How to Transfer a Domain Name: Step-by-Step Guide

What a Domain Transfer Is (and Is Not)

A domain transfer moves administrative control of your domain from one accredited registrar to another. Your domain name, DNS records, and the website and email those records point to are not affected by the transfer itself — everything continues running normally while the administrative change processes in the background.

Transferring a domain is separate from:

• Moving your website to a new host — this is a separate process involving files and databases, not the domain record
• Changing your nameservers or DNS records — you can do this at any registrar without transferring
• Renewing your domain — though a transfer does add one year to the registration period per ICANN policy

The 60-Day Lock: When You Cannot Transfer

ICANN's Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy imposes a mandatory 60-day lock period during which a domain cannot be transferred. This lock activates after:

• Initial domain registration (a freshly registered domain cannot be transferred for 60 days)
• A completed transfer from one registrar to another (the 60-day clock resets)
• A change to the domain's registrant contact information at some registrars

The 60-day lock is absolute for gTLDs (.com, .net, .org, and others) — no registrar can override it. If your domain is within its 60-day lock window, you must wait until the lock expires before initiating a transfer. Check the registration date or transfer date in your registrar's account portal to determine when the lock lifts.

Note: As of May 2026, ICANN's Board had approved recommendations to revise the transfer policy — including potential changes to the 60-day lock — but final implementation and registrar compliance timelines were still pending. Check ICANN's current published transfer policy at icann.org for the most current rules before initiating a transfer.

Before You Start: Checklist at the Current Registrar

Complete all of these steps at your current registrar before initiating a transfer at the new registrar. Skipping any of them will cause the transfer to fail or be delayed.

1. Verify the domain is not in a lock period. Check the registration date and confirm 60 days have passed since registration or the last transfer.
2. Unlock the domain. Every domain has a "registrar lock" (also called a transfer lock or domain lock) that prevents unauthorized transfers. You must disable this lock through your registrar's domain management interface before a transfer can proceed. In most registrar portals this is a toggle or checkbox labeled "Transfer Lock" or "Domain Lock."
3. Verify the registrant email address is accurate and accessible. ICANN's transfer process sends confirmation emails to the registrant email address on file. If that email address is outdated or inaccessible, update it first — and note that changing registrant contact information at some registrars resets the 60-day lock.
4. Obtain the Authorization Code (also called EPP code or TAC — Transfer Authorization Code). This is a unique alphanumeric string that proves you are authorized to transfer the domain. It is generated by and retrieved from your current registrar. In most registrar portals, there is a "Get EPP Code" or "Authorization Code" option in domain management. At GoDaddy, this is under Domain Settings. At Namecheap, it is under Domain List → Manage → Transfer Out.
5. Confirm the domain is not set to expire within 7 days. Transfers cannot complete on a domain that is about to expire or already expired. Renew if necessary before initiating a transfer.

Step-by-Step: The Transfer Process

1. At the new registrar: Go to the domain transfer section and enter your domain name. The new registrar will check availability for transfer and prompt you for the Authorization Code.
2. Enter the Authorization Code obtained from your current registrar. The new registrar validates it.
3. Pay the transfer fee. Domain transfers typically cost the equivalent of one year's registration at the new registrar. This fee covers the first renewal year — you are not paying to transfer; you are paying for the additional year ICANN policy adds to your registration period.
4. Respond to confirmation emails. The registrant email address on file will receive confirmation emails from both the old registrar and ICANN. Approve the transfer when prompted. Ignoring these emails causes the transfer to proceed by default after 5 days, but actively approving accelerates the process.
5. Wait for completion. ICANN policy gives the losing registrar up to 5 days to object or release the domain. Most transfers complete within 5–7 calendar days. During this period, your website and email continue running normally — the DNS records have not changed.
6. Verify completion. Once the transfer completes, log into your new registrar and confirm the domain appears in your account with the correct expiration date (one year further out than before the transfer).

Your DNS Records During Transfer

A common point of confusion: transferring a domain does not change its DNS records or nameservers. During and after the transfer, your domain continues pointing to the same nameservers it pointed to before — which means your website and email remain online throughout the process.

After the transfer completes, if you want to move DNS management to the new registrar (to use their nameservers instead of your old registrar's), you update the nameserver settings at the new registrar. This is an optional step — many people transfer a domain but continue using the old registrar's or their hosting provider's nameservers indefinitely.

Email During a Domain Transfer

If your email runs through your domain (you@yourdomain.com), the email service is determined by your domain's MX records — not by which registrar holds the domain. Since your DNS records do not change during a transfer, your email continues working normally throughout the entire process.

The only email-related risk during a transfer is if your registrant email address is no longer accessible and you miss confirmation messages. This can cause the transfer to stall. Ensure the registrant email is current before starting.

WHOIS Privacy and Transfers

WHOIS is a public database that displays the contact information of domain registrants — name, address, phone number, and email. Domain privacy (also called WHOIS privacy or privacy protection) replaces your personal contact information in the WHOIS record with proxy contact details from the registrar, keeping your personal information out of the public record.

Most registrars offer WHOIS privacy either free or for a small annual fee. When you transfer a domain, the privacy setting is typically not automatically transferred — you may need to re-enable it at the new registrar after the transfer completes. Check your domain's WHOIS record after transfer to confirm your personal contact information is not being exposed.

For EU registrants, GDPR significantly restricts what WHOIS data is publicly displayed for domains registered by individuals. The practical effect is that personal contact data for EU registrants may already be redacted in public WHOIS by the registrar's GDPR compliance procedures, independent of a privacy service. Check your specific registrar's policy on this.

Transferring Country-Code Domains

The transfer process described above applies to generic TLDs (.com, .net, .org, and others governed by ICANN's Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy). Country-code TLDs (.uk, .de, .io, .co, .ca, etc.) are governed by their respective registry administrators and have different transfer procedures. Some ccTLDs do not support registrar-to-registrar transfers at all — they use a change-of-tag or change-of-registrant process instead. If you are transferring a country-code domain, check the specific registry's transfer documentation before starting.