Share Certificate Name Change
"Share certificate name change" means something different depending on how you hold the shares. Physical certificates of an Indian company, say Kotak Mahindra Bank, go through the company's Registrar and Transfer Agent under SEBI's rules. Shares sitting in a demat account, which is how most people hold Indian shares today, go through your broker as Depository Participant, under NSDL or CDSL. And foreign shares such as Apple or Amazon, bought through an Indian international investing app, are not on an Indian depository at all, so neither process applies. This page covers all three, so you update the right record with the right authority.
For physical share certificates of an Indian company, fix PAN and Aadhaar to the new name first, then submit SEBI's Form ISR-1 to the company's Registrar and Transfer Agent (RTA). Self-attested documents are enough; SEBI's own FAQ says a notarised affidavit is not required except for transmission or duplicate shares. For shares held in a demat account, the request goes to your broker as Depository Participant (DP), not the RTA, and NSDL's own policy needs no notarisation for a minor correction, though "major" changes like a marriage-related name change have notarisation rules that vary by broker, so always confirm with your own DP. Updating your PAN or Aadhaar with the KYC Registration Agency does not automatically update your demat account; you have to ask your DP separately. And shares like Apple or Amazon, bought through an Indian international investing app, sit with a foreign broker outside NSDL and CDSL entirely, so neither Indian process applies; that platform's own process governs.
At a glance
- Three holdings, three authorities. Physical certificates, demat accounts and foreign shares each have a different authority to approach, and none of them is interchangeable.
- PAN comes first, always. Whether it is a folio or a demat account, a PAN still showing the old name is where most requests stop.
- SEBI does not require a notarised affidavit for an ordinary physical share name change, only self-attested documents, per its own investor FAQ.
- Folios are not frozen anymore. SEBI withdrew that rule on 17 November 2023, though PAN and KYC are still practically needed before an RTA will act.
- Demat name changes go to your broker, not the RTA, because your Depository Participant is the one who maintains that account.
- "Major" demat name changes need broker-specific checking. Notarisation rules for a marriage-type change vary from one Depository Participant to another.
- A PAN or Aadhaar update does not auto-update your demat account. That is a separate request to your broker.
- Apple and Amazon shares are not on an Indian depository. Custody sits with a foreign broker, so neither SEBI's RTA process nor NSDL or CDSL applies.
Key takeaways
- Identify the holding before you do anything else. A folio number and a demat account are not the same thing, and asking the wrong authority wastes weeks.
- The paperwork is lighter than most people expect. Self-attestation, not notarisation, is SEBI's actual standard for an ordinary change.
- Demat is not automatic just because PAN is updated. Your broker needs a specific request, separate from your PAN or Aadhaar KYC.
- Ask your own broker about notarisation before assuming either way. This is the one place the rules genuinely differ by Depository Participant.
- Foreign shares play by a different rulebook entirely, the platform's or the foreign broker's, not SEBI's.
Which route actually applies to you?
The phrase "share certificate name change" covers three genuinely different situations, and mixing them up is why so many people end up asking the wrong office.
| If you hold | Then it is called | Who handles the name change |
|---|---|---|
| Physical certificates of an Indian listed company, for example Kotak Mahindra Bank | A folio, with that company's Registrar and Transfer Agent | The RTA, under SEBI's Form ISR-1 process |
| Indian shares sitting electronically with your broker | A demat account, under NSDL or CDSL | Your Depository Participant, that is, your stockbroker |
| Foreign shares such as Apple or Amazon, bought via an Indian international investing app | Held with a foreign broker, outside NSDL and CDSL entirely | That platform or its foreign broker partner, not any Indian securities regulator |
One more distinction worth having up front: a folio is specific to one company and one RTA, while a demat account is one consolidated account, identified by your Depository Participant ID and Client ID together, that can hold shares of every company you own through NSDL or CDSL. Updating one does nothing to the other, which matters if you hold the same company's shares in both forms; see the section on split holdings further down this page.
