Share certificate
- Customisable to your company
- Contains all information legally required for a valid share certificate
- Quick and easy to complete
A share certificate must be issued by your company to all shareholders. This template share certificate can be tailored to your company, and sent out to your shareholders to record the number, nominal value and class of the shares they hold.
Every time new shares in your company are issued or existing shares change hands, the company must produce a share certificate and send it to the shareholder who now owns the shares. You have two months from the date that the shares are issued or transferred to do this. If your company fails to issue a share certificate as required after share have been issued or transferred, an offence is committed by the officers of the company and they could be fined.
Your share certificates are legally required to contain certain information, and must be signed either by two directors or by one director in the presence of a witness. This template will help you comply with your legal duties - properly filled in, it includes all the necessary information and a place for the appropriate signatures.
Q&A
When should I use this document?
You should use this template share certificate:
- when you first set up your company, to record the number of shares held by each subscriber;
- when you issue shares to a new shareholder; and
- when any shares are transferred to a new shareholder.
In addition, if you have not previously issued any share certificates to your shareholders, you should use this template to create and issue share certificates to each of your shareholders as soon as possible.
What does this document cover?
This document contains all of the information that is legally required for a valid share certificate. It can be used by a shareholder and by your company to evidence the number and type of shares held by the relevant shareholder.
Why do I need this document?
Because if you fail to issue share certificates to your shareholders, an offence is committed by the directors of your company and they could be fined.
Where can I find out more?
For further guidance on when and how you should issue share certificates, see:
- How to issue shares on incorporation, for guidance on issuing share certificates to your subscribers when you first set up your company;
- The share transfer process, for guidance on issuing share certificates after a transfer of shares; and
- Steps to take after issuing new shares, for guidance on issuing share certificates after you have issued new shares to an investor or new business partner.
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