What is a stock certificate?

A stock certificate is a document that represents a shareholder's ownership in a company. A stock certificate will include information such as the certificate number, the amount of shares issued, the par value, and any applicable transfer restrictions.

Can more than one person own the same stock?

Yes. If the certificate is being issued to more than one person or business entity shareholders, then the first paragraph will identify the type of joint ownership. The three main types of joint ownership for stocks are tenancy in common, joint tenancy, and community property ownership. A tenancy in common is an interest in property held by two or more people that all own an undivided interest as to the whole property; however, these interests do not have to be in equal shares. Also, the tenants in common do not have rights of survivorship. This means that when one dies, that person's share in the property goes to his or her named heirs or beneficiaries. A joint tenancy is an interest in property held by two or more people that all own equal interests, and each joint tenant has a right of survivorship. "Community property" ownership occurs where the stock is being acquired by both spouses during marriage while living in a community property state. The community property states are Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. Spouses living in Alaska may choose to opt in to community property ownership during marriage.

What is a stock's "par value"?

Par value is the nominal value, or face value, of the stock and helps determine the value of the shares at a later date. Most corporations start out by issuing stock with nominal or little par value—for instance, $0.01 or $0.001 per share—and the worth of the shares will increase as the company grows.

Does stock need to be assigned a par value?

No. Not all stock has a par value. The par value of a corporation's stock is normally specified in the company's articles of incorporation (known in some states as the certificate of incorporation). If no par value is stated in that document, then your certificate should reflect this, stating "no par value."

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Allows for multiple people to own a stock

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Gather Information

As you complete your stock certificate, you will need to provide certain information related to your stock certificate, such as the company's state of incorporation, the number of shares being issued, the type of stock being issued, the par value of the stock, the name of recipients, the titles of any documents detailing transfer restrictions on the shares, and the names of those signing on behalf of the company.

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Use the information you collected to complete the stock certificate. We make this easy by guiding you each step of the way and helping you to customize your document to match your specific needs. The questions and information we present to you dynamically change depending on your answers and the state selected.

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Review and Sign

It is always important to read your document thoroughly to ensure it matches your needs and is free of errors and omissions. After completing the questionnaire, you can make textual changes to your document by downloading it in Microsoft Word. If no changes are needed, you can simply download the PDF version and sign. In addition to the shareholders transferring their shares, an officer of the corporation should sign as a witness to the transfer.

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