Find old or lost shares in the UK
There is no single public register of who owns which shares. Each company keeps its own register of members, and larger companies employ a registrar to keep it. So the job is to find the company, find its registrar and ask. Start with the free official routes below.
Do this first: official routes
- Gather what you have: certificates, dividend letters, old tax papers.
- Find what the company is called now. Companies House search is free and shows current and previous names. GOV.UK: get information about a company Companies House: find and update company information Or use our Old Shares Finder
- Find its registrar: the company that keeps the list of shareholders. Registrar contact pages
- Contact the registrar through its official site.
- Don't know which company it was? Use a free search. MoneyHelper: how to sort a problem with your bank account Gretel the Investment Association's free search portal (run with Gretel)
Then use the free finder
Type an old company name into the Old Shares Finder. It shows every name the company has had and its registrar where we have checked it.
Your situation
- Company changed its name
- Company taken over
- Dividend cheque sent to an old address
- Dividends or payments you never received
- Inherited shares
- Found an old share certificate
- Company dissolved
- Shares from a demutualised society or insurer
- Registrar letter or email: real or scam?
More
- Registrar contact pages (MUFG Corporate Markets, Computershare UK, Equiniti)
- Company name histories
- Takeover watch
- How I found £428 I didn't know I had
Watch out for scams. Never pay upfront to release money, and check any firm on the FCA register. Registrar letter or email: real or scam?
Questions
How do I find shares in my name?
Find the company, then its registrar, and ask the registrar through its official site. Each company keeps its own register of members, and larger companies employ registrars to keep it. There is no single public register of everyone's shareholdings.
Is there a free search for lost shares?
Yes. MoneyHelper lists Gretel as a free online search for investments. The Investment Association also runs a free search portal. Both are free to use.
Do I need to pay someone to find my shares?
No. The routes above are free; if anyone asks for a fee, ask what you get that the registrar won't tell you for free.
Sources
- HMRC Stamp Taxes Shares Manual: the register of members · checked 2 November 2026
- GOV.UK: get information about a company · checked 2 November 2026
- Companies House: find and update company information · checked 2 November 2026
- MoneyHelper: how to sort a problem with your bank account · checked 2 November 2026
- Gretel · checked 2 November 2026
- the Investment Association's free search portal (run with Gretel) · checked 2 November 2026
We don't give advice and we never hold or move money.