Domain Name/Transfer FAQ

How long does it take for domain names to transfer?

Why can a domain transfer be rejected?

When will my domain name expire? 

Do websites remain active during a transfer?

What are the ICANN Transfer Rules?

How long does it take for domain names to transfer?

Sometimes it can take a period of time to transfers a domain name between registrars. Per ICANN regulations, once the new registrar has received transfer verification from the registrant or administrative contact for the domain(s), the current registrar has five days to manually approve the transfer. If the current registrar doesn't manually approve the transfer within five (5) days, the registry will automatically complete the transfer. IMPORTANT NOTE: The five-day waiting period begins once the current registrar has been notified of the transfer request by the registry. This typically occurs within 12-24 hours after the transfer has been approved by you or your client.

Why can a domain transfer be rejected?

There are several reasons a domain transfer could be rejected. The new registrar may block the transfer and give the following statuses:

• • clientTransferProhibited (Registrar-Lock)
  • serverTransferProhibited (Registry-Lock)
  • redemptionPeriod
  • pendingDelete

The current registrar may deny a transfer request under the following specific circumstances:

• • If there is evidence of fraud.  See UDRP action for my information.
  • If there is a court order by a court of competent jurisdiction.
  • If there is reasonable dispute over the identity of the Registered Name Holder or Administrative Contact
  • If there is no payment for its previous period (including credit card charge-backs). If the domain name is past its expiration date or if the domain name has not yet expired for previous or current registration periods. In all such cases, however, the domain name must be put into "Registrar Hold" status by the Registrar of Record prior to the denial of transfer.
  • If there is express written objection to the transfer from the Transfer Contact (e.g. - email, fax, paper document or other processes by which the Transfer Contact has expressly and voluntarily objected through opt-in means).
  • If the domain name was already in "lock status" provided that the Registrar provides a readily accessible and reasonable means for the Registered Name Holder to remove the lock status.
  • If the transfer was requested within 60 days of the creation date as shown in the registry Whois record for the domain name.  Go to whois.net for help.  
  • If a domain name is within 60 days (or a lesser period to be determined) after being transferred (apart from being transferred back to the original Registrar in cases where both Registrars so agree and/or where a decision in the dispute resolution process so directs). "Transferred" shall only mean that an inter-registrar transfer has occurred in accordance with the procedures of this policy.

Other circumstances when a transfer request may be denied denied include, but are not limited to:

• • Nonpayment for a pending or future registration period
  • No response from the Registered Name Holder or Administrative Contact.
  • Domain name is in the Registrar Lock Status, unless the Registered Name Holder is provided with the reasonable opportunity and ability to unlock the domain name prior to the Transfer Request.
  • Domain name registration period time constraints, other than during the first 60 days of initial registration or during the first 60 days after a registrar transfer.
  • General payment defaults between Registrar and business partners/affiliates in cases where the Registered Name Holder for the domain in question has paid for the registration.
  • A registrar has mechanisms available to collect payment from the Registrant that are independent of the transfer process. The registrar must not use the transfer process as a mechanism to secure payment.

For a transfer into our system that was rejected by the Registrar of Record, please contact that registrar.  We do not have access to the reason(s) the current registrar has rejected your transfer request. We do not charge for failed or canceled transfer requests.

When will my domain name expire?

After a domain expires, most registrars offer a grace period during which you can reactivate your domain. After the grace period, the domain may be deleted from the registrar s database, and, once deleted, the domain is held for 30 days by the registry. Once the domain is dropped, it becomes available for purchase just like a new name. This article contains details about CloudAccess.net's Grace Period Procedures and recovering a domain name once it expires.

Our Registrar Grace Period Procedures

• • When a domain name hosted by CloudAccess expires, it becomes immediately inactive. It is not possible to make any updates to the domain while it is expired. The domain will remain available for reactivation at your regular domain rate. Look up a domain name and check our rates now.
  • Currently, we offer a non-guaranteed 29-day grace period for renewal for many TLDs (e.g. .com, .org etc.). Each registry has different rules for their grace periods. There is no guaranteed grace period. Once a domain expires, we may dispose of it at any time according to the registration agreement. After the grace period elapses, the domain may go into a Redemption Grace Period.
  • "Redemption Grace Period", or RGP, is a time frame during which the previous registrant can reactivate an expired domain after the registrar has issued a delete command to the registry. Only the previous registrant can retrieve the domain during this time frame, and it must be retrieved through the previous registrar. The Redemption Grace Period is named differently for some TLDs; the .org equivalent, for example, is "Pending Delete - Restorable".
  • Domains in an RGP may stay in your account between 30 - 42 days after any applicable expiration grace period has lapsed. After the RGP has lapsed, they are deleted from our system and go into a 5-day Pending Delete status at the registry. Domains in Pending Delete status cannot be recovered. At the end of the Pending Delete status, the domain is deleted by the registry and is available for anyone to register as a brand new name.
  • Should you want to retrieve the domain during the RGP, there is a fee and the cost of the renewal for all TLDs.

If you want to recover a domain in Redemption Grace Period:

• • Open a support ticket through your Cloud Control Panel™(CCP) and let us know that you d like to recover your domain. Remember that there are no refunds on redemptions. Prices may vary. Currently, they run $250 per domain name, depending upon status, but prices may change at any time.
  • We highly recommend that you enable Auto Renew for your domains. Likewise, we suggest you keep track of your domain expiration dates and renew them well in advance to avoid unintentional down time or loss of the name. Courtesy emails are sent out 45 days prior to expiration to warn you of the impending expiration. Once you renew the domain, all previous settings will be recovered and the domain will be active.
  • Renewal years are always added to the end of the current registration period (i.e., the new expiration date is the same whether you renew two months early or the day before expiration), so you will never lose time on your domain by renewing early.

Do websites remain active during a transfer?

A common question that arises when transferring domain names is whether or not the site will go down during the transfer.  Also, it s common to wonder if the DNS will change or if nameservers are deleted. In most cases, if you have submitted a transfer request before the domain expires, and it has a "pending transfer" status, the domain will continue to be functional and will not expire, even if the transfer has not completed prior to the scheduled expiration date.  There is typically a 5-7 day process once you have submitted your transfer.  After the transfer completes it will be in your account with the new registrar. Please note that most TLDs (.com, .net, .org, etc.) will follow this rule.  Your nameservers will also not change when the domain is transferred.

What are the ICANN Transfer Rules?

View ICANN's detailed transfer policies.