How to transfer a .com domain to another registrar

Check that the domain is ready to move

Before you start, look at three things. First, the domain should not be brand new. ICANN's published Transfer Policy lets a registrar refuse a transfer within 60 days of first registration. The same 60-day wait can apply after an earlier transfer.

Second, check the contact email on the domain. Approval messages go there, so if it is an old address you cannot open, fix it first. Third, if you recently changed the owner name on the domain, the registrar may have applied a 60-day lock.

If you are unsure what you hold, read /com-domain/ for how .com ownership works. A domain built years ago by a freelancer often sits in the developer's account. Sort that out before anything else.

• Domain older than 60 days
• Working contact email
• No recent owner change
• Renewal fees paid

Unlock the domain and get the auth code

Log in at your current registrar. Find the domain settings and switch off the transfer lock. It may be called registrar lock or clientTransferProhibited. Then request the auth code, sometimes called an EPP code or transfer code.

Treat this code like a password. Anyone holding it, plus an unlocked domain, can start a move. Do not post it in WhatsApp groups or shared documents.

If your registrar has no self-service tools, ICANN's policy says it must unlock the domain and give you the code within 5 calendar days of your request. It also cannot refuse just because of a payment dispute. If the code does not arrive, write to support and keep a copy of your request.

Start the transfer at the new registrar

Choose the new registrar and look for its transfer-in option. Enter the domain name and paste the auth code. You pay for the transfer, which includes one extra year of registration.

Check the price before paying. Registrars set their own fees, and we have not listed any here because they change. Compare the full total, including later renewals.

Then watch the email inbox on the domain. Either registrar may send an approval link. Click it promptly, because a missed email can leave the transfer waiting.

How long does it take

Once the request reaches the registry, the old registrar has 5 calendar days to reject it. If it does not, the transfer goes through by default. Some registrars let you approve at once, which can shorten the wait, but do not plan around that.

Allow up to a week and avoid moving a domain the week a big campaign or invoice depends on. Keep your website and email running at the old place until the new registrar shows the domain as active.

ICANN has been reviewing the transfer rules, so some details, such as locks and how long a code stays valid, may change. Check your new registrar's help page for the current steps.

What transfers and what does not

A transfer moves the registration, meaning who manages the domain. It does not move your website files or your mailboxes. Hosting and email usually stay where they are.

The danger is DNS. If your DNS records sit with the old registrar, copy every record to the new place first, or change the nameservers to a host you control. Otherwise your site or email can go offline mid-move.

Domain privacy services may not carry over, so check this too. Not every extension works the same way. For .pk names, see /pk-domain-transfer/, because PKNIC rules differ. If you want to buy a name someone else owns instead, see /buy-domain/.

• Moves: registration and renewal date
• Stays: website files and hosting
• Check: DNS records, email, privacy

Common questions