A Share Certificate is a formal document issued by a company to a shareholder confirming their ownership of a specified number of shares in that company. Under Companies Act 2006 s768, a share certificate is prima facie evidence of title to the shares described in it. In practical terms, this means that a share certificate is the most important documentary evidence a shareholder can hold to prove their ownership interest in a company, and it is routinely required when shares are sold, mortgaged, or transferred.

Every UK company incorporated under the Companies Acts (including the Companies Act 2006 and its predecessors) is required to issue share certificates to its members. The obligation to issue a certificate arises on allotment (where new shares are created and issued) or on transfer (where existing shares are sold or gifted from one person to another). The certificate must be issued within two months of the allotment or transfer date under Companies Act 2006 s769, and failure to do so is a criminal offence by the company and its officers.

A share certificate for a UK company must state: the company's full name and Companies House registration number; the name and address of the registered holder; the number and class of shares covered by the certificate; the nominal (par) value of each share; and whether the shares are fully or partly paid. Where shares are numbered (which is the case for most private companies), the distinctive share numbers must also be stated. The certificate must be authenticated by the company's signature under CA 2006 s44 (two authorised signatories, or one director with a witness) or by affixing the company's common seal.

A Share Certificate is required whenever a UK company issues new shares to a subscriber or investor (known as an 'allotment'), or whenever existing shares are transferred from one person or entity to another. The certificate must be issued within two months of the allotment or transfer date.

Common situations requiring a Share Certificate include: the formation of a new company, where the founding shareholders (subscribers) must receive certificates for their initial shares; an investment round, where new shares are issued to angel investors, venture capital funds, or other investors; the grant of shares to employees or directors under a share scheme; the transfer of shares following a sale of the business; the gift of shares to a family member; a share buyback, where shares transferred to the company (treasury shares) must be noted; and following probate, where shares previously held by a deceased shareholder are transferred to their personal representatives or beneficiaries.

When shares are transferred between private individuals or entities, the transferor (seller) must also complete a stock transfer form (J30 form) and the transferee (buyer) must pay Stamp Duty at 0.5% if the consideration exceeds £1,000. The stamped stock transfer form should be lodged with the company so that the Register of Members can be updated and a new share certificate issued to the transferee. The old certificate should be returned to the company and cancelled (marked as cancelled and retained for six years in accordance with good practice).

Share certificates are also required by banks, solicitors, and HMRC in various contexts: banks may request share certificates as part of a due diligence process for lending; solicitors will require them in the course of a business sale or acquisition; and HMRC may ask to see share certificates during an Inheritance Tax enquiry or a Capital Gains Tax investigation to verify the consideration paid for shares.

A compliant UK Share Certificate under Companies Act 2006 must contain several key elements.

The company identification section must state the company's full registered name (including the relevant suffix such as Ltd, Limited, or PLC) and its eight-digit Companies House registration number. The country of incorporation (England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland) should also be stated, as the applicable law differs between the three jurisdictions. The registered office address provides a further means of identification.

The certificate number is a unique sequential identifier allocated by the company to each share certificate issued. It is recorded in the Register of Members (CA 2006 s113) and in the company's certificate register (a separate internal record that many company secretarial systems maintain). Sequential numbering enables the company to identify and cancel lost or replaced certificates.

The date of issue must fall within two months of the allotment or transfer date (CA 2006 s769). The allotment or transfer date should also be stated so that it is clear whether the two-month deadline has been met.

The shareholder details section must state the registered holder's full legal name and postal address exactly as they appear in the Register of Members.

The share details section must identify the class of shares (e.g. Ordinary, A Ordinary, B Ordinary, Preference), the number of shares, the nominal value per share (e.g. £0.001, £0.01, or £1), and the distinctive share numbers from and to.

The consideration section records the price paid per share and total consideration, and whether the shares are fully or partly paid. Where shares are partly paid, the amount paid up and the amount unpaid must be stated.

The execution section confirms that the certificate has been duly authenticated by the company under CA 2006 s44 or by affixing the company seal. The signatures of the authorised signatories (with their names and titles printed below the signature lines) provide the necessary authentication.