroad.

What changed in 2025–26: SEBI duplicate share certificate rules

SEBI's circular of 24 December 2025 changed how duplicate securities are issued.

Other 2025–26 changes that affect holders of old certificates:

• Special window for old transfer deeds (February 2026): SEBI's special window for transfer deeds executed before 1 April 2019 is open from 5 February 2026 to 4 February 2027, with shares credited in demat form.
• Transmission made simpler (SEBI, July 2026): where the holder has died, heirs can use simplified documents up to ₹10 lakh for physical holdings, and probate is not mandatory on that route.
• New Form IEPF-5 (October 2025): if the shares have already moved to IEPF, the claim is now filed on IEPFA's integrated claims portal.
• Nomination (SEBI, September 2026): single-holder demat accounts opened on or after 1 September 2026 need a nomination or a formal opt-out, which matters if you open a demat account for your duplicate shares.

How our duplicate share certificate recovery services work

You stay the applicant, and the shares are credited only to your own demat account. We work in four broad stages:

1. Case review: we look at what records you have, estimate which side of the ₹10 lakh line the holding falls on, and tell you plainly if you can do it yourself.
2. Tracing and documents: we trace the folio, the company's current name and its RTA, and help you put KYC and supporting papers in order.
3. Filing and follow-up: we help you submit the request to the RTA and follow up on any queries until the Letter of Confirmation is issued.
4. Credit: we track the request until the shares show in your demat account, and flag any holding that needs transmission or an IEPF claim.

Why Expertvuw

• A registered company with offices in Delhi (Dwarka) and Gurugram (Udyog Vihar).
• Pan-India and NRI shareholders and families.
• One team for duplicates, demat, transmission and IEPF, so linked issues are handled together.
• Plain-language updates at every stage.
• Documentation discipline: details checked against RTA records before anything is sent.

Expertvuw is a private firm and is not affiliated with SEBI or any RTA.

Related services

• Convert physical shares to demat
• Fix a signature mismatch in share certificate records
• Share transmission services for legal heirs
• Claim the investments of a deceased parent

Frequently asked questions

If I lose my share certificate, do I lose my shares?

No. A share certificate is only evidence of ownership. The company and its RTA record who owns each folio, so losing the paper does not cancel your shares. You will, however, need duplicate securities before you can dematerialise, sell or transmit them.

Is an FIR needed for a duplicate share certificate?

Under SEBI's December 2025 circular, an FIR and a newspaper advertisement are needed only where the holding is above ₹10 lakh. For holdings up to ₹10 lakh, simplified documentation applies. The RTA will confirm the exact papers it needs for your folio.

Will I get a new paper share certificate?

No. Under SEBI's December 2025 circular, duplicates are issued in demat form. The RTA issues a Letter of Confirmation, and the shares are then credited to your demat account. So you need a demat account in the same name as the folio before the process can finish.

What if the certificate is damaged but not lost?

A torn, water-damaged or termite-eaten certificate is handled through the same request for duplicate securities, and the RTA may ask you to surrender what is left of the original. The value limits under SEBI's December 2025 circular still decide how much documentation is needed.

Can a legal heir get a duplicate for a deceased parent's shares?

Yes. The heir usually needs both the duplicate and transmission. SEBI's July 2026 transmission circular allows simplified documents up to ₹10 lakh for physical holdings, without mandatory probate on that route. Requests should be processed within 21 days of complete documents. See our share transmission services page.

What if I do not know the certificate number or folio?

Start with whatever you have: old dividend warrants, annual reports, bank statements showing dividends, or letters from the company. The company's RTA can often trace the folio from the holder's name and address. If dividends went unpaid for seven years, also check whether the shares have moved to IEPF.

Can I still lodge an old transfer deed with a duplicate certificate?

Physical share transfers have been barred since 1 April 2019. SEBI's special window for transfer deeds executed before 1 April 2019 is open from 5 February 2026 to 4 February 2027; otherwise shares must be in the holder's own name and dematerialised to be sold.

Can NRIs apply for duplicate securities from abroad?

Yes. NRIs can apply to the RTA from abroad, with KYC and a demat account that suit their residential status. Documents signed abroad may need apostille or consular attestation, so plan for that time. Where the holder has died abroad, an overseas death certificate can be certified through banks. Our NRI unclaimed asset recovery page explains the practical steps.