How to Transfer a Domain to a New Registrar (ICANN Rules)

Short answer

Transferring a domain means moving its registration from one registrar to another. Your website and email don’t move; they keep running as long as the DNS records come along.

You need three things: a domain that is outside the 60-day window, an unlocked domain, and the authorization code from your current registrar (also called an auth code, EPP code or transfer key). You start the transfer at the new registrar, enter the code and pay. For a .com, the new registrar adds one year to your current expiry date.

The ICANN rules in plain words

ICANN, the body that oversees domain names, sets a Transfer Policy that every accredited registrar follows. The parts that affect you:

Rule	What it means for you
60 days after registration	Your registrar may refuse a transfer within 60 days of first registering the domain.
60 days after a transfer	It may also refuse within 60 days of the last registrar transfer.
60-day change-of-registrant lock	Changing the registrant name, organization or email can lock the domain against transfer for 60 days. Some registrars let you opt out; they don’t have to.
Auth code within 5 days	Your registrar must give you the authorization code within five calendar days of your request.
Confirmation	The new registrar must confirm you want the transfer. If you don’t respond, it won’t go ahead.
Unpaid fees aren’t a reason	A registrar can’t refuse because you owe a transfer fee. It must refuse during a dispute or court order.

A change is coming, but not yet. In March 2025, ICANN’s policy council approved a revised Transfer Policy. It would replace today’s 60-day locks with a standard 720-hour (30-day) lock after registration and after a transfer, and drop the lock after contact changes. As of our sources, it was waiting on ICANN Board approval and an implementation period, with no effective date set. Until your registrar says otherwise, plan around the 60-day rules above.

Step-by-step

1. Check the dates. Look up when the domain was registered or last transferred. If it is under 60 days, wait. Also check that the domain isn’t about to expire; renew it first if it is close.

2. Don’t change the owner details yet. If you need to update the registrant name or email, ask your registrar whether it will trigger the 60-day lock. If it might, transfer first and update afterward.

3. Copy your DNS records. In your current registrar’s DNS settings, write down or export every record: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT and any others. MX and TXT records run your email and its security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC; see business email on your own domain).

4. Set up DNS at the new registrar, if needed. Some registrars copy records for you. Cloudflare requires the domain to be active on its DNS before you can enter the code, and its automatic scan may miss records, so check them by hand.

5. Turn off DNSSEC at the current registrar if it is on. Cloudflare recommends waiting at least 24 hours after that before changing nameservers.

6. Unlock the domain. Find the “domain lock”, “registrar lock” or “transfer lock” setting and turn it off.

7. Request the authorization code. Get it when you’re ready to use it; codes are usually valid for a limited time.

8. Start the transfer at the new registrar. Search for the domain on its transfer page, enter the code and pay. Confirm your contact details.

9. Approve the transfer. Your current registrar will usually email you. Approving it speeds things up; GoDaddy says it can finish in as little as 15 minutes when the release is approved manually. Otherwise it completes automatically, typically in 5 to 7 days.

10. Check everything afterward. Visit your website, send and receive a test email, then turn the domain lock back on, turn on auto-renew, and re-enable DNSSEC if you use it.

What it costs

Most .com transfers cost about the same as a year’s renewal at the new registrar, because that’s what you’re buying: one extra year. The time already paid for carries over. Some registrars run transfer offers; GoDaddy, for example, offers a $0.01 first year on a .com transfer when you buy three years, then charges $22.99 for each additional year, as of October 2026. Compare the renewal price you’ll pay after any offer.

The .com registry raises its wholesale price on November 1, 2026, from $10.26 to $10.97 a year, so transfer prices at most registrars will tick up. For a full comparison, see best domain registrar and GoDaddy alternatives.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the email records. The website comes back, but email quietly stops. Always copy MX and TXT records before the switch.

Transferring right after a contact change. It can lock the domain for 60 days. Do the transfer first.

Waiting until the last week before expiry. Transfers can take up to 10 days. Renew first if the deadline is close; the transfer still adds a year on top.

Using an old contact email. The approval email goes to the registrant address. If that inbox is dead, the transfer stalls.

Assuming the host moves too. Transferring the domain doesn’t move your website files or mailboxes. Moving hosts is a separate job; see best web hosting for small business.

Leaving DNSSEC on. It can break the site during the switch if the new DNS isn’t signed the same way.

When to get help

Get help if the domain is registered to a former employee, designer or partner; if you can’t get into the old registrar account; or if your site and email both depend on records you don’t understand. A missed record usually means a few hours of downtime, not lost data, but it’s avoidable. Our 5 security tips for your website also cover locking things down once the move is done.

If you’d rather not touch DNS, we can get it set up and move the domain for you.

Questions people ask

How long does a domain transfer take?

Usually 5 to 7 days. If your current registrar lets you approve the release yourself, it can finish the same day. Cloudflare says to allow up to 10 days depending on the losing registrar.

Why can’t I transfer my domain yet?

The most common reason is the 60-day rule. Registrars may deny a transfer within 60 days of registration or a previous transfer, and a change of registrant (name, organization or email) can trigger a 60-day lock. The domain may also still be locked, or the authorization code may have expired.

Does transferring a domain cost money?

Usually yes, but you aren’t paying for nothing. For .com and most other common endings, the transfer fee buys one more year of registration, added to your current expiry date. Some registrars run first-year transfer offers, so compare the renewal price too.

Will my email stop working during a transfer?

It shouldn’t. Email depends on your DNS records, not on which registrar holds the domain. Copy every record, especially MX and TXT, to the new registrar’s DNS before the transfer completes.

Can I transfer an expired domain?

ICANN says you have the right to transfer an expired domain, and a registrar can’t deny it just for non-renewal. If the domain is in the redemption period, it must be restored at the current registrar first. Cloudflare asks you to wait 45 days after the original expiry date if the domain was renewed after expiring.

Sources

• FAQs for Registrants – Transferring Your Domain Name (ICANN)
• 5 Things Every Domain Name Registrant Should Know About ICANN’s Transfer Policy
• Transfer your domain to Cloudflare – Cloudflare Registrar docs
• Domain Transfer (GoDaddy)
• ICANN Transfer Policy updates (NameSilo)
• How will proposed changes to ICANN’s Transfer Policy affect domain owners? (Safenames)
• Transfer Policy changes (Domain Incite)
• .com price increase 2026 (TLDES)