How to Transfer a Domain Name in 7 Easy Steps (2026)

You get an email notification from your registrar: Your domain name is going to be renewed, but wow, the domain renewal price looks weirdly high. You check the website, and it’s true – your domain name is now going to cost twice as much, or even more.

Now it's time to transfer your domain to a cheaper, better place.

In this article, I'll show you how to transfer your domain name, everything you need to do it, how to avoid pitfalls like pricing traps and losing your WHOIS privacy, and how to get it all done in 7 business days or fewer.

Before you transfer: What you need to know

Here's what you need to know before you transfer your domain:

• The 60-day lock rule: ICANN, the organization that regulates the sale of domain names, doesn't allow transfers for the first 60 days after purchase or after changing the domain's owner's contact details.
• You can't transfer expired domains: Make sure to start the process at least two weeks before the domain expires.
• Use a current email address: Domain transfer confirmation emails go to your registered email. Confirm that you can still log into it.
• You'll need access to your registrar account: If you have (for example) a domain with Namecheap, but you lost your login info, you’ll want to sort that out first.
• You'll (probably) get an extra year: Most registrars will add an extra 12 months to your domain on transfer, which is nice. Of course, this is why transfers sometimes cost a little extra.

How to transfer a domain name (step-by-step)

The process for each registrar is likely to be a little different. Whether it’s GoDaddy, NameCheap, Porkbun, or your hosting provider, they’ll all have their own way of doing things. But these are the basic steps that you’ll need to follow on pretty much all registrars, with some variations depending on company policy.

Step 1: Check that your domain is eligible for transfer

See the checklist above, and make sure that there’s no reason for the transfer to be blocked. It’ll save you a lot of time if you don’t have to deal with something like your domain expiring in the middle of the process. Prep work is never a waste of time.

Step 2: Back up your DNS records

Go into your domain name’s control panel, and copy all of the DNS records that point to your web server, mail server, and anything else connected to your domain. You might not need to set everything up yourself again once the domain transfer is complete, but it’s always good to have a backup.

No matter how reliable any given service is, no matter how competent its team, things can go wrong. A backup could be the difference between a few minutes of work and several frustrating hours.

Here’s an example based on Porkbun’s DNS control panel:

Step 3: Unlock your domain

You need to specifically mark your domain as “unlocked,” which tells your current registrar that you’ve authorized the future transfer of your domain name. This process may be as simple as clicking a button in your domain control panel, or you might have to contact customer support to unlock it. It depends on the company, but it’s usually an automated process.

Step 4: Get your EPP (authorization) code

The Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP) code is required by your new domain registrar. They’ll use it to authorize and confirm the transfer of your domain with your old registrar during the process, so it’s essential.

Again, this is one of those things that could just take a click or a full email to your old registrar’s support team.

Step 5: Start the transfer at your new registrar

This will usually be as simple as inputting your domain name into a form and including the EPP code. Then, you usually wait. Once again, some companies love having you send emails to Support. No, I don’t know why, either.

Step 6: Approve the transfer via email

An email will arrive at the address you used to register the domain. Follow any instructions required to approve the transfer.

Step 7: Wait for the transfer to complete

Your part in this is done. Give it a while. Work on something else, or sit back and relax. You’ve earned it.

How long does a domain transfer take?

The short version: Most transfers happen automatically within 1-7 business days. Some specialty Top-Level Domains (TLDs), like .io or what-have-you, could take longer.

The long version: ICANN intentionally mandates a waiting period for all domain name transfers. This is so you have the time to cancel the domain transfer process if someone else authorized a transfer without your knowledge. In Step 6 of the process above, approving the transfer via email is mostly done to speed up the process.

Once your old registrar receives manual confirmation, they can approve the transfer immediately, getting it done in as little as one day.

Things to watch out for

• Email disruption: If you have email accounts associated with your domain, make sure everything's set up properly with your new registrar once the transfer is complete. You don't want to miss important emails over a misconfigured domain name.
• Pricing traps: Double-check the renewal prices of domains at your new registrar. You don't want to transfer your domain on the cheap, then suddenly get hit with a massive bill.
• Cancel services at the old registrar: If you had any extra services attached to your domain at the old registrar, make sure you're not still paying for them.
• WHOIS privacy: If you've been using WHOIS privacy to keep your domain registration information away from public directories, ensure that WHOIS privacy is active at your new registrar as well.
• Domain expiration: Again, always start a domain transfer with at least two weeks of wiggle room to avoid any issues during the process.

Bottom line

Transferring a domain is a pretty simple process, all things considered. Unlock the domain, get your EPP code, and initiate the transfer at your new registrar. Once you confirm the transfer via email, it shouldn't take more than a few days.

Depending on your registrar, your involvement could last for all of a few minutes.

Just make sure to back up those DNS records. And, before you start any part of this process, take your time. Don't rush into it. Make sure the prices at your new registrar are actually cheaper, and that the renewal prices are within the realm of your expectations — and your budget.

FAQs