Form SH-13: Nominating Someone for Your Shares
Form SH-13 is the nomination form prescribed under the Companies Act. Filing one is the single cheapest thing you can do to spare your family the transmission process, and it takes about ten minutes.
Of all the cases we see at ClaimMyFunds, the families who suffer least are those whose relative filed an SH-13. It costs nothing and takes ten minutes.
In short
SH-13 records a nominee against your share folio. On your death the nominee can claim the shares with little more than a death certificate and their own KYC — avoiding heirship certificates, NOCs and, above a value threshold, a court-issued succession certificate.
When This Applies to You
- You hold shares in physical form and no nominee is currently recorded
- You are completing KYC through Form ISR-1 and must record a nomination decision
- Your circumstances have changed and the existing nominee is no longer appropriate
- You previously opted out using ISR-3 and have since changed your mind
- You want to spare your heirs the cost and delay of a succession certificate
Field by Field
What to write in each box, and the entries that most often cause a form to be returned.
What to Attach
- Completed Form SH-13
- Self-attested PAN copy of every holder
- Copy of the nominee's PAN or Aadhaar
- Where the nominee is a minor, the guardian's identity proof
- Usually filed alongside Form ISR-1
Where to Send It
Send it to the company's RTA. Keep a stamped acknowledgement — years later, that receipt is what proves the nomination was actually filed.
Stuck on this?
Holding shares in several companies? We can prepare the nomination forms for all of them together so it is done once, properly.
Free first assessment — we tell you what is recoverable before any fee is discussed.
Why These Get Rejected
Across the files we handle at ClaimMyFunds, almost every returned form fails for one of these reasons.
How Long It Takes
Indicative timings from cases we have handled. The variable that matters most is whether the file is complete when it arrives.
| Stage | Typical | What affects it |
|---|---|---|
| Complete the form | Same day | Ten minutes, with the nominee's ID details to hand. |
| Arrange two witnesses | Same day | They must not be the nominee. |
| Submit to the RTA | 1-3 days | Usually alongside Form ISR-1. |
| Nomination recorded | 2-6 weeks | Keep the acknowledgement permanently — it is what proves the nomination exists. |
What It Actually Costs
Indicative only. Stamp duty, notary rates and RTA service charges vary by state and by registrar, so treat these as what to budget for rather than a price list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a nomination override my will?
Not straightforwardly. The general position is that a nominee receives the securities, but beneficial ownership can still be determined by succession law and the terms of a will. Indian courts have considered this repeatedly and the outcome is fact-specific. If your will and your nomination name different people, take legal advice.
Can I nominate more than one person?
The prescribed form is built around a single nominee per folio. If you want to split a holding between people, the practical routes are separate folios or dealing with it in your will. Ask your RTA what they will accept.
Can I nominate someone who is not a family member?
Yes. There is no restriction on the relationship. The nominee simply needs to be identifiable, with valid ID.
How do I change or cancel a nomination?
Use Form SH-14. Important: cancelling without filing a fresh SH-13 leaves the folio with no nominee, which is usually worse than the nomination you were unhappy with.
Does SH-13 apply to demat holdings too?
No. SH-13 is for physical folios held with an RTA. Nomination on a demat account is done through your depository participant under their own form and process.
Can ClaimMyFunds file nominations across all my folios?
Yes. Nomination is per folio, so if you hold shares in a dozen companies that is a dozen forms. We prepare and submit the whole set, which is considerably faster than working through them one at a time.
About ClaimMyFunds
You have just read a detailed walkthrough of a SEBI investor form. We publish these because the same handful of mistakes cost investors months, and most of them are avoidable.
We are a share recovery practice based in Ahmedabad, working with investors, legal heirs and NRIs across India. We have resolved more than 2,500 cases covering IEPF claims, unclaimed dividends, duplicate certificates, transmission and physical-to-demat conversion. We handle the paperwork end to end, and we tell you at the outset whether a case is worth pursuing.
Want Us to Handle the Paperwork?
We at ClaimMyFunds prepare the correct forms, tell you exactly what to get notarised or attested locally, and follow the file through with the Registrar. The first assessment is free.
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