Domain transfer checklist

Transferring a domain takes a few days and has several steps that must happen in the right order. This checklist keeps everything on track so nothing gets missed and your site stays online throughout.

Before you start

• Confirm the domain is older than 60 days. Under ICANN's Transfer Policy, a registrar is allowed to refuse a transfer during the first 60 days after the domain was registered, the first 60 days after a previous registrar transfer, and the 60-day lock that can follow a change of registrant
• Check the domain isn't about to expire. If it expires before the transfer finishes, the authorization lapses and you start over — and past the expiry date the old registrar may refuse the transfer over unpaid fees. Renew first if the date is close
• Confirm you have access to the registrant email address on file — you'll need it to approve the transfer
• Update the registrant email only if it's incorrect or inaccessible (do this at the current registrar) — changing it counts as a change of registrant, which triggers the 60-day lock above unless your registrar lets you opt out first. If you can already receive mail at that address, leave it alone until the transfer is done
• Note the current nameservers and DNS records so you can restore them if needed
• Take a screenshot or write down your DNS records as a backup

At the current registrar

• Log in to the current registrar account
• Disable the transfer lock (the domain then loses its clientTransferProhibited status; registrars call the setting domain lock or registrar lock)
• Request the EPP code (also called auth code or authorization code). Most registrars let you generate and copy it yourself; if yours doesn't, ICANN gives it five calendar days to provide the code and remove the lock once you ask
• Save the EPP code somewhere safe — you'll need it at the new registrar

See Unlocking a domain & getting the auth code for step-by-step instructions.

At the new registrar

• Create an account at the new registrar (if you don't have one)
• Find the "Transfer a domain" section
• Enter your domain name and the EPP code
• Review the transfer summary — confirm the domain name is spelled correctly
• Pay the transfer fee. For generic extensions like .com, ICANN's Transfer Policy says a completed transfer adds a year to the registration, up to a maximum unexpired term of ten years; country-code extensions follow their own registry's rule
• Complete the checkout

Approving the transfer

• Check your registrant email for an approval email from either the new or current registrar. The current registrar has to send its confirmation within 24 hours of the transfer request reaching it
• Click the approval link or follow the instructions to confirm the transfer
• Wait for confirmation. Most transfers finish inside five calendar days — that's the window the old registrar has to object, and if it says nothing at all the transfer is approved by default

After the transfer completes

• Confirm the domain now appears in your new registrar account
• Confirm the domain is no longer in the old registrar account (or is showing as transferred)
• Turn on auto-renew at the new registrar. See Turning on auto-renew
• Check WHOIS privacy is on. It's included free and applied by default at several registrars, but confirm rather than assume. See Domain privacy protection explained
• Set up two-factor authentication on the new registrar account
• Verify that your website loads correctly
• Verify that email is working (send a test email to yourself)
• Verify that your DNS records are intact (nameservers should be unchanged)
• Update any saved login details in your password manager

If something goes wrong

Related guides

• How to transfer a domain
• Unlocking a domain & getting the auth code
• Nameservers vs DNS records
• Turning on auto-renew
• Common DNS problems & fixes
• Give us access to your domain registrar