Computershare uses sworn affidavits to protect three kinds of account changes that carry real financial risk: replacing a lost stock certificate, transferring shares out of a deceased shareholder’s account, and updating a registration after a legal name change. The right Computershare affidavit form depends on which of those you are doing, and each one has its own supporting documents, signature authentication, and submission path. Get those pieces right the first time and the request moves; get one wrong and the package comes back.
Which Affidavit You Need
Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed Certificate
If a physical stock certificate is missing, Computershare will not reissue it on your word alone. You complete an Affidavit of Loss, a sworn statement that the certificate was lost, stolen, or destroyed, that you are the rightful owner, and that the original is not in anyone else’s hands.1Securities and Exchange Commission. Salton, Inc. Letter of Transmittal You will also need to post an indemnity bond before the replacement issues, which is covered further down.
Deceased Shareholder
When the registered holder has died, the person handling the estate submits an Affidavit of Domicile with the rest of the deceased transfer package. The affidavit confirms where the shareholder legally resided at the time of death, which determines which state has taxing authority over the transferred shares.2Charles Schwab. Affidavit of Domicile A typical package includes the affidavit, a certified death certificate, the transfer request form, a Medallion Signature Guarantee, and a W-9 for the person receiving the shares.
Legal Name Change
Marriage, divorce, or a court-ordered name change requires updating the registration so it matches your current legal identity. Computershare’s transfer portal has a dedicated “Update a legal name” workflow for this.3Computershare. Transfer My Stock Supporting proof is usually a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order, together with a signed statement confirming you are the same person on the account. The specific documents can vary by issuer, so verify with shareholder services for the company whose shares you hold.
How to Get the Form
Printable forms live inside the Computershare Investor Center portal, grouped by category: transfer of ownership, tax forms, direct registration, and international currency.4Computershare Investor Center. Computershare Printable Forms Log in, pick the issuer whose shares are involved, and navigate to its printable forms list. Not every form is posted for every company. If the one you need is not there, call the shareholder services number on your most recent statement and ask Computershare to send the correct package.
For a deceased transfer, use the guided tool at transferstock.computershare.com. It asks for the date of death and the shareholder’s country and state of residence, then generates a document checklist tailored to the estate.5Computershare. Deceased Transfer
What to Have Ready Before You Fill It Out
Pull these together before you start writing on the form:
- Your Computershare account number, from a statement or prior correspondence.
- The full legal name of the issuing corporation, not the ticker symbol.
- The Taxpayer Identification Number of the person who will own the shares after the change. Computershare uses this for tax reporting and will apply backup withholding on dividends and sale proceeds without a certified TIN on file.6Computershare. Understanding My US Tax Forms
- Certificate numbers from old statements, if you are reporting a lost certificate.
- The supporting document for your situation: certified death certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order, or police report for a stolen certificate.
Fill every field. Names, dates, and signatures need to match what Computershare already has on file. Incomplete forms do not get silently fixed; Computershare will contact you, and each round of correspondence adds weeks.7Computershare. Computershare Transfer Request Form
Notarization or Medallion Signature Guarantee
A completed affidavit is not valid until the signature is properly authenticated, and the type of authentication depends on what you are doing. This is the single most common place these submissions fail.
Standard affidavits, including the Affidavit of Domicile taken on its own, generally require notarization. A notary public verifies your identity with a photo ID, watches you sign, administers the oath that the statements in the document are true, and affixes a seal.8Franklin County Law Library. Notary and Apostille Law Most banks, shipping stores, and law offices offer the service.
Any transfer of securities is different. Moving shares to a beneficiary after a death, or cashing in physical certificates, requires a Medallion Signature Guarantee rather than (or in addition to) a notary stamp. A plain notary is not enough. The Medallion stamp comes from a financial institution participating in one of three recognized programs: STAMP, SEMP, or MSP, and it carries a financial warranty against fraud, which is why transfer agents insist on it.9U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Medallion Signature Guarantees – Preventing the Unauthorized Transfer of Securities
You can get the Medallion from a bank, credit union, or brokerage where you are already a customer. Most institutions will not guarantee the signature of someone with no account relationship. If you cannot find a participating institution, contact Computershare for guidance on alternatives.9U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Medallion Signature Guarantees – Preventing the Unauthorized Transfer of Securities
Surety Bond for a Lost Certificate
Replacing a lost stock certificate costs money beyond the paperwork. The owner has to post an indemnity bond before the issuer will release a replacement.10Cornell Law Institute. UCC 8-405 – Replacement of Lost, Destroyed, or Wrongfully Taken Security Certificate The bond protects the company and Computershare if the missing certificate ever resurfaces and gets presented by someone claiming to be an innocent buyer; the surety covers the loss instead of the corporation.
The premium typically runs two to three percent of the current market value of the missing shares.11U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Lost or Stolen Stock Certificates On a $10,000 certificate, that is roughly $200 to $300. Payment is usually a personal check or money order submitted with the affidavit. Some issuers allow the fee to come out of the shareholder’s account balance. Computershare will not process the replacement until the premium is paid, so send it in the same envelope as the affidavit.
Tax Form to Include
Any transfer that changes the registered owner triggers a tax-reporting obligation for the new owner. A U.S. individual provides a certified TIN by completing IRS Form W-9. Without one on file, Computershare must apply backup withholding on dividends and sale proceeds.6Computershare. Understanding My US Tax Forms
A non-U.S. recipient submits Form W-8BEN (individual) or W-8BEN-E (entity) in place of the W-9. Both forms and their instruction letters are available in the tax forms section of the Investor Center, and separate transfer packages exist for international holders.12Computershare. Printable Forms Include the tax form in the same package as the affidavit. Sending it later tends to hold up the release of the shares while Computershare waits for the certification to clear.
Where to Send It
Once the affidavit is completed, authenticated, and paired with the supporting documents and any required payment, mail everything to Computershare at:
- Regular mail: Computershare, P.O. Box 43006, Providence, RI 02940-3078
- Overnight or courier: Computershare, 150 Royall St., Suite 101, Canton, MA 0202113Computershare. Contact Us
Use certified mail or a tracked overnight courier for anything containing original signatures, a Medallion stamp, a bond payment, or a certified death certificate. Those items are difficult or impossible to replace in transit, and you want proof of delivery if the package goes astray. Some issuers direct documents to a different address, so check the Computershare page or correspondence for the specific company before you seal the envelope.
After You Send It
Computershare reviews the package against the account record: whether the affidavit is complete, whether the signature matches the file, whether the authentication meets the required standard, and whether the supporting documents are all present. Timing depends on the transaction. Straightforward DRS transfers can process in a few business days; deceased transfers and lost certificate replacements usually take longer.
You will hear by mail or email when the request is approved or when something is missing. If paperwork is rejected, you generally have to send a new original rather than a photocopy, because affidavits need original notarized signatures or Medallion stamps. A missing signature or an expired notary seal restarts the clock, which is why careful preparation up front is cheaper than correcting things later.
If the Shares Were Already Escheated
One situation these affidavits cannot fix: if your account went inactive long enough that the shares were turned over to a state unclaimed-property division, Computershare can no longer release them. You file the claim directly with that state’s unclaimed-property office.14Computershare. Protect Your Shares From Unclaimed Property Laws If you have received a warning notice that your shares are at risk but have not yet been transferred to the state, follow the instructions in the notice within the stated timeframe, often 45 days. Logging into the Investor Center or cashing a dividend check is usually enough to reset the activity clock.