IEPF Search: How to Use the IEPFA Search Facility to Find Unclaimed Shares
The IEPF Authority runs a free search for shares and dividends transferred to the fund. Here is how to register, which of its three search methods to use, how to read what it shows — and what to do when it shows nothing.
What the IEPF search facility is
When dividends on a shareholding go unclaimed for seven consecutive years, the company transfers the dividends and the shares to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF). The IEPF Authority keeps a record of every such holding, and its search facility lets anyone check whether there is a record in their name — or a parent’s.
The official address is www.iepfa.gov.in. Several private websites use similar-looking names; the government portals end in .gov.in. Searching is free.
How to search, step by step
These steps follow the IEPF Authority’s own FAQ, “Your Money, Your Right” (June 2026). Government portals change their screens from time to time; if a label looks different, look for the search facility’s login or registration link.
- Open www.iepfa.gov.in and choose “Click here for login and registration to IEPF Search Facility”.
- Register, or log in if you already have an account.
- Pick a search method. The Authority lists three: by PAN, by basic information such as name and date of birth, and by company name with a demat ID or folio number.
- Read the results. The system lists any entries matching the details you entered. Note the company and the folio number or DP and client ID for each — you will need them to claim.
Which search method to use
Use all three where you can. A holding that does not appear under one often appears under another.
- By PAN — quickest, but it only finds holdings where a PAN was recorded against the folio. Shares bought on paper decades ago often have none.
- By basic information (name, date of birth) — the method for old holdings and for a parent’s shares. Try every spelling of the name. How to search by name.
- By company name with folio number or demat ID — the most precise, if you have a certificate, a dividend warrant or a demat statement. How to search by folio number.
When the search shows nothing
A blank result does not always mean there is nothing to find. The usual reasons:
- The shares have not been transferred yet. The IEPF only holds what companies have transferred. Shares whose dividends have gone unclaimed for fewer than seven years are still with the company — check the company’s investor page, or its list of shares due to move.
- The record has no PAN or date of birth. Common on old physical folios. Search by name and by company with the folio number instead.
- The name is spelt differently. Initials, a dropped middle name, a maiden name, or a typing error from decades ago.
- The company has a new name. Records sit under the company as it exists today. Tracing renamed and merged companies.
What to do once you find something
The search only finds holdings; it does not claim them. Shares and dividends with the IEPF are claimed on Form IEPF-5, filed on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal and verified by the company before the IEPF Authority releases them. The Authority’s FAQ says there are no charges for filing a claim with it. How an IEPF claim works, and how long it realistically takes.
If the shareholder has died, the shares must first be transmitted to the legal heirs. IEPF claims when the shareholder has died.
Sources
- IEPF Authority, “Your Money, Your Right” — Frequently Asked Questions (June 2026): the search facility, its three search methods, and that filing a claim is free.
- Companies Act, 2013, section 124(5) and 124(6): transfer of unclaimed dividends, and of shares whose dividends go unclaimed for seven consecutive years, to the IEPF.
Our Step-by-Step Process
Send us the details you have
A name, PAN, company or folio number — whatever you have. A photograph of a certificate or dividend warrant is ideal.
We search every way
All three IEPF search methods, every spelling of the name, plus company and registrar records for shares not yet transferred.
You get a clear answer
What exists, where it is, and roughly what it is worth today — in plain language.
Claim if you choose to
We prepare and file the claim. No advance fee: we are paid only when the shares reach your demat account.
The Global Equity Solutions Advantage
Free search, no obligation
Checking costs nothing, and you decide afterwards whether to claim.
We know why searches miss
Name variants, missing PANs, renamed companies — the reasons a self-search comes back empty.
Shares not yet in IEPF too
We also check company and registrar records, which the IEPF search does not cover.
No advance fee to claim
If you go ahead, our fee is paid only after the shares are credited to you.
Ready to recover your assets?
Free initial assessment — zero commitment.
Let us run the IEPF search for you — free
Common Questions Answered
www.iepfa.gov.in. Choose “Click here for login and registration to IEPF Search Facility”. Government portals end in .gov.in; some private sites use similar names.
Yes. According to the IEPF Authority’s FAQ, you create an account, or log in if you have one, before searching.
Yes, PAN is one of the three search methods. It only finds holdings where a PAN was recorded, so for old physical shares also search by name and by company with the folio number.
Yes. Searching is free, and the Authority’s FAQ says there are no charges for filing a claim with the IEPF Authority either.
Usually because the shares have not been transferred yet, the record has no PAN or date of birth, the name is spelt differently, or the company has been renamed. Try the other search methods and name variants before concluding there is nothing.
No. The search only shows what exists. Claims are filed on Form IEPF-5 on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal. How an IEPF claim works.
Yes — search under his name, PAN or folio. To claim, the shares must be transmitted to the legal heirs first.
Go to www.iepfa.gov.in and choose “Click here for login and registration to IEPF Search Facility”. Register once, then log in with your credentials each time you search.
It is the IEPF Authority’s portal, from which its search facility for unclaimed shares and dividends is reached. Claims themselves are filed on Form IEPF-5 on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal.
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