A registrar transfer moves the registration account for a domain from one registrar to another. It does not automatically move your website hosting, email mailbox, files, or DNS service. The safest transfer is planned as an ownership-and-continuity project, not just a checkout transaction.
The exact screens vary by registrar and domain extension. The rules below describe the ICANN-accredited registrar process for common generic top-level domains; country-code domains and some registry policies can differ.
Before you start
Confirm all of these before paying the new registrar:
- You are the registered name holder or explicitly authorized to act for that holder.
- The domain is not within the first 60 days after initial registration or a previous registrar transfer.
- A recent change to the registrant name, organization, or relevant email has not created a 60-day Change of Registrant lock.
- The domain is not subject to a court order, UDRP/TDRP/URS proceeding, or another registry restriction.
- You can receive messages at the transfer contact address, or you understand the registrar's current approval process.
- Your payment, renewal, DNS, and hosting backups are ready.
ICANN transfer-policy overview
The transfer process
1. Record DNS and renewal details
Export or copy the current DNS records, nameservers, MX records, verification records, redirects, and subdomain entries. Record the expiration date, auto-renewal setting, registrar support contact, and any privacy or forwarding services. A registrar transfer normally leaves nameservers in place, but you should have a record before changing providers.
2. Check and remove the registrar lock
The current registrar may label this “Registrar Lock,” “Client Transfer Prohibited,” or something similar. ICANN requires an accessible way for the registered name holder to remove the lock. If the interface does not offer one, contact the registrar and keep the ticket number.
ICANN guidance on locked domains
3. Request the AuthInfo code
The AuthInfo code—also called an authorization, transfer, or EPP code—helps the gaining registrar confirm that the request is authorized. A registrar may let you generate it or provide it through support. ICANN says the code must be provided within five calendar days of a valid request.
Never paste an AuthInfo code into an unsolicited email or share it publicly. Treat it like a temporary credential.
4. Start the transfer at the new registrar
Enter the exact domain name and AuthInfo code at the gaining registrar. Check the extension, renewal term, privacy inclusion, taxes, registry fee, and renewal price before completing payment. A transfer fee commonly includes a one-year extension for extensions that follow that registry rule, but the term and exceptions are registrar- and extension-specific—verify the checkout summary instead of assuming.
5. Approve and monitor the request
The registrant or transfer contact may receive an authorization or confirmation message. Follow only the confirmation link you expect and verify the domain name in the message. The losing registrar can also send a transfer notice or objection workflow. A transfer may complete automatically after the policy window if no valid objection is made, but timing varies; do not promise a universal “one week.”
If a transfer is denied, the registrar must provide a reason in the circumstances covered by ICANN policy. Keep the denial, dates, and support records before retrying.
Will the website or email go down?
Usually, a registrar transfer does not move hosting or rewrite DNS records. The risk comes from accidentally changing nameservers, failing to copy records, letting the domain expire, or losing access to email used for approvals and password resets.
Before starting:
- Screenshot or export the DNS zone.
- Confirm the current nameservers and MX records.
- Verify that the hosting account and mailbox accounts are independent of the old registrar login.
- Avoid changing nameservers and registrant contact details during the transfer unless necessary.
- Test the website, HTTPS, mail delivery, and important subdomains after completion.
The 60-day locks people confuse
There are several distinct restrictions:
- A domain may be ineligible during the first 60 days after initial registration.
- A domain may be ineligible during the first 60 days after a previous registrar transfer.
- A change to registrant name, organization, or relevant email generally triggers a 60-day Change of Registrant lock, although the registrar may offer an opt-out before the change.
- A registrar lock is a separate security status that the registered name holder can normally remove.
If your plan is both to change the owner information and transfer the domain, the order matters. ICANN specifically advises transferring first when appropriate to avoid creating a new 60-day lock.
ICANN Change of Registrant guidance
Costs and renewal math
Compare the full cost, not just the transfer promotion:
- Transfer price and any registry or ICANN fee shown at checkout.
- Whether the transfer adds a year for that extension.
- The renewal price after the first term.
- Privacy, DNS, forwarding, email, and premium-support charges.
- Redemption or restore costs if the domain expires.
- Taxes and currency conversion.
Registrars such as Cloudflare, Porkbun, and Namecheap have different pricing and service models. Their current checkout pages—not a generic recommendation—should decide the final cost for your extension.
Common failure points
- The domain is locked or inside a 60-day eligibility window.
- The AuthInfo code is stale, mistyped, or requested from the wrong registrar.
- The transfer email goes to an inaccessible address.
- Contact information is changed immediately before transfer, triggering a lock.
- The owner assumes hosting or email moves with the registration.
- Auto-renewal is left active at both registrars without checking the expiration date.
- A transfer is started close to expiration without enough time to resolve a denial or payment issue.
Frequently asked questions
Can I transfer a locked domain?
Not while the registrar lock remains in place. Remove the lock through the current registrar or support process, unless a separate policy or legal restriction prevents the transfer.
Can I transfer an expired domain?
Do not assume so. An expired domain may enter a renewal or redemption period and may be ineligible for transfer. Check the current registrar and registry status immediately; renewing before transfer is often the safer path.
Does a transfer change my nameservers?
Usually no, but confirm the gaining registrar's process and preserve the current DNS records. Do not change nameservers casually during a live website or email migration.
How long does a transfer take?
It depends on the extension, registrar, approvals, and whether the losing registrar releases it early. ICANN policy defines the process and denial conditions, but it does not make every transfer finish in one universal number of days.
Bottom line
The safe order is: document DNS and expiration, check eligibility, remove the registrar lock, request the AuthInfo code, start the transfer, approve expected messages, and test every website and email function afterward. Preserve the domain owner's access and avoid changing registrant details right before a transfer. Choose the new registrar only after comparing the actual transfer term, renewal price, privacy, DNS tools, and support—not a temporary headline promotion.