Domain transfer timeline: unlock, auth code, the 60-day lock and what can delay it

What actually sets the clock

A domain transfer moves the registration from one ICANN-accredited registrar to another. For generic top-level domains such as .com, .net and .org, ICANN's Transfer Policy sets the maximum time each party may take and lists when a transfer may or must be refused. Country-code domains such as .uk or .de follow their own registry rules, so check those with the registry or your registrar.

The figures below come from the Transfer Policy version updated on 21 February 2024, which registrars had to implement by 21 August 2025, plus ICANN's FAQ for domain name holders. We read both on 30 October 2026. ICANN's transfers page says some enforcement is deferred until a GNSO Council review of the Transfer Policy resolves the issue, so check the current version before relying on a specific deadline. Registrars often move faster than these maximums; the policy sets ceilings, not typical times.

The steps in order

ICANN's FAQ describes the process from the registrant's side: you start at the registrar you are moving to, not the one you are leaving. You need the auth code (also called AuthInfo or transfer code) from your current registrar, and the domain must not carry a transfer lock. Your current registrar also sends a confirmation request. ICANN notes it has deferred enforcing the gaining registrar's standard authorization form requirement since January 2020 while the policy review continues, so the exact emails you receive vary by registrar.

• Confirm the domain is more than 60 days past registration and any previous transfer.
• Check that you have not changed the registrant name, organization or email in the last 60 days.
• Copy every DNS record (A, CNAME, MX, TXT) from your current DNS host into a document.
• Unlock the domain at the current registrar; ICANN requires registrars to give you a reasonable way to remove the lock.
• Request the auth code; without self-service, the registrar has up to 5 calendar days.
• Start the transfer at the new registrar, pay the transfer fee, and enter the auth code.
• Approve any confirmation email from either registrar; check the inbox on the domain's contact email.
• Wait for completion; with no objection the registry completes it after 5 calendar days.
• Verify the new expiry date shows the added year and that DNS still resolves.

Worked calendar: two owners, same domain age

These two schedules apply the policy maximums to a domain registered on 2 August 2026. They show the slowest path the deadlines allow when nothing goes wrong, not a prediction of how fast any registrar will act. Owner A keeps the contact details unchanged. Owner B updates the registrant email the same day they decide to transfer, which triggers the 60-day Change of Registrant lock unless the registrar offered an opt-out and they took it.

What can delay or block a transfer

ICANN lists the only reasons a registrar may refuse a transfer: evidence of fraud, a reasonable dispute over the registrant's identity, certain non-payment, an express objection from the registrant, and the two 60-day windows above. It must refuse during a UDRP or URS proceeding, under a court order, during a transfer dispute, or during the 60-day Change of Registrant lock.

ICANN also lists what a registrar cannot use as a reason: non-payment for a future period, no response from the registrant, a registrar lock you had no reasonable chance to remove, or non-payment of a transfer fee. The policy also says the auth code cannot be withheld solely because of a payment dispute.

• Lock still on: a clientTransferProhibited status tells the registry to reject the transfer. Unlock first.
• Recent contact change: updating registrant name, organization or email can start a 60-day lock.
• Expired domain: you can still transfer, but if it is in the Redemption Grace Period the current registrar must restore it first, which may cost a redemption fee.
• Unread email: confirmation requests go to the registrant contact; an old address can stall the process.

Often faster: change DNS, not the registrar

Many people transfer a domain when what they need is a new website host. ICANN's FAQ suggests changing web hosting providers, nameservers or the hosting IP address instead of registrars, which avoids the inter-registrar transfer process and its lock altogether. Pointing a domain at a website builder means editing DNS records at whoever hosts your DNS. Framer says DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate worldwide, though usually less; Carrd says its custom domain setup can take up to an hour to initialize.

Transfer the registration later, separately, when nothing else is changing. That way a transfer delay never takes your site or email down.

If the registrar will not cooperate

Keep dated records of every request. If the auth code has not arrived within 5 calendar days and the registrar offers no self-service option, or a refusal does not match one of the listed reasons, ICANN's FAQ says you can file a Transfer Complaint with ICANN. If a registrar lists an administrative contact who blocks the transfer, ICANN says you can ask the new registrar to send the authorization to you as the registrant.

Sources & verification

Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.

1. ICANN Transfer Policy (updated 21 February 2024) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
2. ICANN: FAQs for domain name holders Accessed 30 Oct 2026
3. ICANN: Transfer Policy overview and versions Accessed 30 Oct 2026
4. ICANN: EPP status codes Accessed 30 Oct 2026
5. Framer Help: How to connect a custom domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
6. Carrd Docs: Using a custom domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026