How to Transfer a Domain Name

A domain name transfer refers to a change of ownership of a domain name. Some of the reasons to transfer a domain are:

1. You have just sold or purchased that domain.
2. You are dissatisfied with your current registrar.
3. You need to renew a domain.

Sometimes it is cheaper to renew a domain name by paying for a transfer, then by paying the renewal fee. For example, GoDaddy domain transfers cost around $7 and include a 1 year domain
renewal. If your domain is registered with Moniker where renewals cost $10, it is cheaper to transfer to Godaddy and get the inclusive 1 year extension. You will save $3. A $3 saving per domain renewal equates to a lot of cash, especially if you own hundreds of domains.

It is important to keep in mind that registrars do not allow the transfer of domains to another registrar within a set period of time following the registration of a brand new domain name. For example Godaddy allows transfer away of a domain 60 days after an initial registration. Transferring a domain from one account to another account within the same registrar can be done at any time.

Some registrars enforce an external transfer lock on a domain for a set time period if you make any alterations to contact information. Again, up until recently Godaddy placed a 60 day transfer lock if any changes were made on contact info on a domain. This was a security feature which was implemented to help prevent domain theft.

There are two types of domain name transfers.

1. Ownership transfers within the same registrar.

The following steps summarize such a transfer at Godaddy (other registrars follow a similar procedure, check their FAQ for details ):

1. Log-in to your registrar user account.
2. Access your domain list.
3. Access the change account details / transfer domain feature (different depending on registrar).
4. Enter new owner account details, including the email / username of the new owner.
5. Complete the transfer request.

At this point, your registrar sends an email notifying both parties of the transfer initiation. The email sent to the new owner usually contains a set of security keys combined with other information related to the domain transfer.

To complete the transfer the new owner follows the steps outlined in the email sent by the registrar.

At Godaddy these steps can be summarized as follows (other registrars follow a similar set of steps, check their FAQ for details):

1. New owner logs into their registrar account.
2. New owner accesses their account pending changes screen.
3. New owner enters the domain security codes as provided in the email they received from the registrar.
4. New owner completes the transfer process.

2. Transferring a domain from one registrar to another.

This type of transfer can be summarized by the following steps:
1. Owner of domain name removes registrar lock placed against the domain name. This is done by using the "Remove lock" feature of your account's domain administration interface. Note: A registrar lock is placed by the owner of a domain name in order to prevent any attempts of transferring that domain name.
2. New owner logs into their account at their registrar.
3. New owner accesses the transfer domain screen and initiates transfer of said domain.
4. Their registrar informs the present domain owner (email retrieved via WhoIs information of domain) that a transfer has been initiated.
5. Present owner confirms transfer via their registrar account.
6. Transfer is completed.Note: Transfer may take a few hours to show up in your registrar account.

Most registrars follow a similar pattern as above, but to be sure, check their FAQs or contact them directly.

John Motson runs a domain name forum, domain name blog and has authored the popular domain name book Domaining Manifesto.