My Parents Had Old Shares — How Can I Find and Claim Them?
- Abhijeet Agrawal
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
A practical guide to finding old shares, dividends and investments held by a deceased parent —
Did your father, mother or grandparents ever invest in shares?
Perhaps you have found an old share certificate in a cupboard. Maybe you remember that your father invested in companies decades ago, but nobody knows where the documents are. Or perhaps you have already found the certificates but have no idea how to transfer the shares after the shareholder's death.
The good news is that old investments do not automatically disappear when the investor dies.
Depending on the circumstances, the shares may still be registered with the company, held in a demat account, or may have been transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) after remaining unclaimed for the prescribed period.
The challenge is finding the investment, establishing who is entitled to it, completing the required documentation and getting the shares and unpaid dividends transferred to the rightful person.
What Happens to Shares When a Shareholder Dies?
When an investor passes away, their shares become part of their estate. The shares don't simply become "lost." Instead, they need to be transmitted to the appropriate person — typically a nominee, surviving joint holder or legal heir, depending on the circumstances.
SEBI defines transmission as the process through which securities of a deceased shareholder are transferred to a surviving joint holder, nominee or legal heir. For physical securities, the claimant generally needs to correspond with the relevant issuer/RTA for the transmission process.
The process can become complicated when:
The shareholder had no nominee
The shares are held in physical form
The family doesn't know which companies the person invested in
The share certificates are very old
The registered address is outdated
The shareholder's name differs across documents
There are multiple legal heirs
The original certificate is missing
Dividends have remained unpaid for years
The shares have already been transferred to IEPF
This is why finding the shares is often only the first step.
Who Can Claim Shares of a Deceased Parent?
This depends on the circumstances. The person entitled to receive the securities may be:
A surviving joint holder:
If the investment was jointly held and one holder dies, the surviving holder may be able to have the deceased holder's name removed/transmitted according to the applicable process.
SEBI's 2025 clarification states that in joint holdings, upon the death of one or more joint holders, regulated entities should transmit the assets to the surviving joint holder(s) through deletion of the deceased holder's name.
A registered nominee:
If a valid nominee has been registered, the transmission process can generally be simpler.
However, it is important to understand that a nominee is not necessarily the ultimate beneficial owner of the deceased person's estate. SEBI's FAQ explains that the nominee acts as a trustee for the legal heirs under the applicable succession framework.
A legal heir:
If there is no nominee, or depending on the particular circumstances, the securities may need to be transmitted to the legal heir(s). This is where documentation can become more involved.
Common Problems Families Face -
What If There Is No Will?
What If the Shares Are in Physical Form?
What If the Share Certificate Is Lost?
What If My Parent Had Shares in Multiple Companies?
What If You Don't Know Whether Your Parents Had Any Shares?
We can help you trace and claim old investments and help you with the end to end process for claiming these investments
This article is for general informational purposes. Eligibility and documentation requirements can vary by case, company and RTA. The SEBI circulars and applicable regulations should be checked for the specific circumstances