Physical share certificates: the SEBI process
This is the more standardised of the two Indian routes, because SEBI has issued specific circulars covering exactly this.
Every listed Indian company appoints a Registrar and Transfer Agent, commonly a firm like KFin Technologies or Link Intime, to maintain its shareholder register and process requests such as a name change. The company itself does not handle this directly. The short version: fix PAN and Aadhaar to the new name first, since almost everything downstream checks against PAN. Then align your folio's KYC using SEBI's Form ISR-1, and only then submit the name change request itself. A PAN that still shows the old name is where most requests stop before they even start.
SEBI Circular SEBI/HO/MIRSD/MIRSD-PoD-1/P/CIR/2023/37, dated 16 March 2023, Annexure-C, paragraph 2.1, headed "Minor mismatch in name," addresses the common case where the name on your PAN and the name on your folio differ only slightly, for example initials against a full name. For that situation, the RTA is to obtain one additional self-attested supporting document explaining the difference, rather than treat it as a full legal name change requiring fresh verification from scratch. A genuine legal name change, such as after marriage or by court order, is handled as its own request with its own supporting proof, covered in the step-by-step section next.
You may also have read that a folio without updated KYC gets frozen. SEBI withdrew that specific freezing rule on 17 November 2023, via Circular SEBI/HO/MIRSD/POD-1/P/CIR/2023/181. The practical effect is still similar, though, because without PAN and KYC on record an RTA will not process most service requests, including a name change, and dividends on a non-KYC-compliant folio are paid only in electronic mode to a linked bank account, not by physical warrant. Getting PAN, Aadhaar and bank details current is still the necessary first step either way.
Step by step: updating a physical share certificate
This is the RTA route, for shares still held as physical certificates. If you hold demat shares instead, the parallel process is right after this.
- Update PAN and Aadhaar to the new name first, through the Income Tax Department and UIDAI respectively. Almost every step after this checks against PAN.
- Identify the RTA for each company whose folio needs updating; a company's annual report or its investor relations page names its Registrar and Transfer Agent.
- Download and fill Form ISR-1, SEBI's prescribed form for registering or updating PAN, KYC, bank details, signature and other folio information.
- Attach proof of the name change: a marriage certificate, divorce decree or gazette notification, as applicable, self-attested.
- Attach the updated PAN and Aadhaar in the new name, self-attested; SEBI's FAQ does not require notarisation for this.
- Attach the original or a copy of the share certificate, as the RTA specifies, since it may need to be endorsed or reissued in the new name.
- Submit to the RTA by post or through its online service portal, where one exists, and ask for a written acknowledgement with the date.
- Follow up if it stalls, and where a folio is with a different RTA for a different company, repeat the same ISR-1 process separately for that one.
Updating the name on a demat account
A different authority, a different form, and a genuinely different process, even though the goal is the same.
If your Indian shares sit in a demat account, the RTA is not who you approach. Your Depository Participant, that is, the broker where you opened your trading and demat account, such as Zerodha, Groww, ICICIdirect, HDFC Securities or Kotak Securities, is the one who maintains that account under NSDL or CDSL, and a name change request goes to them directly, not to any individual company's RTA.
- Update PAN and Aadhaar with the KYC Registration Agency first, the same as for physical shares. This step alone does not update your demat account, which is the next point.
- Separately request your Depository Participant to update your demat account name. A PAN or Aadhaar KYC update does not automatically flow through to your broker's own records; you have to ask.
- Submit your broker's account modification or KYC update form, along with proof of the name change and identity documents in the new name.
- Confirm whether your specific change counts as minor or major with your broker; the documentation required genuinely differs, covered in the next section.
- Ask for written or emailed confirmation once the update is processed, and check your Consolidated Account Statement afterwards to confirm the new name is reflected.
Minor versus major demat name changes
Unlike the physical share route, which SEBI has standardised, this is the one part of the demat process that is not uniform across brokers.
