Services / Register 02
Transmission of shares after the holder has died
Claiming the shares of a deceased parent or relative, with or without a registered nominee
Transmission is the transfer of ownership by operation of law. No transfer deed is executed and no stamp duty arises, but the registrar will not move a single share until entitlement is established on its own terms.
What happens to shares when the holder dies
Where a nominee was registered, the route is short: a transmission request, proof of death, and the nominee’s KYC. A nominee holds as trustee, however, and final ownership still follows the will or the applicable succession law.
Where no nominee was registered, the documentation required scales with the value of the holding. SEBI prescribes a simplified route below a threshold (an affidavit, an indemnity bond, and no-objection from the other heirs or a notarised family settlement) and full succession documents above it.
SEBI approved an increase in those thresholds and a new small-value quick-processing category in June 2026. Because limits and forms are revised periodically, we confirm the position applicable to each holding at the time of filing rather than working from a number printed on a website.
Above the threshold, or where the heirs are not in agreement, a succession certificate, letters of administration or probate becomes necessary, and that is a court process with its own timeline.
How a legal heir claims the shares
We establish the full chain of succession, including heirs who may not have been mentioned to us.
We determine which route the holding falls into (nominee, simplified documentation, or court instrument) before any expense is incurred.
We assemble the entitlement file and file with each registrar or listed company separately, because physical holdings are processed issuer by issuer.
Where a court instrument is unavoidable, the matter is handled by an advocate and we say so at the outset, with the cost stated before it is incurred.
What we need from you
- Death certificate of the holder
- Proof of relationship (legal heirship certificate, family register extract, or equivalent)
- PAN and KYC of every surviving heir
- Transmission request form and the claimant’s demat client master list
- No-objection or relinquishment from the heirs not claiming, where applicable
- Probate, letters of administration or succession certificate, where the route requires it
No charge for the initial assessment, and no fee unless a recovery is made. Regulatory position reviewed 9 September 2026; we confirm the rules applicable to your matter at the time of filing.
Open a new entry
Ask us to look.
Tell us what you were told, or what you suspect. We will check the registers and reply with whether there is an entry worth pursuing. There is no charge to ask.