How to Transfer a Domain to a New Registrar

Maybe your current registrar raised its renewal prices. Maybe you're consolidating ten domains scattered across four accounts. Or maybe support has been useless one time too many. Whatever the reason, moving a domain to a new registrar is a routine, well-regulated process — ICANN sets the rules, and every accredited registrar has to follow them.

This guide walks you through the exact steps, what each one does, how long the whole thing takes, what it costs, and how to fix it when something goes wrong. If you want a printable version to tick off as you go, our domain transfer checklist covers the same ground in checklist form.

The Quick Answer: 5 Steps, Up to 5 Days

Here's the whole process in miniature:

1. Unlock the domain at your current (losing) registrar.
2. Get your EPP code (also called auth code or transfer code) from them.
3. Start the transfer at the new (gaining) registrar and enter the code.
4. Approve it via the confirmation email sent to the registrant address.
5. Wait — the registry completes the transfer, usually within 5 days.

That's the shape of it. The rest of this article explains each step in detail, because steps 1–2 are where nearly every failed transfer goes wrong.

Before You Start: 4 Requirements You Must Meet

ICANN's Transfer Policy sets hard conditions. If any of these aren't met, the transfer will be refused — so check them first and save yourself a week of back-and-forth.

1. The 60-day rule (new registrations and recent transfers)

You cannot transfer a domain if:

• it was registered less than 60 days ago, or
• it was transferred to its current registrar less than 60 days ago.

This is ICANN policy, not your registrar being difficult — no accredited registrar can waive it. (A long-running ICANN policy review has proposed shortening these locks to 30 days, but as of now the 60-day rule stands, so plan around it.)

What to do: check the domain's creation date with a lookup at lookup.icann.org. If you're inside the 60-day window, there's no workaround — mark the date the window ends and come back then.

2. The domain is unlocked (no transfer lock)

Registrars protect domains with a transfer lock (technically the clientTransferProhibited status). While the lock is on, the registry simply refuses any transfer request — this is the single most common reason transfers fail.

The lock is there for your safety: it stops anyone from yanking your domain away without your say-so. You remove it yourself in your current registrar's control panel, usually under "Domain Lock," "Transfer Lock," or in the domain's settings page. ICANN requires registrars to give you a reasonably accessible way to remove it.

3. You can access the registrant email address

Transfer confirmations go to the registrant contact email on file for the domain. If that inbox is an old work address you lost access to three jobs ago, the approval email will vanish into the void and the transfer will stall.

Before starting: log in to your current registrar, open the domain's contact details, and make sure the registrant email is one you can actually open right now. Update it if needed — but note that some registrars impose their own waiting period after contact changes, so do this a few days before you plan to transfer, not the same afternoon.

4. The domain isn't in dispute, on hold, or unpaid

A registrar may legitimately refuse a transfer when there is evidence of fraud, an active UDRP (domain dispute) case, a court order, or unpaid registration fees with the domain placed on hold. An expired domain sitting in grace period can usually still transfer, but one deep in redemption may not — and sorting out payment disputes with the losing registrar first is always faster than fighting the denial.

Step-by-Step: How to Transfer Your Domain

With the four requirements confirmed, here's the process in full.

Step 1 — Unlock the domain at your current registrar

Log in to your current registrar (the one you're leaving). Find the domain in your dashboard, open its settings, and turn off the transfer lock / domain lock. The status should change from clientTransferProhibited to ok — you can verify this with an ICANN lookup.

Keep the tab open; you'll need the same control panel for step 2.

Step 2 — Get your EPP / auth code

The EPP code (also called auth code, AuthInfo code, or transfer code) is the password that proves you're entitled to move the domain. The gaining registrar can't pull your domain on paperwork alone — the code is what authorizes it.

Where to find it: in your current registrar's control panel, look for "Get EPP code," "Transfer out," "AuthInfo," or "Request transfer code." Unlock the domain first — some panels won't show the code while the lock is on.

Two things to know about the code:

• It's time-limited. Under ICANN's current rules the default validity is 14 days for gTLDs (some country-code extensions differ — .de allows up to 30 days, .eu 40 days). Request it close to when you'll actually use it; don't fetch it "for later."
• Your registrar must give it to you. ICANN requires registrars to provide the code within 5 days of your request (120 hours under the newest policy wording), and they may not withhold it over a billing dispute. If the panel doesn't expose it, ask support in writing and hold them to the window.

Treat the code like a password: don't post it publicly or forward it through channels you don't trust.

Step 3 — Start the transfer at the new registrar

Now switch to the new registrar. Find their transfer page — on XYZREG's homepage, it's the Transfer tab next to the domain search. Enter your domain name and paste in the EPP code when asked.

The gaining registrar will show you the transfer terms before you confirm: this is where you'll see the price (more on costs below) and the acknowledgment that one year gets added to your registration. Complete the checkout for the transfer order.

Step 4 — Approve the transfer (watch your inbox)

After you submit, the gaining registrar sends a confirmation to the registrant email address. This is the Form of Authorization step — you must actively confirm you want the transfer to proceed, usually by clicking a link or replying.

This email is the #1 place transfers die. It can land in spam, go to an outdated address, or sit unopened while the request expires. The moment you submit the transfer, go check that inbox (and the spam folder). Approve it the same day.

Under the newest ICANN policy wording, the old losing-registrar approval step is gone — the transfer begins when you, the holder, submit the auth code and confirm. Either way, your prompt approval is what keeps things moving.

