How to add a nominee on Zerodha

From WebNotes, a public knowledge base. Last updated 12 May 2026. Reading time ~6 min. Level: Beginner.

This guide explains how to add one or more nominees to a Zerodha demat and trading account through the Console back-office portal, covering the SEBI mandate on nominee registration, the details required for each nominee, and the Aadhaar e-sign process.

Step-by-step procedure

Step 1: Understand the nominee rules under SEBI

SEBI issued a circular in 2022 requiring all demat account holders to either register a nominee or explicitly opt out of nomination. Accounts that did neither were frozen for debit transactions (i.e., selling securities or making transfers was blocked, though dividend credits continued).

Key rules:

Up to three nominees may be added per demat account.
Each nominee is assigned a percentage of the total holding (allocations must sum to 100%).
A nominee is not the same as a legal heir. Nomination creates a right to receive the securities temporarily for transmission to legal heirs; it does not override the Will or inheritance laws. The nominee’s obligation is to hold the securities as trustee for the legal heirs.
For a minor nominee, a guardian must also be named.
Corporate entities (companies, firms, trusts) cannot be named as nominees. Nominees must be individual natural persons.

The Zerodha nominee process page provides the full policy and regulatory context.

Step 2: Log in to Console

Go to console.zerodha.com and log in. Click Account in the top navigation and select Profile. Scroll to the Nomination section. If no nominee is currently registered, the section will show either “No nominee added” or a SEBI freeze notice. If the account is frozen due to missing nomination, a banner at the top of Console also highlights this.

Step 3: Click Add nominee

Click the Add nominee button. A form appears with fields for the nominee’s details. If adding multiple nominees, each nominee is added separately after the first is submitted; the process can be repeated up to three times.

Step 4: Enter nominee details

Complete all fields for the nominee:

Full name: Enter the nominee’s name exactly as it appears on their government-issued ID (Aadhaar or PAN card). Abbreviations or nicknames are not recommended.
Date of birth: In DD/MM/YYYY format.
Relationship: Select from the dropdown (spouse, child, parent, sibling, other). If “other,” specify the relationship.
Address: Enter the nominee’s current residential address, including pin code.
PAN: Enter the nominee’s 10-character PAN if available. While SEBI does not make this compulsory, depository participant (CDSL or NSDL) guidelines strongly recommend it because the nominee’s PAN is used to verify identity during the transmission claim process after the account holder’s death.

If the nominee is a minor:

Tick the “Minor nominee” checkbox.
Enter the minor’s date of birth.
Enter the name, date of birth, and relationship of the guardian who will act on the minor’s behalf until the minor turns 18.

Step 5: Set the allocation percentage

Enter the percentage of the total account holdings that this nominee will receive. If only one nominee is being added, enter 100%. If multiple nominees are being added (up to three), the percentages across all nominees must sum exactly to 100%. Decimal values (e.g., 33.33%) are typically accepted.

Click Add or Save for this nominee. The nominee is shown in a pending state until the Aadhaar e-sign step is completed. Repeat Steps 3-5 for additional nominees before proceeding to e-sign.

Step 6: Review and confirm all nominees

After all nominees are entered, Console displays a summary screen listing:

Nominee names
Relationship
Allocation percentage
Guardian details (for minor nominees)

Review this summary carefully. Once e-signed, changes require a separate update process (described in how to update a nominee on Zerodha).

Step 7: Sign via Aadhaar e-sign

Click Proceed to e-sign. The nomination form is generated and presented for electronic signature.

Enter the 12-digit Aadhaar number of the account holder.
Click Request OTP.
An OTP is sent to the Aadhaar-registered mobile number.
Enter the OTP to authenticate.

The e-sign is applied to the nomination form. A confirmation screen appears, and an email confirmation is sent to the registered email address. The nominee registration is effective immediately upon successful e-sign.

If the demat account was frozen due to the absence of a nominee, the freeze is lifted automatically after the e-sign is processed, usually within one business day.

What can go wrong

Nominee is a corporate entity: Only individuals can be nominees for a demat account. Attempts to enter a company or trust name in the nominee field are not accepted. If the account holder intends to leave securities to a trust, this should be addressed through a Will rather than through nomination.
Allocation percentages do not total 100%: The form will not submit if the percentages across all nominees do not sum to exactly 100. Check each nominee’s percentage before proceeding to e-sign.
Minor nominee without guardian details: The form requires a guardian name and date of birth if any nominee is under 18. Leaving guardian fields blank causes a form validation error.
Aadhaar OTP not received: If the OTP does not arrive, check that the Aadhaar-registered mobile number is active. If it has been changed or deactivated, update the Aadhaar mobile number at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra before completing the e-sign.
Account still frozen after adding nominee: Processing the freeze removal may take up to one business day after the e-sign is completed. If the account is still frozen after 48 hours, contact Zerodha support with the nomination confirmation email.

How to update a nominee on Zerodha - Modifying an existing nominee’s details or allocation
How to opt out of nomination on Zerodha - Formally declaring that no nominee is being registered
Zerodha nominee process overview - Full regulatory context and transmission claim process
How to complete Zerodha KYC online - KYC context for account settings
How to re-KYC an existing Zerodha account - If the account requires KYC renewal alongside nominee update
Demat account overview - How securities are held and what nomination means for dematerialised assets

References

SEBI Circular on mandatory nominee registration or opt-out for demat accounts (SEBI/HO/MIRSD/MIRSD-PoD-1/P/CIR/2022/186, 25 November 2022).
CDSL Circular on demat account nomination procedures and freeze mechanism (CDSL/OPS/DP/POLCY/2022/706, December 2022).
Indian Succession Act, 1925, and the role of nominees versus legal heirs (Section 109 and related provisions).
Zerodha nominee registration page: console.zerodha.com (accessed May 2026).
SEBI Circular on protection of investors’ interest - transmission of securities (SEBI/HO/MIRSD/DOP/CIR/P/2021/72, 27 May 2021).

Reviewed and published by

WebNotes Editorial Team

The WebNotes Editorial Team covers Indian capital markets, payments infrastructure and retail investor procedures. Every article is fact-checked against primary sources, principally SEBI circulars and master directions, NPCI specifications and the official support documentation published by the intermediary in question. Drafts go through a second-pair-of-eyes review and a separate compliance read before publication, and revisions are tracked against the SEBI and NPCI rule changes referenced in the methodology section.

Last reviewed: 12 May 2026
Conflicts of interest: WebNotes is independent. No relationship with any broker, registrar or bank named in this article.

Time required	5-10 minutes
Documents needed	Nominee's PAN (recommended), nominee's date of birth, nominee's address
Cost	Free