How to Transfer a Domain Name to a New Host

The process of transferring a domain is easy, but it takes some time.

Firstly, you’ll have to wait at least 60 days after purchasing a domain before you can transfer it. You’ll also have to figure out how to host your new website since both your current domain name registrar and the web host you’re switching to must authorize the domain name transfer.

Tools You May Need

Here’s a list of tools you’re going to need to transfer your domain.

A new host, like Bluehost
The dashboard of your old registrar
An authorization code – we’ll explain how to get one of these in step 4!

Step 1

Choose a New Host and Create an Account

Before you can begin the domain transfer process, you need to pick out the new host you’d like to transfer to. You may have picked out your new host already, in which case you can skip to the next step. But if you’re still undecided, take a look at the top three performers from our overall web hosting rankings in the table below.

Bluehost	HostGator	InMotion
Overall rating4.8	Overall rating4.7	Overall rating4.5
Starting from$3.99	Starting from$3.75	Starting from$2.99
Storage space10GB – 3,000GB	Storage spaceUnmetered	Storage space75GB – Unlimited
BandwidthUnmetered	BandwidthUnmetered	BandwidthUnlimited
Visit Bluehost	Visit HostGator	Visit InMotion
See our Bluehost review	See our HostGator review	See our InMotion review

If you want a more in-depth look at each of our top providers, click the plus sign next to each heading below for all the extra details.

Once you have a host picked out, make sure to create your new hosting account before beginning to transfer your domain.

How do these providers compare? Our Bluehost vs HostGator and Bluehost vs InMotion guides can give you a more detailed look at how these hosts perform against each other.

Want more options? Check out our full list of the Best Website Hosts to compare all hosting providers.

Step 2

Disable Domain Privacy

Most registrars offer domain privacy when you sign up, and some offer it for free – so it’s likely that you’ll want to use this service. If you have domain privacy, it means that your registrar is protecting your personal information by hiding it in the WHOIS database. Instead of seeing your name and contact details listed, users who look up your site will only find a forwarding address posted by your registrar.

domain registration data lookup — Without domain privacy, anyone on the internet could look up your domain name and access your contact information.

Domain privacy basically means that your registrar publicly registers your domain in its own name, for the sake of your privacy. In order to proceed with your domain name transfer, you have to disable domain privacy with your current registrar, and then wait for the central registry to update its records with your actual name and details.

Top Tip: When updating your contact information, it’s best to avoid using an email address associated with your domain. Make sure you use a public email service (like or Gmail or Outlook) instead.

Step 3

Unlock Your Domain Name

Most domain name registrars “lock” your domain by default when you purchase it. This ensures that your domain is safe from unauthorized changes to contact details, DNS settings, and ownership. Locking also protects your domain from unauthorized transfer attempts.

This means that you’ll need to manually unlock your domain name in order to transfer it. Luckily, most registrars make this very simple. Sign in to your registrar, and look for the button to disable your domain lock – it will usually be under a tab labeled “Transferring,” “Sharing,” or something similar, and easy to locate.

Once you request unlocking, it happens immediately.

Step 4

Request an Authorization Code

After you’ve disabled your domain lock, look for the option to receive an authorization code (it will usually be within the same section of the registrar dashboard). Registrars create this code to help identify you as the domain name holder.

Most registrars send this code via email, but note that it could take up to five days to receive it. Make sure your email address is up-to-date beforehand, to avoid unnecessary delays!

Step 5

Initiate the Transfer

Once your domain is unlocked and you have the authorization code from your old registrar, you can begin the transfer process with your host. You’ll be prompted to enter information at this stage, including your authorization code.

The new host will walk you through this process – just make sure you follow the prompts to transfer a domain, not to register a new one!

Your new registrar will give you a time frame for how long the transfer will take (up to 14 days, but usually less), and you’ll likely receive status updates from both your old and new registrar via email.

At this point, most hosting providers will either charge you a transfer fee, or charge you to renew your domain for an additional year. You’ll need to make this purchase in order for the transfer to complete successfully. The top three hosting providers that we mentioned earlier – Bluehost, HostGator, and InMotion – each have different domain transfer costs, and annual renewal costs will differ based on the domain name extension (com, org, biz, etc.) you use.