To process a Computershare name change, complete the company’s Transfer Request form, check the “Legal Name Change” box, sign in your old name with a Medallion Signature Guarantee stamp from a bank or broker, and mail the package to Computershare’s Louisville, Kentucky processing center. There is no standalone name-change form. Your account number and login credentials stay the same; only the registered name updates.
Which Form to Use
Computershare handles legal name changes through the same Transfer Request form used for ownership transfers and other registration updates. You can download it from the printable forms section of the Investor Center site for the specific company whose stock you hold, or call Computershare’s shareholder services line and ask for one by mail. Each issuer may have its own version of the transfer package, so pull the form tied to your holding rather than a generic copy.
The instructions packaged with the form spell out the approach: “In the case of a legal name change, such as through marriage, complete a Transfer Request form and sign using your old name, which is the current name on the account.”1Computershare. Transfer Request Form Instructions Book-entry shares carry over automatically.
Before you start, find your Holder Account Number. It begins with “C” followed by 10 digits and appears on your most recent shareholder statement, on 1099-DIV forms, and on other correspondence from Computershare.2Computershare. Account Statements and Tax Forms
Filling Out the Form for a Name Change
The Transfer Request form is divided into numbered sections. For a legal name change, complete the following:1Computershare. Transfer Request Form Instructions
- Section 1: check the box for “Legal Name Change.” This signals that no ownership transfer is happening.
- Section 2: enter a daytime phone number so Computershare can reach you if anything is unclear.
- Section 3: indicate whether outstanding dividend checks should be reissued in your new name.
- Section 8: sign using your old name, the name currently on the account. The Medallion Signature Guarantee stamp goes here.
- Section 9B: enter your new legal name. This is what will appear on future statements, tax documents, and certificates.
- Section 10: check “No Change of Ownership” to confirm you are the same person under a new name, not selling or gifting the shares.
Your Section 8 signature must match the name on the account exactly, “without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever,” as the form puts it.1Computershare. Transfer Request Form Instructions If the account reads “Jane A. Smith,” sign “Jane A. Smith,” not “Jane Smith” or “J.A. Smith.” Mismatched signatures are a frequent reason submissions get rejected.
Getting a Medallion Signature Guarantee
A Medallion Signature Guarantee is a stamp from a financial institution that verifies your identity and your authority to make the change. It is not a notary seal, and the two are not interchangeable. A notary confirms someone signed; a Medallion guarantor accepts financial liability if the signature turns out to be fraudulent. Computershare’s instructions state plainly that “A Notary Seal is NOT acceptable.”1Computershare. Transfer Request Form Instructions
Commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions, and U.S. brokers or securities dealers that participate in an approved Medallion Signature Guarantee Program can issue the stamp.3eCFR. 17 CFR 240.17Ad-15 – Signature Guarantees Bring the unsigned form and a valid government-issued photo ID to a branch in person. Do not sign in advance; the guarantor has to watch you sign.
Most institutions provide the stamp only to existing customers, and some make new customers wait before becoming eligible. Fees range from free for account holders to somewhere between $10 and $100 for non-customers.4PNC Insights. What is a Medallion Signature Guarantee and How Do You Get One? Call ahead. Not every branch has an authorized staffer on site, and smaller credit unions may not participate at all.
If Your Account Is Small
Computershare runs a Medallion Waiver Program for accounts under $10,000 in total value. To use it, you must be a U.S. resident, enclose a copy of a government-issued photo ID, and include a non-refundable $50 check payable to Computershare.5Computershare. What Is a Medallion Guarantee? The fee is high relative to a small holding, but it saves the trip if you cannot easily reach a participating bank.
Supporting Documents and the W-9
For a straightforward personal name change, the completed Transfer Request form and the Medallion stamp (or waiver package) are the core requirements. The instructions reference marriage, divorce, and court orders as common reasons but do not require you to attach a specific document in every case; the Medallion stamp itself is the primary verification of identity and authority.1Computershare. Transfer Request Form Instructions
Even so, it is worth including a certified copy of the underlying legal document (marriage certificate, divorce decree pages, or court order), because Computershare may ask for it during processing. Having it in the envelope avoids a round trip. Every document you send becomes part of Computershare’s permanent records and will not be returned, so use certified copies, not originals.
Computershare treats the updated registration as a new account for tax reporting, so you should have a fresh Form W-9 on file. If you do not submit one with the transfer paperwork, Computershare will mail one after processing, but your account can be subject to backup withholding in the meantime.6Computershare. Transfer Request Form – W-9 Requirements Backup withholding runs at 24% of dividends, distributions, and sale proceeds.7Internal Revenue Service. Backup Withholding
Download a blank W-9 from irs.gov, complete it with your new legal name and Social Security Number, and put it in the same envelope. The name on the W-9 must match the new name entered in Section 9B to avoid an IRS mismatch.8Internal Revenue Service. Form W-9 – Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification
Where to Mail It
Send the completed and stamped form to Computershare’s Louisville processing center:1Computershare. Transfer Request Form Instructions
- Regular mail: Computershare, PO Box 505005, Louisville, KY 40233-5005
- Overnight or certified delivery: Computershare, 462 South 4th Street, Suite 1600, Louisville, KY 40202
Use a service with tracking. You are mailing a signed securities document carrying a Medallion stamp, and it should not be moving through the mail unaccounted for. FedEx and UPS deliver directly to the processing center when you use the street address. Computershare’s general correspondence address in Providence, Rhode Island, is a different location; do not send transfer paperwork there.9Computershare. Contact Us
After You Submit
Once the form is processed, Computershare will send a new account statement or transaction advice reflecting the updated name. Your account number does not change, and your Investor Center login and phone-system credentials continue to work.1Computershare. Transfer Request Form Instructions Check the confirmation to make sure the new name and tax identification number are correct.
If something is missing or wrong, Computershare typically responds with a letter explaining what they need. The usual causes are a signature that does not match the account name exactly, a missing Medallion stamp, or the wrong sections completed. Every round trip by mail adds a week or more, so it pays to get the details right the first time. If you have any doubt about the form for your specific holding, call Computershare’s shareholder services line before mailing and have them walk you through it.