Legal Heir Certificate in Mumbai: How to Get One and Claim Your Shares From the IEPF

In Mumbai, a legal heir certificate is issued by the government’s revenue office — the Tahsildar or the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of the Mumbai City or Mumbai Suburban Collectorate — not by a court. You apply in the district where the person who died last lived. The Collectorate’s own guidance puts the fee at about ₹100 to ₹200 and the time at 30 to 90 days.

For old shares, this one certificate now does a lot of work. The IEPF rules accept it in place of a succession certificate for shares that have gone to the IEPF. SEBI’s rules accept it for shares still with the company, since 22 August 2026. In both cases every heir must agree, and the certificate must be signed by a Tahsildar or a more senior officer.

This guide covers which Mumbai office to go to, the papers, the steps, the cost, and what to do with the certificate once you have it.

Not sure which of the shares are in the IEPF? That decides what you need. Check with Find Your Shares, free.

Which office issues a legal heir certificate in Mumbai?

The revenue office of the Collectorate for the district where the person who died last lived permanently. Mumbai has two revenue districts, so first work out which one.

It goes by the last permanent address of the person who died, not where the heirs live today. A son in Pune whose father lived in Dadar applies in Mumbai City.

The certificate is signed by the Tahsildar or the SDO. Both are senior enough for the IEPF and SEBI rules, which ask for a revenue officer not below the rank of Tahsildar. So check who signed it before you leave the office. A paper signed by a more junior official may be refused by the company.

Can you apply online, and does Aaple Sarkar work?

Yes. The Collectorate says you can apply on the Aaple Sarkar portal, but you will still have to go in person once. After an online application, the office calls you in to check the original documents, and it may take fingerprints.

You can also apply in person at the tahsil office, the revenue office, a Setu Kendra or a Maha e-Seva Kendra. These centres also have the application form.

One trap to avoid. Some guides online link to an Aaple Sarkar service called “Noting of Transfer of Ownership after Death of Owner”. That is the RTO’s service for a vehicle. It is not the heir certificate. Choose the revenue department’s heirship service, or ask at a Setu Kendra.

What papers do you need for a legal heir certificate in Mumbai?

The death certificate, proof of who you are, proof of how each heir is related, and a notarised affidavit. The Collectorate lists these:

• Death certificate of the person who died. It can be from any year. An old death certificate is accepted.
• Your own ID: Aadhaar, PAN or voter ID.
• Proof of relationship: ration card, birth certificate or marriage certificate.
• The names of all the other heirs, with their consent and signatures. Not every heir has to come to the office, but every name must be in the application.
• An affidavit, notarised, stating the facts and naming every heir.
• The application form, from the revenue office, and a passport-size photo.
• Two witnesses who know the family, usually neighbours or a local corporator.

If the death was never registered, start there. Register it with the BMC first. The office will not take the application without a death certificate.

If the person who died was not on a ration card, other papers can prove the relationship, such as a birth certificate, a school leaving certificate, Aadhaar or a voter ID.

Two checks that matter for shares

• Check the name. Old share certificates often show a short form, such as “K. R. Shah”, while the death certificate says “Kantilal Ramniklal Shah”. The company will ask you to explain the difference, usually with an affidavit. Sort it out before you file, not after.
• One certificate covers one person. If a second person has died since, for example the shareholder first and then the spouse who would have inherited, you need a separate certificate for each death.

How does the process work, step by step?

Apply, wait for a local inquiry and a public notice, and the certificate is issued if nobody objects. In order:

1. Get the death certificate and gather the papers above.
2. Agree inside the family who will be the claimant. The other heirs give their consent.
3. Submit the application with the affidavit, at the tahsil office, a Setu Kendra or on Aaple Sarkar.
4. A local official checks the facts and speaks to the witnesses.
5. The office publishes a public notice, so anyone left out, or anyone who objects, can come forward.
6. If nobody objects, the Tahsildar or SDO issues the certificate, naming every heir.

