How to transfer a domain without downtime: a step-by-step guide

By the serverserv team · 7 min read · Updated 21 October 2026

To transfer a domain, unlock it at your current registrar, get its EPP (authorization) code, order the transfer at the new registrar and approve it. Most .com and similar transfers finish within 5 to 7 days and add a year to the registration. This guide covers how to transfer a domain step by step, the 60-day lock, keeping your website and email online, timing and cost.

How to transfer a domain in 7 steps

The work on your side takes about 15 minutes, followed by up to a week of waiting. Here are the steps in order:

1. Check the domain is eligible. It must be more than 60 days past its registration or last transfer, and not expired.
2. Check where your DNS is hosted. If it is at the current registrar, copy your records or move DNS first (see below).
3. Update your contact email at the current registrar so transfer messages reach you.
4. Unlock the domain in the current registrar's control panel.
5. Get the EPP code, also called the auth code or transfer authorization code.
6. Order the transfer at the new registrar and enter the code at checkout.
7. Approve the transfer if you receive a confirmation email, then wait for it to complete.

Your website and email keep working throughout, as long as the nameservers and DNS records stay the same.

Can this domain be transferred yet? The 60-day lock and other checks

A generic domain such as .com usually cannot be transferred within 60 days of being registered or transferred. Check this and the other conditions below before you start, because each one can stop a transfer.

• 60-day lock. Registrars block transfers for 60 days after a new registration or a previous transfer. Many also apply a 60-day lock after you change the registrant's name, organisation or email, unless you opted out when making the change. ICANN has adopted revisions to its Transfer Policy that registrars are rolling out, so confirm the current lock period with your registrar.
• Expiry date. If the domain expires within about 7 days, or has already expired, renew it at the current registrar first. A transfer started too close to expiry can fail.
• Disputes and unpaid fees. The current registrar can refuse a transfer for a domain in dispute or with money owed.
• Extension rules. Country codes follow their own registry's rules. A .uk or .co.uk transfer, for example, is done by asking your current registrar to change the domain's tag at Nominet to the new registrar's tag.

You can check a domain's status from the command line with whois example.com. A status line of clientTransferProhibited means the domain is still locked.

How to keep your website and email online during the transfer

A transfer changes who manages the registration, not where your website or email lives. Downtime only happens when DNS changes by accident, so the aim is to keep the same nameservers and records before, during and after.

1. Find your nameservers. Run dig NS example.com +short or use any online DNS lookup. If they belong to your web host or a separate DNS service, nothing changes during the transfer.
2. If DNS is at the current registrar, copy every record first: A and AAAA for the website, CNAME, MX for email, and TXT records for SPF, DKIM, DMARC and site verification. Some registrars stop serving DNS for a domain once it leaves.
3. Move DNS before the transfer if needed. Create the same records at the new DNS host, change the nameservers, and wait 24 to 48 hours before starting the transfer.
4. Watch DNSSEC. If DNSSEC is switched on and you are changing DNS host, remove or update the DS record first. A stale DS record can stop the domain resolving.
5. Replace registrar extras. Free email forwarding or URL forwarding from the old registrar stops when the transfer completes, so set up a replacement first.

Run dig example.com A +short and dig example.com MX +short before and after the transfer and compare the answers. If they match, visitors and email see no change.

Unlocking the domain and getting the EPP code

Both are done in your current registrar's control panel, usually in the domain's settings or a "Transfer out" section. The EPP code works like a password for the domain, so keep it private.

• Unlock: turn off "registrar lock" or "transfer lock". This removes the clientTransferProhibited status, which can take a few minutes to update.
• EPP code: some registrars show it on screen, others email it to the registrant contact. The registrar must provide it within 5 days of your request.
• Privacy: if a privacy service hides your contact details, make sure the registrant email still reaches you. Some registrars ask you to turn privacy off before they send the code.
• Copy carefully. Codes are case sensitive and often contain symbols. Paste rather than type, with no spaces.

If the code is rejected at checkout, ask the current registrar for a new one. Codes can expire or change after you request them.

How long does a domain transfer take?

Most .com, .net and .org transfers complete within 5 to 7 days. They can finish within hours if the current registrar approves quickly, or if you approve the transfer from the email it sends.

Stage	What happens	Typical time
Order	You enter the domain and EPP code at the new registrar and pay	Minutes
Request	The new registrar sends the transfer request to the registry	Minutes to a few hours
Confirmation	You may get an email from either registrar to approve or reject the transfer	Same day
Approval window	The current registrar can approve, or refuse for a valid reason; if it does nothing, the transfer completes automatically	Up to 5 days
Complete	The domain appears at the new registrar with a year added	5 to 7 days in total

Country codes vary. Some complete in minutes, others need extra documents. Ask the new registrar about the steps for your extension before you start.

Does a transfer add a year, and what does it cost?

For .com, .net, .org and most generic extensions, a transfer adds one year to the expiry date, and the price is close to a year's renewal. You keep the time you already paid for, so transferring early wastes nothing.

serverserv's transfer prices for every extension we sell:

Extension	Transfer price	Adds a year?
.com	$13.99	Yes
.net	$13.99	Yes
.org	.993.99	Yes
.ca	$11.99	Yes
.xyz	$16.99	Yes
.top	$6.99	Yes
.shop	$37.99	Yes

• A domain cannot be registered more than 10 years ahead, so if it already has nearly 10 years left, the added year may not fit.
• .ai transfers vary by registrar. Some charge for two years: at the time of writing Porkbun listed $165.09 for a .ai transfer covering two years. serverserv does not sell .ai yet.
• .uk, .co.uk and .com.au transfers usually add no time, which is why many registrars charge nothing for them. You pay the renewal price when the domain next renews. serverserv does not sell these extensions yet.

Common transfer problems and how to fix them

Most failed transfers come down to a lock, a wrong code or an out-of-date email address. This table covers the usual causes:

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Invalid auth code	Code mistyped, expired or reset	Request a new code and paste it
Domain is locked	Transfer lock still on	Unlock it and wait a few minutes before retrying
Transfer not allowed yet	Within 60 days of registration or a previous transfer	Wait until the lock ends
No approval email	Old contact email or a privacy service	Update the registrant email at the current registrar
Transfer rejected	Expiry, dispute or unpaid fees	Renew or settle with the current registrar, then retry
Website down after transfer	DNS was hosted at the old registrar	Recreate the records at your DNS host and update the nameservers

Transferring your domain to serverserv

Enter the domain on the domains page, press Transfer and paste the EPP code at checkout. You can add web hosting or business email to the same order and pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal.

If a transfer stalls, or you are not sure whether your extension can be moved, open a ticket with the domain name and we will check it with you. To see what each extension costs to keep, read how much a domain name costs.

Questions

Sources

• TLD-List: domain transfers explained
• ICANN: Registrants' Benefits and Responsibilities
• ICANN: registrant educational information
• ICANN Expired Registration Recovery Policy
• Porkbun domain pricing

Prices from other companies are as published at the time of writing and can change.