Transmit shares and mutual funds after death - citizen guide 2026

When a demat or mutual fund holder dies, the assets do not freeze forever. A nominee or legal heir moves them across through a process called transmission, using a death certificate and a transmission request form filed with the depository participant or the fund registrar.

Transmission is the transfer of securities or fund units from a deceased holder to the nominee, surviving joint holder, or legal heir by operation of law. It is different from a normal transfer, which is a voluntary sale or gift. The claimant does not pay the holder. The regulator is SEBI.

Transmission of demat securities runs under the SEBI Depositories and Participants framework and the SEBI master circular for registrars and share transfer agents. For listed shares, the SEBI LODR Regulations set the documents and value thresholds. Mutual fund transmission follows the AMFI best practice guidelines on transmission of units, updated in January 2024, applied by registrars CAMS and KFintech.

Note one key point on nominee versus heir. In Shakti Yezdani v. Jayanand Jayant Salgaonkar (Supreme Court, 2023), the Court held that a nominee holds the securities in trust and does not become the absolute owner. The legal heirs under succession law remain the true owners. So a nominee who receives shares may still have to account to the heirs. Nomination eases the paperwork. It does not decide who finally inherits.

As of 2026 the simplified-document threshold is ₹15 lakh per beneficiary demat account and ₹5 lakh per company for physical shares. SEBI floated a consultation in February 2026 proposing higher limits of ₹30 lakh demat and ₹10 lakh physical, but that is a proposal and is not yet in force. Use the current figures until SEBI notifies the change.

The route depends on how the account was held. There are three cases.

1. Get the original death certificate, or a copy attested by a notary or gazetted officer.
2. Ask the depository participant for its Transmission Request Form for nominees.
3. Submit the form, the death certificate, the nominee KYC and PAN, and a fresh client master report if the nominee holds a demat account with a different participant.
4. The participant moves the shares to the nominee account. No value limit and no court paper apply.

1. Get the death certificate and the deceased holder's client master report.
2. File the Transmission Request Form for legal heirs with the participant.
3. If the value is up to ₹15 lakh per account, use simplified documents: a notarised affidavit from each legal heir, a no-objection certificate from heirs who are not claiming, an indemnity bond, and a legal heirship certificate or equivalent from a competent authority.
4. If the value is above ₹15 lakh, add a succession certificate, probate of will, letter of administration, or a court decree.
5. The participant verifies and credits the heir account.

1. The surviving holder files the Transmission Request Form and the attested death certificate.
2. Add the survivor PAN and a client master report if held with another participant.
3. The deceased holder name is deleted and the balance stays with the survivor. No threshold and no court paper apply.

Mutual fund transmission is handled by the registrar, CAMS or KFintech, on behalf of the fund house. The slabs below apply when there is no nominee and value is measured at PAN level across the deceased holder's folios.

1. Identify the registrar for each fund. CAMS and KFintech each serve a set of fund houses.
2. Download the Transmission Request Form, often called T3, from the registrar website.
3. If a nominee or surviving joint holder exists, submit the form, the death certificate, nominee KYC and PAN, and bank details. No value threshold applies.
4. No nominee, value up to ₹5 lakh: add a bank attestation of the claimant signature, a relationship document, individual affidavits from each legal heir, an indemnity bond, and a no-objection certificate from other heirs.
5. No nominee, value above ₹5 lakh up to ₹10 lakh: add a notarised will or a legal heirship certificate with a notarised indemnity bond and a notarised no-objection certificate from non-claimants.
6. No nominee, value above ₹10 lakh: add a succession certificate, probate of will, letter of administration, or a court decree.
7. Submit at a registrar service centre and track the request number.

• Death certificate, original or attested by a notary or gazetted officer.
• Transmission Request Form of the participant or registrar.
• KYC and PAN of the claimant nominee or legal heir.
• Bank proof of the claimant, a cancelled cheque or recent statement.
• Client master report for demat, or folio details for mutual funds.
• For no-nominee cases above the threshold: succession certificate, probate, letter of administration, or court decree.
• For no-nominee cases below the threshold: affidavit, indemnity bond, no-objection certificate, and legal heirship certificate.

• Assuming a nominee becomes the owner. Per Shakti Yezdani 2023 the nominee holds in trust for the heirs.
• Using the old ₹5 lakh demat figure. The current simplified-document limit for demat is ₹15 lakh per account.
• Mixing the demat and mutual fund slabs. They are separate frameworks with separate thresholds.
• Forgetting the no-objection certificate from heirs who are not claiming, which stalls no-nominee cases.
• Submitting a plain photocopy of the death certificate. It must be original or attested.
• Ignoring the grievance clock. Each entity must redress a complaint within 21 days under SCORES 2.0.

Use this when a participant or registrar sits on a complete file beyond 21 days.

To: The Grievance Officer, [Depository Participant or Registrar name]
Subject: Pending transmission request, deceased holder [name], ref [request number]

Sir or Madam,
I, [your name], am the [nominee or legal heir] of the late [holder name], [demat client ID or mutual fund folio]. I submitted a complete transmission request with the death certificate and required documents on [date], reference [number].
The request is still not processed. Under SEBI norms a transmission claim must be redressed within 21 days. Please complete the transmission and credit my account within 7 days, or give written reasons.
If unresolved, I will escalate to SEBI SCORES and SMART ODR.
[Name, signature, address, phone, date]

If there is no reply or it is unsatisfactory, escalate through Demat and mutual fund grievance via SEBI SCORES.

