How to Transfer a Domain

What a Domain Transfer Is

A domain transfer moves a domain’s registration from one accredited registrar to another. It keeps the domain name, its DNS settings, and its website completely unchanged. This is different from changing nameservers or switching web hosts — a transfer only changes which company manages the registration itself.

Step-by-Step: How to Transfer a Domain

1. Confirm eligibility. A domain must be registered or last transferred more than 60 days ago (an ICANN-wide rule for most gTLDs).
2. Unlock the domain at the current (losing) registrar — domains are locked by default to prevent unauthorized transfers.
3. Disable WHOIS privacy temporarily, if the registrar requires visible contact info to process the transfer request (some don’t).
4. Get the authorization code (EPP code) from the current registrar, usually available in the domain management dashboard.
5. Start the transfer at the new (gaining) registrar, entering the domain name and authorization code.
6. Approve the transfer via a confirmation email sent to the registrant contact on file.
7. Wait out the transfer window — typically five to seven days, unless approved and expedited sooner by both registrars.
8. Re-enable WHOIS privacy at the new registrar, if it was disabled for the transfer.

Timing: How Long a Domain Transfer Takes

Most domain transfers complete within five to seven days, the standard ICANN transfer window. Many complete faster if both the losing and gaining registrar confirm quickly. The domain continues to work normally throughout. DNS, email, and the live website are untouched, since only the registrar of record changes, not the DNS configuration itself.

Record and Field Reference

The fields specific to a transfer are the authorization/EPP code (a one-time password proving ownership), the domain lock status (must be unlocked to transfer), and the registrant email (must be reachable to approve the transfer request). None of this touches the domain’s actual DNS records — those carry over unchanged unless separately edited.

Troubleshooting Domain Transfers

• Transfer rejected immediately: almost always the domain is still locked, the authorization code is wrong, or the domain doesn’t yet meet the 60-day eligibility window.
• Approval email never arrives: check the registrant contact email on file is current. It’s the only address the transfer confirmation goes to.
• Website goes down mid-transfer: shouldn’t happen from the transfer itself. If it does, check that DNS records weren’t accidentally altered during the process, separate from the transfer request.
• Registrar charges a renewal fee during transfer: standard — most transfers add a one-year renewal to the domain automatically as part of the fee.

Why Transfer a Domain At All

The most common reasons to transfer a domain are consolidating several domains at one registrar for simpler billing and renewal management, moving away from a registrar with poor support or rising prices, or bundling a domain with a new hosting provider’s account for a single unified dashboard. None of these reasons require touching the website itself. The transfer is purely an administrative move of the registration record.

Relationship to Hosting

A domain transfer is entirely independent of hosting. The website keeps running on the same server throughout, provided DNS records aren’t touched. It’s commonly confused with switching web hosts, which is a completely different process that does involve moving files and updating DNS. Domain owners sometimes do both around the same time — consolidating a domain at a new registrar while also moving hosting. Each should still be planned and verified as its own separate step.

FAQ

Will my website go offline during a domain transfer? No — a transfer only changes the registrar of record. DNS and hosting remain untouched unless deliberately changed at the same time.

How long do I have to wait before I can transfer a newly registered domain? At least 60 days from registration or the last transfer, under standard ICANN rules for most generic TLDs.

Do I need to disable domain privacy to transfer? Sometimes — a few registrars require the registrant email to be visible to process the request. Many now support transfers with privacy still enabled, though.

What’s the authorization code and where do I find it? Also called an EPP or transfer code, it’s a one-time password generated in the current registrar’s domain management dashboard. It’s required to authorize the move.