A minor correction
A spelling variation, an expanded initial, or a similarly small difference between your KYC name and your demat account name. NSDL's own minor correction policy needs only an ink-signed request, one identity proof, and your declaration that this is not a marriage, divorce or court-order type change.
A major change
A change following marriage, divorce, or a legal name change by choice. This is where documentation requirements genuinely differ from one Depository Participant to another.
NSDL's own policy for a minor correction, under its Circular 2018-0067 and Annexure B, does not call for notarisation at all. But for a major, marriage-type change, brokers are not uniform. Some, such as Zerodha, explicitly state on their own process pages that a notarised marriage certificate or gazette notification is required. Others, including several large full-service brokers, do not explicitly state a notarisation requirement for the same kind of change. This is not something to assume either way.
Apple, Amazon and other foreign shares
Neither the RTA route nor the demat route applies here, and this is worth being clear about upfront.
Shares of a company like Apple or Amazon, bought by an Indian resident through an international investing app such as Vested or INDmoney, or through a foreign-stocks feature offered by an Indian broker, are not held on an Indian depository at all. The investment is routed abroad under the Reserve Bank of India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), and the shares themselves sit in custody with a foreign broker-dealer that the Indian platform partners with. They are never dematerialised into NSDL or CDSL, and no Indian RTA is involved either, since these are not shares of an Indian company.
- SEBI's Form ISR-1 process does not apply, because there is no Indian RTA maintaining a folio for a foreign company's shares.
- NSDL and CDSL do not apply either, because the shares were never dematerialised into an Indian depository in the first place.
- Your name change request goes to the investing platform or its foreign broker partner, following whatever KYC update process that specific platform publishes, typically similar in spirit to updating identity details with any brokerage, but governed by its own terms, not by SEBI's circulars.
Holding the same company's shares both ways
Not everyone holds shares purely as one type. Where you hold both, both need separate attention.
It is entirely possible to hold some shares of the same company as a physical certificate, perhaps an old inherited holding, and other shares of that same company in your demat account, bought more recently through a broker. The RTA's folio record and your Depository Participant's demat record are separate systems that do not automatically synchronise with each other. Updating your name with the RTA does nothing to your demat account, and updating it with your broker does nothing to any physical folio you still hold.
The good news is that once a physical certificate is converted to demat form, which most RTAs and DPs can arrange together, you are left with just one record to maintain going forward. Worth doing at the same time as a name change if you have been meaning to anyway.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a PAN or Aadhaar update automatically fixes your demat account. It does not; your Depository Participant needs a separate, specific request.
- Sending a demat name change request to the company's RTA. The RTA has no authority over your demat account; that sits with your broker.
- Getting a document notarised that your specific broker does not ask for, or, the other way round, skipping notarisation your specific broker does require. Confirm first.
- Submitting one Form ISR-1 and assuming it covers folios held with a different RTA. It does not; each RTA needs its own submission.
- Forgetting a physical certificate you still hold because your demat account is the one you check day to day.
- Trying to route an Apple or Amazon share name change through an Indian RTA or a demat request. Neither applies; that goes to the investing platform directly.
- Not keeping a written or emailed acknowledgement of the request, from either an RTA or a broker.
- Paying for a notarised affidavit an RTA is not actually entitled to ask for, per SEBI's own self-attestation standard.
Cost and timeline
| Item | Typical position |
|---|---|
| Physical share name change through an RTA | Typically no charge for the service request itself; self-attested documents only, per SEBI's FAQ |
| Demat account name change through your DP | Most brokers do not charge for a KYC or name update request; confirm with your own broker |
| Notarised affidavit, where a specific broker requires one for a major demat change | Non-judicial stamp paper plus notary fees, commonly Rs 100 to Rs 200 |
| Gazette notification, only where the underlying name change itself needs one | Commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult, revised each financial year by the Department of Publication |
| Foreign shares, name update with the investing platform | Follows that platform's own KYC process and fee schedule, if any |
Where can we help with a share certificate name change?
