Yes, you can still get a physical stock certificate for some companies, but you have to request it from the company’s transfer agent, pay a fee that often runs into the hundreds of dollars, and wait a few weeks for it to arrive. Many publicly traded companies have stopped issuing paper certificates entirely, and both the NYSE and NASDAQ require listed securities to work with electronic registration. If the company you own still prints certificates, here is how to get one and what you are signing up for.
Find the Company’s Transfer Agent
The request does not go through your broker. It goes through the transfer agent, which is the entity that keeps the official ownership records for a corporation’s shares.1U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Transfer Agents You can find the transfer agent’s name in the investor relations section of the company’s website or in the company’s SEC filings.
Once you know who the agent is, call or check their website to confirm two things before you do anything else. First, does this company still issue physical certificates at all? A growing number have eliminated the option, and no amount of paperwork will change that. Second, what is the current fee schedule? Costs vary by agent and by company.
Submit the Request
Transfer agents accept requests through their websites, by phone in some cases, or by certified mail. Whichever channel you use, you will need to provide your Social Security number, your account number with the agent, and the exact legal name registered on the shares. Every detail has to match the agent’s records precisely, or the request bounces back.
If your shares currently sit in a brokerage account rather than directly with the transfer agent, there is an extra step. The broker has to withdraw the shares from the electronic system and move them to the transfer agent so a certificate can be cut in your name. Your broker may charge its own fee for this, on top of the agent’s charge.
After the request is in, the agent verifies that you own enough unencumbered shares to cover the certificate. Processing generally takes two to four weeks, and longer during high-volume periods. The finished certificate arrives by mail at the address on file. From that point, keeping it safe is your job.
What It Costs
Budget for at least $50, and often considerably more. DTC’s published fee schedule lists $500 for a critical certificate withdrawal request, and any transfer agent fees are added on top of that.2DTCC. Guide to the DTC Fee Schedule – As of February 17, 2026 Smaller requests processed through a transfer agent’s routine channel can be cheaper, but there is no universal price. Ask for the total in writing before you commit.
Why Most Companies Have Moved Away From Paper
Section 501.00 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual requires that all listed securities be eligible for the Direct Registration System, an electronic ownership system operated by a securities depository.3New York Stock Exchange. NYSE 2026 Annual Guidance Letter NASDAQ has adopted parallel requirements. The 2024 shift to T+1 settlement, where trades settle one business day after execution, made electronic processing even more essential.4Federal Register. Self-Regulatory Organizations; The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To Shorten the Standard Settlement Cycle
State corporation laws generally let a company’s board resolve that some or all classes of stock will be uncertificated. Newer companies often launch without ever printing a certificate. Older corporations may keep the option available but price it high enough that few shareholders bother.
Direct Registration: The Middle Path
If your reason for wanting a certificate is that you would rather hold shares in your own name than through a broker, the Direct Registration System does that without paper. DRS records the shares directly on the company’s books in your name, and you receive transaction confirmations and account statements from the transfer agent showing your position.5FINRA. Know the Facts About Direct Registered Shares
You keep the same rights a certificate holder has: voting, dividends, annual reports, proxy materials all come from the issuer or its transfer agent.5FINRA. Know the Facts About Direct Registered Shares When you want to sell, shares in DRS can be moved electronically to a brokerage account or, in some cases, sold directly through the transfer agent, with none of the paper-handling steps described below.
What Holding a Paper Certificate Actually Means Later
Selling Is Slower and Requires a Medallion Guarantee
You cannot call your broker and sell shares that are sitting in a drawer. To sell or transfer certificated shares, you sign the certificate (or a separate securities power) and get a Medallion Signature Guarantee stamped on your signature.6Investor.gov. Medallion Signature Guarantees: Preventing the Unauthorized Transfer of Securities A Medallion Guarantee is not a notary stamp. It is a specific validation available from banks, credit unions, and brokerages that participate in the STAMP, SEMP, or MSP programs, and transfer agents require it because it shifts liability for forged signatures.
After the signature is guaranteed, the certificate goes to your broker or the transfer agent to execute the sale or deposit the shares back into an account.7Investor.gov. Transferring Assets The whole cycle can run one to two weeks. That delay is the hidden cost paper holders often notice only when the market has already moved.
Losing It Is Expensive
The shares still exist in the company’s records if the certificate is lost, stolen, or destroyed, but replacing the paper is not cheap. Contact the transfer agent right away and request a “stop transfer” so no one can use the missing certificate to move your shares.8Securities and Exchange Commission. Investor Bulletin: Lost and Stolen Securities The agent reports the certificate to the Lost and Stolen Securities Program under SEC rules.9eCFR. 17 CFR 240.17Ad-19
Then you file a notarized affidavit of loss and purchase an indemnity bond that protects the company and transfer agent if the original certificate later resurfaces in someone else’s hands. The SEC notes the bond typically costs two to three percent of the current market value of the missing shares.10U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Lost or Stolen Stock Certificates On a certificate worth $50,000, that is $1,000 to $1,500 just for the bond. Without both the affidavit and the bond, the transfer agent will not issue a replacement.
Storage Is on You, and Deposit Insurance Does Not Apply
A bank safe deposit box is the common storage choice, but the FDIC states that safe deposit box contents are not covered by deposit insurance.11FDIC. Five Things to Know About Safe Deposit Boxes, Home Safes, and Your Valuables Your homeowner’s or renter’s policy, possibly with a securities rider, is the coverage that matters. Photograph the front and back of every certificate, and keep a separate record of the serial number, CUSIP, and share count.
Corporate Actions Require You to Act
In a merger, stock split, or reorganization, holders usually have to surrender old certificates to the transfer agent in exchange for new shares or cash. In a brokerage account, this happens automatically. With a paper certificate, you have to follow the announcements and respond in time. A reverse split is particularly awkward, because any cash payment for a fractional interest is held until you physically surrender the certificate.
Dormant Certificates Can Escheat to the State
State unclaimed property laws apply to securities. If the transfer agent cannot reach you for a period that is typically three to five years depending on the state, your shares can be turned over as abandoned property. Paper holders are more exposed here because they are more likely to move without updating their address or to miss dividend checks. Cashing a dividend, voting a proxy, or logging into your account with the agent all count as contact and reset the clock. Keep your address current with every agent where you hold paper.
Cost Basis Records Are Your Responsibility
Brokerages track cost basis automatically for shares purchased after 2011. Paper certificates track nothing. When you sell, the IRS requires records of everything that affects the basis of your property. If you cannot prove what you paid, you may end up with a basis of zero and owe tax on the full sale price.12Internal Revenue Service. Basis of Assets Keep purchase confirmations, transfer receipts, and any documentation of reinvested dividends with the certificates themselves.