How do I transfer my domain to another registrar?

Before you start, what do I need?

1. Access to the current registrar account. The registrar is the company you pay for the domain each year. Not sure who that is? See who owns my domain, and who do I call.
2. A contact email you can read. The registrars send approval emails there.
3. A domain that’s not in redemption. ICANN says registrars can’t deny a transfer just because a domain expired, unless a previous registration period is unpaid. If the registrar has deleted the domain and it’s in redemption, it must be restored there first.
4. A copy of your DNS records. A transfer changes who bills you. It shouldn’t change where your website and email point, but a copy is your safety net.

The short version

• Unlock the domain and get the transfer code at your current registrar, then start the transfer at the new one.
• Copy your DNS records first, and approve only the transfer you started.

How do I transfer the domain?

Menu names differ between registrars. Look for the domain’s own settings page.

1. Sign in to your current registrar account and open the domain.
2. Turn off the lock. It may be called Domain lock, Registrar lock or Transfer lock. ICANN requires registrars to give you a reasonable way to remove it.
3. Request the transfer code. Look for Transfer out, Auth code, EPP code or Authorization code. Some registrars show it on screen. Others email it to the domain’s contact address. ICANN’s transfer policy says they must provide it within five calendar days of your request.
4. Keep the code private. Treat it like a key. Anyone with the code and an unlocked domain can try to move it.
5. Start the transfer at the new registrar. Enter the domain and the code, then follow their steps.
6. Approve the confirmation emails. Either registrar may email the contact address. Approve only a transfer you started.
7. Check the result. When it completes, the domain shows in your new account. Visit your website and send a test email both ways.

Expected result: the domain sits in the new account, and your DNS records are unchanged unless you moved name servers on purpose.

Why does it matter how I do it?

A transfer done in the wrong order can leave your website and email without DNS. A code sent around carelessly can let someone else move your domain. And a transfer started in a rush can hit a lock that holds it up for weeks.

What can stop a transfer?

ICANN’s FAQs for domain name holders list the main reasons:

• The domain is still locked. Turn the lock off and try again.
• A recent change of owner details. ICANN says a transfer isn’t allowed within 60 days of changing the registrant’s name, organization or email address. Some registrars let you opt out when you make the change.
• A recent registration or transfer. Registrars may refuse a transfer within 60 days of registration or the last transfer.
• A dispute or court order in progress.
• An unpaid earlier term.

ICANN has been reviewing its transfer policy, so check your registrar’s current terms for exact lock periods.

What are the common mistakes and edge cases?

• The domain has already expired. Expiry alone isn’t a reason to refuse a transfer, according to ICANN’s renewal and expiration FAQ. If it has gone into the 30-day redemption period, restoring it at the current registrar comes first.
• Changing the contact email just before a transfer. That can start the 60-day block. Ask the registrar about the opt-out before you change it.
• DNS hosted at the old registrar. Copy the records to the new place first, or your site and email could stop when the old account closes. See how do I add DNS records.
• The domain is in someone else’s name. If an old web company registered it, they need to move it to you. Read who really owns your domain.
• You may not need to transfer at all. A new website builder often only needs the domain pointed at it. Moving registrars is optional. See point another domain at my website.
• Fake transfer letters. Offers to “transfer” your domain are often scams. See is this renewal notice real.

What if this didn’t work?

• The code is rejected. Codes can expire or be mistyped. Request a fresh one and paste it.
• The registrar won’t give you the code. Ask in writing and keep a record. If they still refuse after five days, ask us to help, or, for a generic domain such as .com, raise it with ICANN. For a country-code domain, ask that country’s registry.
• You can’t get into the account. Use the registrar’s account recovery steps. They’ll check your identity, which takes time.
• The website or email stopped after the move. Check the name servers and records against your saved copy and put back anything missing.

How long does it take?

For generic domains, getting the code can take up to five calendar days; country-code domains vary. The transfer then waits on the confirmation emails, so it moves faster if someone reads the contact inbox. Exact timing varies by registrar. Plan around the 60-day locks if you’ve changed owner details recently.

How does E-3 handle this?

E-3 can guide you through a transfer or handle it with you. Before anything changes, we save the domain’s existing DNS records.

Please don’t email registrar passwords or transfer codes in plain email. Call 814-399-4655, or write to support@e3help.me without the code.

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