Part III – Having Issues Transferring Your Domain Name?
One of the primary purposes of ICANN's Transfer Policy is to provide you with the option to freely move your domain name from one registrar to another. In our last blog, we explained how to do this. If you still have problems making a transfer, here is some information on why you might be encountering issues and some additional information on what you might be able to do about it.
The first thing you should know is that there are a few instances when your registrar cannot transfer your domain name, such as if it is the subject of an ongoing Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), Transfer Dispute Resolution Policy (TDRP) or Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) proceeding. Your registrar also cannot transfer your domain name if it is subject to a court order. Additionally, as we explained in the last blog, your domain name cannot be transferred if it is subject to a 60-Day Change of Registrant lock.
There might be other reasons your registrar is denying your transfer request. This will depend on the terms and conditions of your registration agreement with the registrar. For example, there is evidence of fraud, your name is not listed as the registrant of record, or if you have an outstanding payment for a previous registration period. Non-payment for a pending or future registration period however is not grounds for denial of transfer.
It is important that you understand the terms and conditions in your registration agreement so that you know what to expect if you decide to make a transfer.
What to Do?
There are some common issues you might run into when transferring a domain name.
You can't transfer the domain name because it is in a 60-day Change of Registrant lock. This rule is in place to prevent unauthorized changes to your contact info for the purposes of making unauthorized transfers, which could result in making the domain name un-recoverable. If you want to opt out of this protection, you can make the request to your registrar prior to making changes to your contact information.
You cannot transfer the domain name because your request falls within 60 days of the initial registration or a previous transfer. This rule is put in place for your protection. Some registrars however may choose to grant exceptions to this rule so you can contact your registrar directly to ask if they'll allow you to initiate a transfer during this period.
You cannot transfer the domain name because it is in 'Registrar Lock' or 'Client Transfer Prohibited' status (sometimes used to protect against unauthorized transfers). You can change these statuses by contacting your registrar. Some registrars may provide you with the option to change these statuses yourself via your control panel. In either case, the registrar must provide you with the AuthInfo code needed to change the status within five calendar days of your request.
You should know that you can always contact your registrar directly for assistance with transferring, even if you registered your domain name through a reseller or another service provider. ICANN is not a registrar and does not transfer domain names. If you do not know who your registrar is you can search here to find out. If after you've contacted the registrar and you are still not successful in your attempt to transfer your domain name, you can submit a formal Transfer Complaint with ICANN.
Click here to read 5 things Every Domain Name Registrant Should Know About ICANN's Transfer Policy
FAQs: Transferring Your Domain Name
More Information on Domain Name Transfers
More Information on Transfer Complaints [PDF, 124 KB]
Learn more about ICANN's Transfer Policy (Effective as of 1 December 2016).
The 'Do You Have a Domain Name? Here's What You Need to Know' educational series is part of ICANN's broader efforts to help you better understand the ICANN policies that affect you, your role in the Domain Name System (DNS), and the role of the ICANN organization, registries, and registrars in the DNS ecosystem.