Heirs living abroad do not have to fly in. One of them can give a power of attorney to a relative in Mumbai, who applies for them. If someone else is applying, an heir abroad can sign a notarised no-objection. Papers signed abroad usually need an apostille or consulate attestation, so read our guide for NRI claimants first.

How much does a legal heir certificate cost in Mumbai, and how long does it take?

The Collectorate puts the fee at about ₹100 to ₹200, and the time at 30 to 90 days. It can take longer if someone objects, because the office must look into it first.

On top of the fee, budget for the notary and the stamp paper for the affidavit. The Collectorate says you do not need a lawyer to apply, though a disputed or complicated case is a different matter.

Compare that with the court route. A succession certificate in Mumbai means a court petition, a newspaper notice and a court fee charged as a share of the value of the securities. That takes months. Our guide to the succession certificate in Mumbai has the numbers.

The certificate does not expire. Once you have it, it stays valid. If a name is spelt wrong, you can apply for a correction. If the application is rejected, the office must give its reasons in writing, and you can appeal to the SDO or the Collector.

Is a legal heir certificate enough to claim shares from the IEPF?

Yes, if every heir agrees. Since 9 September 2024, the IEPF rules accept a legal heir certificate from a Tahsildar or a higher officer in place of a succession certificate, a probate or a court order. It must come with two more papers:

• A notarised indemnity bond from the claimant. See our indemnity bond guide.
• A no-objection certificate from each of the other heirs, giving up their claim in favour of the claimant.

The IEPF rules have their own value limits, per company: ₹5 lakh for paper shares and ₹15 lakh for demat shares, at the previous day’s closing price. Below them, simpler papers are accepted. Above them, you need a certificate or a court document, and the Mumbai legal heir certificate is the quickest of those.

Old holdings cross these limits more easily than families expect, because bonus shares and splits multiply them. An old certificate for 100 Eicher Motors shares is 1,000 shares today, after the 2020 split. See the Eicher Motors guide.

The certificate names the heirs, not the shares. So the same certificate can support every company and every IEPF claim for that person. For the SEBI side in full, read is a legal heir certificate enough for shares.

What do you do with the certificate for an IEPF claim?

You use it to file Form IEPF-5, one company at a time. The usual order is:

1. Open a demat account in the claimant’s name. IEPF shares come back only to a demat account.
2. Ask each company’s IEPF nodal officer for an entitlement letter, which confirms what went to the IEPF. The IEPF Authority’s guidance is to get it before you file.
3. File Form IEPF-5 online on the MCA portal, with the legal heir certificate and the death certificate.
4. Post the signed form, the original indemnity bond and the other papers to the company’s nodal officer.
5. The company has 30 days to send its verification report. The IEPF Authority then decides within 60 days of a complete report.
6. The shares are credited to the demat account.

You can file only one claim per company in a financial year. So get the papers right the first time.

Shares that never went to the IEPF go through the company’s registrar instead. Many registrars are in Mumbai. MUFG Intime, formerly Link Intime, is one. Our transmission of shares guide covers that route, and our IEPF claim service handles the IEPF side.

Is the court “heirship certificate” the same thing?

No. Maharashtra also has a court-issued heirship certificate, under Bombay Regulation VIII of 1827. It is a separate court process. The Bombay High Court has held that this old law still applies.

Some advisers tell Mumbai families that the court is the only way. The Collectorate’s own FAQ says otherwise: the Tahsildar or SDO issues the heir certificate. For shares, the revenue certificate is what the IEPF and SEBI rules name. You need a court when the heirs disagree, or when a company asks, in writing, for a court document such as a succession certificate.

What if one heir will not sign?

Then the legal heir certificate route closes, and the matter goes to the civil court. The Tahsildar sends disputed cases to the court, and the IEPF and SEBI routes both need every heir’s signature.

