Transferring a domain between registrars

Transferring the registration is not transferring the site

A domain transfer moves the domain's registration from one registrar to another. The website files, the DNS zone, and the email stay where they are (on the host) unless you move them too. The host migration and site move guides are the separate jobs; this article is only the registration bloodwork.

Step 1: check eligibility

A transfer requires all of:

1. The domain is at least 60 days old at the current registrar (standard gTLD rule).
2. The transfer lock is off (the "registrar lock" or "clientTransferProhibited") during the transfer, and unlocked again in the new registrar afterward.
3. The current contact email is one you can read immediately, because the authorization codes arrive there.

Step 2: the authorization code (the PIN)

1. In the current registrar, view the domain details and generate the authorization or transfer code (EPP code).
2. Paste it into the new registrar's transfer flow within the validity window (varies by tld, commonly 1 to 3 weeks).
3. Keep the old account reachable until the exit: the code often reissues to that contact.

Any delay or email-spam filter, and the code or confirmation is lost. Confirm you can still log in to the old registrar while the transfer runs, because the transfer e-mail replies to the old registrar contact first.

Step 3: what the transfer does to DNS and email

The DNS for the domain generally stays on the current nameserver during the transfer, because the domain's nameserver (NS) records are not changed by the transfer itself. But two related pieces can change:

• If the new registrar's nameservers replace the current ones, the zone moves with it. Re-check the A, MX and TXT records you exported in DNS moves.
• Email continues to the MX records currently published. So a transfer does not break mail unless the nameserver change also changes the MX records.

Step 4: the transfer bill

Transfers add a year of registration (the new registrar's standard), and some registrars hold the transfer if payment failed. Confirm the new registrar's cost before starting, and confirm the current expiry date does not already exceed the 60-day lock window for a quick re-transfer.

Step 5: verify it landed

1. When the transfer completes, WHOIS shows the new registrar and the same domain.
2. Confirm the site and mail still work, and the SSL certificate of the host (which is separate from the registrar) still serves.
3. Re-lock the domain at the new registrar for hijack protection.

The domain change article is only for when the domain name actually changes; domain expired covers the emergency where the registration lapsed.