Understanding and Completing a Stock Certificate: A Step-by-Step Guide

A stock certificate is preprinted on the front with the name and address of the company issuing the stock. If you have a stock certificate, there are only a couple of instances that require you to fill it out--when you are selling or transferring your shares or you need to change to your personal information.

Step 1

Enter the shareholder's name and address on the back of the certificate. If it is held jointly, include each shareholder's information.

Step 2

List the tax ID number of each shareholder. For individuals, this is a Social Security number. For a business, it is the employee identification number issued by the Internal Revenue Service.

Step 3

Sign the back of the stock certificate after filling out the changes.