How to Fill Out and Submit the Dematerialisation Request Form (DRF)

A Dematerialisation Request Form is the document you give your Depository Participant to convert physical share certificates into electronic holdings in your demat account. You fill in your account and certificate details, deface the physical certificates, sign the declaration, and submit the package to your DP; the DP forwards everything to the company’s Registrar and Transfer Agent, and once verified, the shares are credited to your demat account and the paper certificates are permanently cancelled. NSDL and CDSL each publish their own version of the form, and your DP will hand you the correct one.1Manganese Ore (India) Limited. Process of Dematerialisation

What to Have Ready Before You Start

You need an active demat account with a registered Depository Participant before you can submit a DRF. If you don’t have one yet, open it first; the DP handles account opening under KYC norms, and every step of dematerialisation flows through them.1Manganese Ore (India) Limited. Process of Dematerialisation

For each security you plan to convert, gather:

  • The original share certificates, registered in your name, readable, and free from any lien, charge, or encumbrance.
  • The folio number assigned by the company or its registrar, which appears on the certificates.
  • The certificate number and the range of distinctive numbers printed on each certificate; you will list every one on the form.
  • The exact legal name of the issuing company and the security type: equity, preference, debenture, or other.

Your DP fills in the technical fields for you: DP ID, Client ID, ISIN, and the Dematerialisation Request Number generated at submission. What you have to confirm yourself is that the holder names on the certificates match the names on the demat account, exactly. A missing middle initial is enough to bounce the request later.

Filling In the Form

The NSDL version of the form (Annexure D) is representative of what you’ll see in either depository’s format.2National Securities Depository Limited. Annexure D Dematerialisation Request Form The fields you complete are:

  • Participant name, address, and DP ID (usually pre-printed).
  • Your Client ID, which is your unique account number with the DP.
  • Holder names for the sole or first holder, second holder, and third holder, written exactly as they appear on both the certificates and the demat account.
  • Company name and type of security (equity or otherwise, specified if other).
  • Quantity to be dematerialised, in figures and in words.
  • Face value per share as stated on the certificate.
  • ISIN, a twelve-character alphanumeric code identifying the security issue. Your DP fills this in, but it’s worth confirming so you know the right security is being processed.
  • A certificate details table listing folio number, certificate numbers (from/to), distinctive numbers (from/to), and quantity for each certificate. Free securities and locked-in securities go on separate rows.
  • Lock-in details, including the reason and expected release date, if any shares are under lock-in.
  • The declaration and signatures of all holders.

The declaration on the NSDL form says you are surrendering the original certificates and that they are “free from any lien or charge or encumbrance.” If a bank pledge, court order, or other encumbrance exists on the shares, stop; don’t submit. False declarations under the Depositories Act, 1996 carry monetary penalties that start at ₹1 lakh, and contraventions can attract imprisonment of up to ten years or fines up to ₹25 crore.3India Code. The Depositories Act, 1996

One form per ISIN. Three companies means three forms. Free and locked-in shares of the same company also need separate forms.

Defacing the Certificates

Before you hand over the certificates, you must deface each one by writing or stamping “SURRENDERED FOR DEMATERIALISATION” across the face.4National Securities Depository Limited. NSDL – Dematerialisation This tells anyone who later sees the certificate that it has been surrendered and holds no market value. Position the marking so it doesn’t cover the certificate number, distinctive numbers, or share quantity; the RTA needs to read those during verification.

Arrange the certificates in the same order you listed them on the form. Then count them one more time against the form: the physical count and the form total have to agree. A mismatch is one of the most common reasons a request is thrown back.

Submitting the Form and Tracking Progress

Take the completed DRF and defaced certificates to your DP. The DP verifies the paperwork against the certificates, confirms your account details, and enters the request into the depository’s system, generating a Dematerialisation Request Number. That DRN is your tracking reference through the rest of the process.5India Tourism Development Corporation. Procedure of Dematerialisation

Your DP then sends the physical certificates and the electronic request to the company’s Registrar and Transfer Agent. The RTA checks that the certificates are authentic, that signatures match its records, and that holder details are consistent. Under CDSL’s framework, the RTA is expected to complete this within 15 days of receiving the physical certificates.6Central Depository Services (India) Limited. Dematerialization of Securities NSDL puts the overall timeline at about 30 days from submission to your DP, which covers transit and verification together.4National Securities Depository Limited. NSDL – Dematerialisation

Once the RTA approves the request, the depository credits the shares to your demat account and the physical certificates are permanently cancelled. You can confirm the credit through your DP’s online portal or by requesting a consolidated account statement.

DPs charge a processing fee, typically ₹25 to ₹150 per request, depending on the participant and the number of certificates. Some waive the fee for small requests or as part of account promotions, so ask before you submit.

Common Reasons a DRF Gets Rejected

NSDL publishes a full list of objection codes. The ones that catch investors out most often:7National Securities Depository Limited. Dematerialisation – Rejection of DRF

  • Name mismatch between the certificates, the DRF, and the demat account. Even a missing middle initial can be enough.
  • Signature mismatch against the specimen the RTA has on file. If your signature has drifted over the years, you may have to update it with the RTA before you can resubmit.
  • Quantity discrepancy between the physical certificates and what the form or DRN states.
  • Certificates sent to the wrong RTA, which happens when a company has changed its registrar and the DP’s records lag.
  • Physical certificates not reaching the RTA within the expected window after the electronic request was raised.
  • ISIN on the form or DRN not matching the certificates.
  • Fake or duplicate certificates, including cases where the company had already issued replacements.
  • A stop recorded on the shares in the RTA’s records because of a bank lien, court order, or statutory authority.

A rejection restarts the process. The DP returns your certificates, you resolve the specific objection, and you submit a fresh DRF. Some fixes are quick; others aren’t. Correcting a name mismatch, for instance, may require the company to update its register of members first, which can take weeks on its own.

If Your Certificates Are Lost or Damaged

You can’t file a DRF without the original certificates. If yours are lost, stolen, or damaged past recognition, you need replacements before you can dematerialise.

Contact the company’s RTA to report the loss and request a stop transfer against the missing certificates. You’ll usually need to file an affidavit describing how the certificates were lost and purchase an indemnity bond that protects the company and the RTA if the originals later surface in a buyer’s hands. Costs and specific requirements vary by issuer. Once the company issues duplicates, proceed with the standard DRF process: deface the new certificates, fill in the form, and submit through your DP.

SEBI’s 2026 Special Window for Physical Shares

SEBI has opened a one-year window running from February 5, 2026 through February 4, 2027 for the transfer and dematerialisation of physical securities. If you inherited paper shares or acquired them in a private transaction and still need to get them registered in your name and converted, this window is for you. Listed companies and their RTAs are required to process complete transfer requests within 70 days under this window.

Two conditions attach. Securities transferred through the window are mandatorily credited in demat form and carry a one-year lock-in from the date of registration; during that period you cannot transfer, pledge, or place a lien on the shares. If fraud is detected during the lock-in, the shares stay frozen until a court orders their release. Disputes between transferor and transferee fall outside the window entirely and have to go through the courts or NCLT.