Not always. If a valid nominee is registered, none is needed. If there is no nominee and the demat value is up to ₹15 lakh per account, you use simplified documents like an affidavit, indemnity bond, no-objection certificate, and legal heirship certificate. A succession certificate or probate is required only above that limit.

A nominee receives the assets to hold and manage. A legal heir is the person entitled to inherit under succession law or a will. The Supreme Court in Shakti Yezdani 2023 held that a nominee holds in trust and is not the absolute owner. The heirs can claim from the nominee.

Once a complete and correct file reaches the participant or registrar, processing is usually a few weeks. SEBI SCORES 2.0 sets a 21-day clock for redressal if you complain about delay, with auto-escalation if the entity misses it.

Measured at PAN level: up to ₹5 lakh uses simplified documents with an indemnity bond, above ₹5 lakh up to ₹10 lakh adds a notarised will or legal heirship certificate with a no-objection certificate, and above ₹10 lakh needs a succession certificate, probate, letter of administration, or court decree.

Yes. A valid will under the Indian Succession Act, 1925 can decide who inherits the securities, and the heirs named in the will can claim them. The nomination only governs who first receives and manages the shares, not who finally owns them.

The registrar acts for the fund house. CAMS and KFintech are the two main registrars in India. You file the Transmission Request Form with the registrar that services your fund, with the death certificate and KYC.

File two separate requests. The demat transmission goes to the depository participant under SEBI demat rules. The mutual fund transmission goes to CAMS or KFintech under AMFI guidelines. The thresholds and forms differ, so do not mix them.

First write to the grievance officer of the participant or registrar. If unresolved in 21 days, lodge a complaint on SEBI SCORES and, for a dispute, use the SMART ODR platform for online conciliation or arbitration.

• SEBI master circular for registrars to an issue and share transfer agents, sebi.gov.in.
• SEBI LODR Regulations and the 2022 amendment raising demat simplified-document limits to ₹15 lakh per account and physical to ₹5 lakh.
• SEBI consultation paper, February 2026, proposing ₹30 lakh demat and ₹10 lakh physical, not yet in force.
• AMFI best practice guidelines on transmission of units, updated January 2024, amfiindia.com.
• CAMS and KFintech investor transmission guidelines, camsonline.com and kfintech.com.
• Shakti Yezdani v. Jayanand Jayant Salgaonkar, Supreme Court of India, 2023.
• SEBI SCORES 2.0 circular on investor grievance redressal and the SMART ODR platform, 21-day timeline.

• Demat and mutual fund grievance via SEBI SCORES
• Apply for a succession certificate
• Apply for a legal heir certificate
• Claim PF death benefit as nominee
• AI RTI Drafter
• The RTI Playbook

Transmission of mutual fund units follows a different process than shares:

1. Step 1: Obtain death certificate. Get a certified copy from the municipal corporation.
2. Step 2: Check nomination status. If a nominee is registered, the process is simplified. If not, legal heir certificate or succession certificate is needed.
3. Step 3: Contact each AMC. Every Asset Management Company (HDFC, SBI, ICICI, etc.) has a separate transmission process. Download the transmission form from the AMC website or CAMS/KFintech.
4. Step 4: Submit documents. Death certificate (notarized), transmission form, KYC of the claimant, bank mandate form with cancelled cheque, and PAN card of the deceased and claimant.
5. Step 5: For amounts below Rs 2 lakh per AMC: Many AMCs accept indemnity bond + affidavit + NOC from other legal heirs without a succession certificate.
6. Step 6: For amounts above Rs 2 lakh per AMC: Succession certificate or probated will or court decree is mandatory.
7. Step 7: Processing time. Typically 15-30 days after submission of complete documents.

1. Death certificate (certified copy, notarized)
2. Transmission request form (Form SH-5 or broker-specific form)
3. Succession certificate (if no nominee and value exceeds Rs 2 lakh per folio)
4. Legal heir certificate (for smaller amounts, may suffice with indemnity bond)
5. Indemnity bond (on stamp paper, as per state requirement)
6. Affidavit (declaring the claimant is the legal heir)
7. NOC from other legal heirs (if applicable)
8. PAN card of deceased and claimant
9. KYC documents of claimant (Aadhaar, address proof, bank details)
10. Original share certificates (if physical shares)
11. Demat account details of the claimant (if transmitting to demat)

1. File RTI with the company/RTA: Ask for the status of your transmission request, the documents received, and the reason for delay.
2. File RTI with SEBI: Ask for the grievance status if you have filed a complaint on SCORES. See scores.sebi.gov.in.
3. File RTI with the Depository (NSDL/CDSL): Ask for the status of demat transmission if the shares were in demat form.
4. File RTI with CAMS/KFintech: Ask for the status of mutual fund transmission if processed through them.

For RTI drafting, use AI RTI Drafter. For grievance escalation, see Banking Ombudsman Guide.

1. Transfer: Voluntary movement of shares from one person to another (sale, gift). Requires a transfer deed (Form SH-4) and stamp duty.
2. Transmission: Operation of law upon death of the holder. No transfer deed or stamp duty is needed. Only documentation proving heirship is required.
3. Transfer by nominee: A nominee can transfer shares to the legal heirs after transmission to the nominee's name.

If shares have been transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) because dividends were unclaimed for 7+ years, the legal heirs must:

1. Step 1: File IEPF-5 form on iepf.gov.in
2. Step 2: Submit documents: death certificate, legal heir certificate, indemnity bond, affidavit, original share certificate (if available)
3. Step 3: The authority verifies and approves the claim
4. Step 4: Shares are credited to the demat account of the claimant
5. Step 5: Processing time: 30-60 days

For a detailed IEPF guide, see IEPF Unclaimed Shares Refund Guide.