Step 5 — Wait for completion

Once approved, the request goes to the registry, which processes it. The losing registrar has a window to object (only on the narrow grounds ICANN allows — fraud, disputes, non-payment), and if nobody objects, the transfer completes automatically.

You don't need to do anything during this wait. Both registrars will email you when it's done. Don't try to change nameservers, contacts, or DNS in the middle of a transfer — wait until it's complete to avoid confusing either side.

How Long Does a Domain Transfer Take?

Typically 5 days or less, often faster. ICANN's policy gives the process up to five calendar days from initiation, and many transfers complete in 1–3 days once approved. The biggest variable isn't the registry — it's you: unlocking the domain, fetching the code, and approving the email promptly can easily shave days off the total.

Delays almost always trace back to one of these: the approval email sat unopened, the EPP code expired (remember the 14-day default), the domain was still locked, or the 60-day rule applied and nobody checked first.

What Does a Domain Transfer Cost?

Transferring isn't free, but you're not really paying a "transfer fee" — ICANN requires the transfer to include a one-year renewal, extending your registration by one year from its current expiry date. So the price you pay at the gaining registrar is effectively one year of registration at their rate.

A few exceptions worth knowing:

• Some country-code registries handle this differently (for example, transferring a .uk domain does not add a year).
• If the transfer completes within about 45 days of expiry, the extra year may not be added — that's the registry's call.
• If the domain already has close to the maximum registration term (ten years), a full year may not be added.

Compare the renewal price, not just the transfer price. A registrar advertising a cheap transfer but expensive renewals will cost you more in year two. Look at the standard renewal rate for your TLD before you commit — it's the number that matters long-term.

What Happens to Your Website and Email During the Transfer?

This surprises people, so let's be clear: a registrar transfer does not touch your DNS, nameservers, website, or email. The transfer changes which company bills you and manages the registration — it does not move your hosting, alter your DNS records, or interrupt your site.

Your website stays up and your email keeps flowing throughout, provided you don't change anything else at the same time. The practical advice:

• Don't switch nameservers mid-transfer. If you're also moving DNS (say, to the new registrar's nameservers), do it after the transfer completes.
• Don't let the domain expire mid-transfer. A transfer in progress doesn't pause the expiry clock. If expiry is near, renew first, transfer after.
• Keep both accounts accessible until you get the completion emails from both sides.

When a Transfer Fails: Common Reasons and Fixes

If your transfer gets rejected or stalls, it's almost certainly one of these. Work through them in order:

Wrong or expired EPP code

The single most common failure. Codes are case-sensitive, easy to mistype, and expire (default 14 days for gTLDs). Fix: generate a fresh code at the losing registrar and re-enter it carefully — copy/paste, don't retype.

Domain is still locked

If clientTransferProhibited is still set, the registry rejects the transfer outright. Fix: turn the lock off at the losing registrar, verify the status with an ICANN lookup, then restart the transfer.

The 60-day rule is blocking you

Registered or transferred within the last 60 days? Nothing to fix — it's ICANN policy. Fix: wait out the window. Check the creation date at lookup.icann.org to know exactly when you're eligible.

You missed the approval email

The confirmation went to the registrant address and expired unanswered. Fix: confirm the registrant email is one you control, check spam, and ask the gaining registrar to resend the authorization.

Privacy protection hid the right contact

WHOIS privacy can sometimes interfere with the confirmation flow at registrars that rely on public contact data. Fix: temporarily disable privacy protection at the losing registrar, complete the transfer, then re-enable it at the new one.

If none of these apply and your losing registrar is stonewalling — refusing the code, inventing requirements, or ignoring requests — document everything with dates and file a transfer complaint with ICANN Contractual Compliance. Registrars that withhold valid codes face real enforcement.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to transfer a domain to a new registrar?

Up to 5 calendar days under ICANN policy, often 1–3 days once you've approved the confirmation email. Most of the real-world delay comes from slow approvals, expired EPP codes, or locked domains — handle those promptly and the registry side is quick.

Will my website go down during a domain transfer?

No. A registrar transfer changes who manages your registration and billing — it doesn't touch your DNS, nameservers, hosting, or email. Your site stays up throughout, as long as you don't change nameservers or let the domain expire mid-transfer.

Do I need an EPP code to transfer my domain?

For virtually all gTLDs (.com, .net, .org, etc.), yes — ICANN requires it. The code proves you're the legitimate holder. Get it from your current registrar's control panel after unlocking the domain; they're required to provide it within 5 days of your request.

Why was my domain transfer rejected?

The most common reasons: the domain is still locked, the EPP code was wrong or expired, the domain is within 60 days of registration or a previous transfer, or the approval email went unanswered. Less common: fraud flags, active disputes, or unpaid fees with the domain on hold. Work through the fixes above in order.

Does transferring a domain extend its registration?

Yes — ICANN requires a transfer to include a one-year renewal added to the current expiry date (with narrow exceptions, like .uk domains or transfers completed very close to expiry). The price you pay the gaining registrar covers that year.

Can I transfer a domain that's about to expire?

You can try, but it's risky: the expiry clock doesn't pause during a transfer, and if the domain lapses mid-process things get messy. The safer move is to renew with the current registrar first, then transfer — you'll still get the extra year from the transfer added on top.

Ready to move your domain? Head to XYZREG's homepage, open the Transfer tab, and enter your domain and EPP code — the request starts in under two minutes. And if you want the condensed version of everything above, our domain transfer checklist walks through the same steps in tick-box form.