SEBI, NSDL and CDSL rules are uniform across India, so this is not a state-by-state process, but we work with clients across the country either way.
Telling you which route applies
Physical, demat or foreign, the free question that decides everything else.
Preparing Form ISR-1 correctly
For each RTA your physical folios are held with.
Checking your specific broker's notarisation requirement
Before you spend money on notarisation you may not need, or skip it when you do.
Sequencing PAN, Aadhaar, folio and demat updates together
So nothing is left half-updated.
What do the terms on this page mean?
Twelve definitions, each written to stand on its own.
- Registrar and Transfer Agent (RTA)
- The entity a listed company appoints to maintain its shareholder register and process service requests, including a name change, for physical share folios.
- Form ISR-1
- SEBI's prescribed form for registering or updating PAN, bank details, signature, mobile, email and address for a physical share folio.
- Folio
- The record identifying a physical shareholding with one company, maintained by that company's RTA. Not the same as a demat account.
- Depository Participant (DP)
- Your stockbroker, acting as the agent through which you access NSDL or CDSL and maintain your demat account.
- NSDL and CDSL
- The two depositories in India that hold shares in electronic, dematerialised form on behalf of investors.
- Demat account
- One consolidated electronic account, held through a Depository Participant, that can carry shares of every Indian company you own via NSDL or CDSL.
- BO ID (Beneficiary Owner ID)
- The identifier for a demat account, formed from your Depository Participant ID and Client ID together.
- KYC Registration Agency (KRA)
- An agency that holds your KYC records, including PAN, for use across financial institutions. Updating it does not by itself update your demat account name.
- Minor mismatch in name
- A small difference, such as initials versus a full name, addressed under SEBI Circular SEBI/HO/MIRSD/MIRSD-PoD-1/P/CIR/2023/37, Annexure-C, paragraph 2.1, without requiring a full re-verification.
- Notarised affidavit
- A sworn statement attested before a Notary Public. Not required by SEBI for an ordinary physical share name change, but required by some brokers for a major demat name change.
- Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)
- The Reserve Bank of India scheme under which a resident individual can remit money abroad, including to invest in foreign shares such as Apple or Amazon.
- Consolidated Account Statement (CAS)
- A statement, issued jointly by NSDL and CDSL, listing everything held in an investor's demat account across depositories.
Do you need help with a share certificate name change?
Most of this is paperwork you can genuinely do yourself. The value in getting help is knowing which route applies and what not to spend money on.
| Your situation | Do it yourself? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Physical shares, RTA demanding a notarised affidavit for an ordinary change | Yes, quote SEBI's FAQ yourself | A documented, citable position, no drafting needed |
| Shares across several RTAs, or several brokers, needing coordinated updates | Get advice | Easy to miss one folio or one demat account and leave it half-done |
| Straightforward minor correction on a demat account | Yes, most DPs have a simple online form | NSDL's own policy needs no notarisation for this |
| Unsure whether your broker treats your change as minor or major | Worth a quick check with us first | Saves a wasted notarisation, or an avoidable rejection |
| Foreign shares like Apple or Amazon | Usually yes, through the platform's own process | SEBI's circulars do not apply to this holding at all |
Your Trust and Security First
Your documents stay private
Handled by our own desk in Burari, Delhi, used for your file and nothing else.
We tell you which authority actually applies
RTA, DP, or a foreign platform, before you send anything to the wrong one.
We cite SEBI's own FAQ where it helps you
Rather than let an RTA ask for more than the rules actually require.
We check your specific broker's requirement
Instead of assuming notarisation is or is not needed.
We prepare Form ISR-1 correctly
For each RTA your physical folios are actually held with.
We flag split holdings before they get missed
Physical and demat records of the same company do not update each other.
Everything You Need, In One Place
Telling you which route actually applies
Physical, demat or foreign, free, and it decides everything that follows.
