Domain Registrar Transfer

Registered domain holders have the right to move their domain name registrations to other registrars, with some exceptions. For generic top-level domains such as .com, ICANN-accredited registrars must follow ICANN's Transfer Policy, which relies on the registered name holder's express authorization. Country-code domains follow their own registry rules.

How the transfer request starts

Before starting, remove the transfer lock at your current registrar. ICANN requires registrars to give name holders a readily accessible and reasonable way to remove the lock status. Then request the authorization code, also called the AuthInfo, EPP or transfer code. ICANN describes it as a unique code that identifies the domain name holder and helps prevent unauthorized transfers, and your registrar must provide it within five calendar days of your request.

Next, contact the registrar to which the name will move, known as the gaining registrar, and enter the code there. The gaining registrar must confirm your intent to transfer using ICANN's standardized form, which usually arrives as an email to the registrant's address, so make sure that address is current and that you can receive mail at it. Registrar dashboards and their menu labels differ and can change over time.

A completed transfer adds one year to the existing registration, and the unused time is kept, provided the total unexpired term does not exceed ten years. Once submitted, Cloudflare's documentation notes that most registrars process a transfer within five business days, though the whole move can take longer depending on the registrar.

A transfer changes who registers the domain, not the nameservers listed for it. If the old registrar also hosts your DNS records, copy them to a DNS host that will keep serving them before you start, so the site and email keep working.

The locks that stop or delay a transfer

Under the Transfer Policy as published, a registrar may deny a transfer within 60 days of the domain's initial registration or within 60 days of a previous registrar transfer. A separate 60-day lock follows a Change of Registrant, meaning a material change to the registrant's name, organization or email address, unless the registrant opted out before the change. ICANN's Transfer Policy Review working group has recommended changes to these rules, so check the current policy text before planning around exact periods.

Registrars may also deny a transfer for these reasons:

• evidence of fraud, or a reasonable dispute over the registrant's identity;
• unpaid fees for a previous or current registration period;
• the registrant's express written objection;
• the domain is still locked and the registrant was given a way to unlock it.

A registrar must deny the transfer if the domain is subject to a UDRP, URS or TDRP proceeding, a court order, or the 60-day Change of Registrant lock. In practice, many failures come from a lock that is still on, a wrong or expired authorization code, or a confirmation email that went to an outdated address.

What to do when a transfer is denied

If a transfer is denied, first ask the current registrar for the reason and fix what you can: unlock the name, request a fresh code, update the contact email or pay any outstanding fees. If you still believe the request was denied inappropriately, ICANN tells registrants to submit a formal Transfer Complaint with ICANN. Registrars themselves can also bring disputes under the Transfer Dispute Resolution Policy (TDRP). Until the transfer is complete, avoid changing registrant details at the current registrar, since that can trigger the Change of Registrant lock.