Demat account nomination: add, update or opt out

Use the current SEBI nomination framework

The 29 May 2026 SEBI circular, effective 1 September 2026, replaces earlier nomination circulars. Up to three nominees are allowed. New single-holder accounts need nomination or formal opt-out; joint nomination is optional, with all holders consenting to additions/changes.

The form requires name, relationship and a minor nominee’s birth date. Contact, identifier, allocation and guardian fields are optional. Ask for the current form if older help text requires those optional details.

Find your DP’s official update channel

Start from your broker’s own website or account app, identify the DP and open its nomination help. Check whether you are adding the first nominee, changing an existing record, cancelling it or opting out. These can use different forms. Confirm the account and holder type before proceeding.

For example, Zerodha’s addition help uses Console → Account → Nominees → Add nominee and Aadhaar-linked mobile authentication. It directs joint holders or users without an Aadhaar-linked mobile to its offline route. This is one broker’s navigation, not a universal app path.

NSDL’s official e-services page also links Update Nomination in Demat account. Follow the relevant official channel and eligibility checks. An instruction on KYB does not confirm that a feature is enabled for your account.

Submit, change or cancel the record

SEBI permits online/offline nomination and repeated changes/cancellation, with acknowledgment. Online validation uses digital signature, recognized e-sign or specified two-factor authentication. Wet signatures need no witness; thumb impressions need two.

Use your DP’s current forms and confirmation process. Compare names with the intended person’s records before submission; read the declaration you are actually signing. Keep account identifiers, signatures, documents and codes in the official flow. KYB does not ask you to enter or upload them.

For an existing Zerodha record, its change/removal help describes account-modification and nomination/opt-out forms, wet signatures, e-sign and a support ticket. Recheck the live instructions for your account; this guide does not publish a universal processing deadline or fee.

Check the acknowledgment and subsequent record

Save the acknowledgment and confirm the resulting nomination or opt-out record through your DP. Periodic statements show nominee names or nomination Yes/No according to your choice. Check for a pending request rather than assuming an uploaded form has already changed the record.

If the statement differs from the confirmation, contact the DP through its official support channel with the request reference. Avoid emailing sensitive forms to an address copied from an unsolicited message. A regular reminder to review nomination is not itself confirmation that an update failed.

Review each account when your circumstances change

Keep a private list of the demat accounts you use and the acknowledgment for each. When moving brokers, check the destination account’s nomination separately; a holdings transfer is not a reason to assume the same nomination appears there. See the demat transfer checklist.

Review the intended people and contact records after a material personal change. Tell a trusted person how to locate the account and official DP contact without sharing login credentials or OTPs. This practical record checklist is not a statement about inheritance entitlement.

If the account holder has died, ask the DP for its transmission procedure and supporting documents. Adding a nominee during the holder’s lifetime, transferring holdings and claiming after death are separate processes. Seek professional advice for estate or legal questions; this page stays within demat-account operations.