Form ISR-1 preparation for physical folios
Correctly matched to each RTA you hold shares with.
Demat account update coordination with your DP
Including confirming your broker's own notarisation requirement first.
Split holding checks
Physical and demat shares of the same company, updated together, not separately missed.
PAN and Aadhaar sequencing
Done first, since every downstream request checks against them.
Guidance on foreign shareholdings
Pointing you to the right platform process for holdings like Apple or Amazon.
How It Works
Send us your folio or demat details, and proof of the name change
We tell you whether it is the RTA, the DP, or a foreign platform you need.
We prepare the right form
Form ISR-1 for a physical folio, or your specific broker's own account modification form, matched to their notarisation requirement.
We follow up until it is confirmed
And check that your Consolidated Account Statement or updated folio actually reflects the new name.
The questions people search about a share certificate name change
Does updating my PAN or Aadhaar automatically fix my demat account name?
No. A KYC Registration Agency update to your PAN or Aadhaar does not flow through to your demat account automatically. You have to separately ask your Depository Participant to update it.
I only need to fix a spelling variation, not a full legal name change. Is that different?
Yes. See our name spelling correction guide. For shares, this is generally treated as a minor mismatch, which needs lighter documentation than a full legal name change.
The mismatch is actually in my father's or mother's name on the shareholding, not my own. What then?
That is a different correction with its own proof requirements. See our father's name correction guide or mother's name correction guide depending on which record is involved.
Does my registered sale deed or property documents need updating too?
No, that is an unrelated record. See our name change in property documents guide for why a deed generally needs no correction after a lawful name change.
Are NRIs handled differently?
The underlying RTA and DP process is the same, but NRI status can bring additional identity verification or attestation steps depending on the specific RTA or broker involved. Confirm the exact requirement with them directly rather than assuming it matches a resident investor's process.
What should I ask a service before paying for a share certificate update?
Whether the form and documents they are preparing are genuinely required by SEBI or your specific broker, or whether a plain, self-attested submission would have done the job without a fee.
Send us your folio or demat details before you submit anything yourself
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Frequently asked questions
Does this page cover physical shares, demat shares, or both?
Both, since they go through different authorities. Physical certificates go through the company's Registrar and Transfer Agent under SEBI's Form ISR-1 process. Shares in a demat account go through your Depository Participant, that is, your broker, under NSDL or CDSL.
How do I know if I hold physical or demat shares?
If you have a paper share certificate, it is physical. If you bought the shares through a broker's trading app and can see them in a portfolio online, they are almost certainly in demat form. Your Consolidated Account Statement from NSDL or CDSL lists everything held in your demat account.
Who handles a physical share certificate name change?
The company's Registrar and Transfer Agent, using SEBI's Form ISR-1, after your PAN and Aadhaar are updated to the new name.
Who handles a demat account name change?
Your Depository Participant, that is, your stockbroker. The company's RTA has no authority over your demat account.
Does SEBI require a notarised affidavit for a physical share name change?
No. SEBI's own investor FAQ states that self-attested documents are sufficient for service requests, and that a notarised affidavit is required only for the transmission of shares on death or a request for duplicate share certificates.
Does my broker require notarisation for a demat name change?
It depends on your broker and the type of change. NSDL's own minor correction policy needs no notarisation. For a major, marriage-type change, some brokers such as Zerodha explicitly require a notarised marriage certificate or gazette notification, while others do not state this requirement. Confirm with your own broker before assuming either way.
Are physical share folios still frozen without KYC?
No. SEBI withdrew that freezing rule on 17 November 2023, via Circular SEBI/HO/MIRSD/POD-1/P/CIR/2023/181. Without PAN and KYC on record, though, an RTA will still not process most service requests, and dividends are paid only electronically.
Does updating my PAN automatically update my demat account name?
No. A KYC Registration Agency update to PAN or Aadhaar does not automatically flow through to your demat account. A separate request to your Depository Participant is required.