This is common in old families. A sibling abroad does not reply. A branch of the family nobody has spoken to in years. An heir who has died, so their children must sign instead. Find out early. If one signature will be a problem, the “quick” route can become the slow one, and a succession certificate may be the better path.

Why does a Delhi team help a Mumbai family?

Because the IEPF claim is decided in Delhi, at the IEPF Authority, not in Mumbai. The certificate is Mumbai work. The claim is Delhi work.

A Mumbai agent can get the certificate and file the form. After that, the file waits in a queue in Delhi with nobody nearby to follow it. Our team is minutes from the IEPF Authority and follows files up in person.

So you get both halves: a vetted local partner in Mumbai for the certificate, and a team on the ground in Delhi for the claim. The question is not who is closest to you. It is who is closest to the office that holds your file.

Why not just use a local agent for the certificate?

Because a certificate proves who the heirs are. It does not find the shares, value them or move them. Anyone can get you a certificate. We get you the shares.

• The holding comes first. A local agent works from what the family remembers. That can miss bonus shares, merged companies and shares already in the IEPF. We trace the true holding first. Then our vetted Mumbai partner gets the certificate, naming the right people, right the first time.
• Ask who is paid for what. An agent is paid for the document, whether or not the shares ever arrive. We are paid only when they do.
• The document is the start. The entitlement letters, Form IEPF-5 for each company and the registrar for shares still with the company all come after it. We handle the whole chain.

For the full service, see succession certificate and legal heir certificate and transfer of shares after death.

Zero advance — you pay only once the shares are credited to your demat account.

Not sure what the family holds? Start with Find Your Shares →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fee for a legal heir certificate in Mumbai?
The Mumbai City Collectorate puts the fee at about ₹100 to ₹200. You also pay for the notary and the stamp paper for the affidavit. You do not need a lawyer to apply.

How long does a legal heir certificate take in Mumbai?
Usually 30 to 90 days, according to the Collectorate. It takes longer if someone objects, because the office holds an inquiry and publishes a public notice first.

Who issues the legal heir certificate in Mumbai, the court or the Tahsildar?
The revenue department: the Tahsildar or the Sub-Divisional Officer, under the Mumbai City or Mumbai Suburban Collectorate. A court issues a succession certificate, which is a different document.

Can I apply for a legal heir certificate online in Mumbai?
Yes, on the Aaple Sarkar portal, or in person at a tahsil office or a Setu Kendra. You must still go in once to have the original documents checked.

Where do I apply if the person lived in the Mumbai suburbs?
To the Mumbai Suburban Collectorate, through the tahsil office for the area (Kurla, Andheri or Borivali) or a Setu Kendra. For south Mumbai, up to Mahim and Sion, apply to the Mumbai City Collectorate.

Is a legal heir certificate enough to claim shares from the IEPF?
Yes, if every heir agrees. Since 9 September 2024 the IEPF rules accept it in place of a succession certificate, with a notarised indemnity bond from the claimant and a no-objection certificate from the other heirs. It must be issued by a Tahsildar or a higher officer.

Can an heir living abroad get a legal heir certificate in Mumbai?
Yes. They can give a power of attorney to a relative in Mumbai who applies for them, or sign a notarised no-objection if another heir is applying.

What if one legal heir objects?
The Tahsildar will not issue the certificate and the matter goes to the civil court. The IEPF and SEBI routes also need every heir to sign.

Does a legal heir certificate expire?
No. The Collectorate says it stays valid permanently. A wrong name can be corrected by applying for a correction.

Is the heirship certificate under Bombay Regulation VIII of 1827 the same?
No. That one is issued by a court. The Tahsildar’s certificate is a revenue document. For shares, the IEPF and SEBI rules name a certificate from a revenue officer not below the rank of Tahsildar.

What does SharesRecover charge to handle this?
Zero advance — you pay only once the shares are credited to your demat account.