How do I transfer my father's shares to my name after his death?
Shares pass by transmission, not transfer. For a demat account, the nominee or legal heir submits a transmission request form to the depository participant with the death certificate and their KYC; a new demat account in the claimant's name receives the securities. Without a nominee, SEBI lets the DP transmit on an affidavit, NOCs and indemnity up to a prescribed value, currently fifteen lakh rupees, and requires a succession certificate above it. Physical share certificates go through each company's registrar instead.
Demat shares
Open a demat account in the claimant's name if there is not one. Submit the DP's transmission request form, the death certificate and the claimant's KYC. A registered nominee needs nothing more. A surviving joint holder likewise, and the securities continue in their name.
Where there is no nominee, the legal heirs add an affidavit of heirship, a no-objection certificate from each other heir, and an indemnity bond. SEBI's operational guidelines allow transmission on these alone up to fifteen lakh rupees in value — a figure that has been raised before, so confirm the current one. Above it, a succession certificate, probate or letters of administration must be produced.
Physical share certificates
Old paper certificates are handled by each company's registrar and transfer agent, company by company, with the original certificates, the death certificate and the same heirship documents. Since physical shares can no longer be traded, the sensible end point is to have them dematerialised into the claimant's account as part of the transmission.
If dividends on a holding went unclaimed for seven years, the shares may already have been moved to the Investor Education and Protection Fund — a different process, covered in our IEPF guide.
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Last reviewed 2026-08-31. This is general information, not legal advice. Institution requirements change — confirm before you file.