What is a minor mismatch in name, for physical shares?
A small difference such as initials against a full name. Under SEBI Circular SEBI/HO/MIRSD/MIRSD-PoD-1/P/CIR/2023/37, Annexure-C, paragraph 2.1, the RTA obtains one additional self-attested document rather than requiring a full legal name change process.
What is the difference between a folio and a demat account?
A folio is specific to one company, held with that company's RTA, for physical certificates. A demat account, identified by your Depository Participant ID and Client ID, is one consolidated account holding shares of every company you own electronically, through NSDL or CDSL.
Does one ISR-1 form cover all my physical shares?
Only the folios held with that particular RTA. Where your shares across different companies are managed by different RTAs, complete details must go to each one separately.
I hold the same company's shares both physically and in demat form. What do I do?
Update both, separately. The RTA's folio record and your DP's demat record do not synchronise with each other, so a name change on one does nothing to the other.
Does this process apply to Apple, Amazon or other foreign shares?
No. Foreign shares bought through an Indian international investing platform are held with a foreign broker under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, never dematerialised into NSDL or CDSL. Neither SEBI's RTA process nor the demat process applies; that platform's own process governs.
Is there a fee for a physical or demat share name change?
Typically no charge for the service request itself from either an RTA or a broker. The only likely cost is notarisation, where a specific broker requires it for a major demat name change.
How long does a name change take?
It depends on the RTA or broker's own processing time once PAN, KYC and the request are all in order. A demat update through a broker is often quicker than a physical RTA update, but both vary by institution.
What documents do I need for a physical share name change?
Form ISR-1, proof of the name change such as a marriage certificate or gazette notification, and updated PAN and Aadhaar, all self-attested. A notarised affidavit is not required for an ordinary change.
What should I do first, before anything else?
Update PAN and Aadhaar to the new name. Almost every step after that, on both the physical and demat routes, checks against PAN.
What should I ask a service before paying for a share certificate update?
Whether the documents they are preparing are genuinely required by SEBI or your specific broker, or whether a plain, self-attested submission would have done the job without a fee.
Where can you verify all of this yourself?
Start with SEBI's own circulars for the physical share route, and NSDL or CDSL directly for the demat route.
- Securities and Exchange Board of IndiaInvestor FAQs on service requests, and the circulars governing Form ISR-1 and minor name mismatches.
- SEBI Form ISR-1The prescribed form for registering or updating PAN and KYC details for a physical share folio.
- National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL)One of India's two depositories, and the source for its minor correction policy on demat account name updates.
- Central Depository Services Limited (CDSL)India's other depository, for demat account holdings and Consolidated Account Statements.
- Documentadvisor: Name Change in Property DocumentsFor property records, an unrelated set of documents from shares.
In short
Everything on this page in twelve lines
- Three holdings, three authorities. Physical certificates, demat accounts and foreign shares are handled by three different authorities entirely.
- PAN and Aadhaar come first, whichever route applies, since everything downstream checks against them.
- Physical shares go through the company's RTA, using SEBI's Form ISR-1.
- SEBI does not require a notarised affidavit for an ordinary physical share name change, only self-attested documents.
- Folios are not frozen anymore, since SEBI withdrew that rule on 17 November 2023.
- Demat shares go through your broker, as Depository Participant, not the RTA.
- A PAN update does not auto-update your demat account. A separate request to your DP is required.
- Notarisation for a major demat name change varies by broker. Confirm with your own before assuming either way.
- Apple, Amazon and other foreign shares are outside SEBI, NSDL and CDSL entirely. That platform's own process governs.
- Split holdings need both updated, since a physical folio and a demat account of the same company do not sync.
- One ISR-1 covers one RTA only. Different RTAs need separate submissions.
- Most of this is genuinely do it yourself, once you know which authority to approach.
Send us the folio or demat details before you draft anything yourself.
We tell you which route applies, prepare the right form, and follow up until the name change is confirmed.