Transfers - OUTGOING Domain Transfers: How to Initiate a Transfer

Modified on Fri, 13 Sep at 5:33 AM

Answer ID 234

How do I transfer a domain name to another registrar?

Note: if you need to change the DNS servers, change the email, or switch the website, this can be done without transferring the domain to a new registrar. For information about making these changes, you can refer to these articles:

Also, please let us know if you have any questions. We're always glad to help!

Transfer Requirements (steps to do on our site before you initiate the transfer)

Necessary steps ↓

Unlock the domain by disabling Registrar-Lock. See article "How to enable or disable Registrar-Lock"
Email the authorization (EPP) code to yourself (is sent to the domain registrant contact email address).
- To email the EPP key to yourself, please do the following:
  - Login to your domain account
  - Select the menu option "Domains - My Domains".
  - Click on the link for the domain name.
  - Click on "General Settings".
  - Click the link, "Email Auth Info to Registrant".
  - On this same page, you can disable the registrar lock, and disable auto-renew.
Make sure you don't activate the 60 day transfer lock on the domain before transfer. If you don't change any account or domain contact information up to 60 days before transfer, you don't have to worry about this lock. 60 day locks are imposed as a security policy from ICANN, when a domain is registered, or the domain contact information (First Name, Last Name, or Email Address) is changed. You are able to opt out of this 60 day transfer lock by setting your account defaults to disable the 60 day transfer lock for new registrations and/or domain contact changes - See article "Enable / Disable 60 day transfer lock for contact information changes". Keep in mind that if your domain contact information is set to "Use My Account Settings", then a change to the account information, will change the domain information also, which would trigger the 60 day lock. The "Use My Account Settings" option is not notated in the account after it is enabled, so to be sure that an account contact change won't trigger the 60 day lock, you can disable the 60 day lock on your account defaults before an account change is made.

Good things to consider doing ↓

It is always good to have up-to-date domain registrant and administrative contact information. If you need to change the domain contact information before transfer, please disable the 60 day transfer lock as described above, so that the domain can be transferred. See articles "how to change the domain WHOIS contact information" and "Enable / Disable 60 day transfer lock for contact information changes".
It is good to disable auto-renew for the domain, because If your domain auto-renews while in pending transfer status, the transfer will be cancelled. See article "Enable/Disable Auto Renew for Domains"

Transfer Steps (initiating the transfer at the NEW registrar)

Once you have disabled the registrar lock and obtained the EPP/authorization key from our site, you will need to submit the transfer order by inputting the EPP/authorization key at your NEW registrar.
No further action is required by you or by us to transfer the domain away. The new registrar will submit the transfer request to the registry. There is a five day waiting period that begins once the Registrar of Record has been notified of the transfer request by the registry. This typically occurs within 12-24 hours after the transfer has been approved by you or your client. There is no way for us to "push" a domain to another registrar other than via the transfer process

Note: When transferring a domain name, the gaining registrar will add an extra year to the registration of the domain name upon completion of the transfer, which will be reflected with the expiration date of the domain corresponding to the added year. However, the expected extra year when transferred will not show up in certain circumstances. If a domain is renewed, and then transferred within 45 days of the renewal, the initial renewal will be voided. Please see this article for further details: "Transfers - extra year missing after transfer completed"

Note: With the new GDPR policy (See article: New GDPR Privacy Policy (May 25th, 2018)), public WHOIS domain contact information will not be available anymore. Therefore, a transfer verification email (form of authorization, or FOA) email is not required during the transfer process anymore. The new registrar can now submit the transfer request immediately after receiving the EPP key. More information on the transfer policy change with the GDPR can be found here: https://www.enom.com/blog/changes-to-the-domain-transfer-process/

Transfer restrictions

There is a transfer lock on a domain for 60 days after it has been registered, transferred, or there is a change of registrant (changing of domain contact information). This is a policy for all domains and registrars as outlined by ICANN:

Note: You are able to opt out of this 60 day transfer lock by setting your account defaults to disable the 60 day transfer lock for new registrations and/or domain contact changes - See article "Enable / Disable 60 day transfer lock for contact information changes"

For information on transfer restrictions, please see the articles:

Additional information

If your domain expired, then recently renewed, you will want to wait until 46 days after the expiration date to transfer your domain to avoid losing one year of registration. Please see this article for further details: "Transfers - extra year missing after transfer completed"
If a domain expires before the transfer has completed, the transfer should still go through if there is a grace period after expiration for the domain extension, where the domain stays in your account for a period of time after it expires. Most domain extensions have grace periods (including .com .net, .org, .info, .biz) of 29 days after expiration. If the domain is deleted from the account at the old registrar during the transfer process, the transfer can not proceed. See the HelpDesk article: "What Happens When a Domain Expires"
If your domain auto renews while in Pending Transfer status, the transfer will be cancelled. Therefore it is recommended that the auto-renewal setting be disabled prior to transfer. Please see article: "Enable/Disable Auto Renew for Domains"
if you need to change the DNS servers, change the email, or switch the website, this can be done without transferring the domain to a new registrar. For information about making these changes, you can refer to these articles:
Our DNS services are provided at no cost while your domain is registered with us. If your domain is utilizing our DNS services, and is transferred away to another registrar, you would need to purchase DNS hosting. Your domain will not continue to resolve to our name servers once it has been transferred away from the eNom credential and marked as transferred away within our database
For information on transfer time-frames, please see the article, "Domain Transfers - Time Frame for Completion".

Also, please let us know if you have any questions. We're always glad to help!