Also called transfer · registrar transfer · inter-registrar transfer
Domain transfer, explained
For a gTLD such as .com, an inter-registrar transfer runs in a fixed order. The owner turns off the registrar lock and requests the auth code, which the current registrar must provide within five calendar days if it offers no self-service tool. The owner then starts the transfer at the new registrar and pays for it. The losing registrar can object only on permitted grounds, and if it does not respond within five days the transfer is approved by default. A completed transfer adds one year to the registration, up to the ten-year maximum.
Under ICANN's current Transfer Policy, a registrar may refuse a transfer within 60 days of registration or of a previous transfer, and must lock a name for 60 days after a change of registrant unless it let the owner opt out beforehand. ICANN's Board adopted Transfer Policy Review recommendations on June 7, 2026 that would set the post-registration and post-transfer locks at 30 days and drop the 60-day lock after a change of registrant; they are queued for implementation with no effective date, so plan around 60 days. Country-code extensions follow their own procedures.
In a sale, the order matters more than the mechanics. Move the name only after payment is secured, through an escrow service or a marketplace that holds the funds. Within one registrar, a push to the buyer's account is usually instant and free; Afternic's Fast Transfer, for names held at participating registrars, moves a sold name to the buyer automatically. Between registrars, send the code only to the verified buyer, and have the buyer confirm the name is in their account before escrow releases the funds.
The common mistakes are starting a transfer days before expiry, missing an approval email sent to an old address, changing registrars while DNS still depends on the old registrar's service, and sending an auth code to an unverified email. Treat the auth code like a password, and move DNS to a provider you control before the switch.
Example. After escrow confirms the buyer's payment, the seller removes the registrar lock, sends the auth code to the buyer's verified email, and the new registrar completes the transfer within days.
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- ICANN — Transfer Policy, current text (accessed Oct 1, 2026)
- Domain Name Wire — Big changes are coming to domain transfers (May 1, 2025)
- Domain Incite — ICANN to kill off 60-day domain transfer lock (Mar 13, 2025)
- Enom — ICANN86 policy recap, Board adoption of Transfer Policy Review recommendations (June 23, 2026)
- Afternic — Fast Transfer program page (accessed Oct 1, 2026)
- ICANN Board — Approved Resolutions, Regular Meeting, June 7, 2026 (resolution 2026.06.07.04, Transfer Policy recommendations)
Education, not financial, legal or tax advice. Domain investing is speculative and most domain names never sell. Read the disclaimer.