A registrar is the company who helped you register and manage your domain name. This is the company that holds your domain registration records.
A Transfer Registrar process is the transferring of your domain registration records from one registrar to another. You may wish to transfer your domain to another registrar for better domain management, better customer service or even lower domain renewal rates.
Regardless of the reason for transferring your domain, the transfer process is the same:
- You verify that the admin contact information listed in the domain Whois record is correct. You obtain the Domain AuthCode from your current registrar, and remove any lock that has been placed on your domain registration.
- You contact the new registrar with the wish to transfer the domain name to their service.
- The transfer registrar process requires a 1-yr extension to your domain registration. The new registrar processes the 1-year extension and sends your request to the registry.
- The registry reviews your request and send a confirmation email to the listed domain admin contact email address.
- You reply to the confirmation email with your domain AuthCode.
- The registry receives your confirmation and will notifies your current registrar of the transfer.
- Your current registrar releases your domain, and the registry notifies your new registrar.
- Your new registrar adds your domain name to their database and notifies you of transfer completion.
The process time varies depending on domain extension.
Relentless Hosting recommends a transfer registrar attempt at least 10 days prior to domain expiry. Because a transfer can in some cases take up to 14 days, the transfer may not complete before the registration expires, resulting in loss of the domain name registration and failure of the transfer. To avoid this, either transfer well before the expiration date, or renew the registration before attempting the transfer.
