What Do I Do If I Lost My Original Share Certificate?

Even without the physical share certificate, you are still the rightful owner of the stock and have a claim to all of the rights of being a shareholder.

If your share certificate is lost, accidentally destroyed, or stolen, you should immediately contact the transfer agent and request a "stop transfer." This prevents ownership of the stock certificate from being transferred to another person. Your stockbroker might also be able to help you with this process.


You will be able to get a new replacement certificate. But typically, companies will first require you to do the following:

Make a statement of facts surrounding the loss in an affidavit
Purchase an indemnity bond to protect the company against the chance that the lost certificate may be presented at a later date
Request a new certificate before an innocent purchaser requires it