Share transfer processing is the administrative work of moving the registered ownership of shares from one person to another. It is carried out by the company's registrar or transfer agent, which receives the transfer request, checks it and amends the share register. For shares held in certificated form, the request is a signed transfer form sent in with the old certificate. The registrar confirms that the seller is the registered holder, that the signature and any required tax stamp are in order, and that no restriction blocks the transfer, then cancels the old entry and issues a new certificate.
For book-entry securities, transfers that result from market trades settle in the depository and reach the register electronically. Manual processing remains for an off-market transfer such as a gift, an inheritance or a move between a nominee and a named holder. The task is a core part of registrar services.