How to Check if a Domain Can Be Transferred to Another Registrar
To check if a domain can be transferred, read its EPP status codes and its registration and transfer dates. The domain transfer checker reads the registry record for up to 100 domains a run (500 after a free Google sign-in) and returns Ready, Unlock first, Too soon or Blocked, with the reasons.
It reads public registry data. It does not start a transfer or contact either registrar.
The by-hand way
- Look up the domain's record in WHOIS or RDAP and read the status codes.
- If you see
clientTransferProhibited, the registrar lock is on. Turn it off in the registrar's dashboard. - Find the registration date and the last transfer date. Within 60 days of the later one, the current registrar can usually refuse.
- Check the expiry date, and check no code says pending delete, redemption or pending transfer.
Step 1: paste the domains
Paste domains, one per line. Addresses and URLs work, and subdomains are reduced to the registered name. Up to 100 a run without an account, 500 after a free Google sign-in.
Step 2: run the check
Each record is read from the registry's RDAP server, 20 at a time. The checker takes the later of the registration date and the last transfer date and gives the day the 60 days end.
Step 3: read each status
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Ready | No lock or blocking code was found | Ask the current registrar for the auth (EPP) code and start the transfer at the new one |
| Unlock first | clientTransferProhibited is set | Turn the lock off at the current registrar, then transfer |
| Too soon | Inside the 60-day window, with the end date shown | Wait until that date |
| Blocked | A registry lock, pending delete, redemption or a transfer already in progress | Resolve it at the current registrar first |
Domains expiring within 30 days are flagged, because a transfer can take up to five days if the current registrar does not approve it sooner.
After the move
A transfer changes where the domain is managed. It should not change its DNS, but check that MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC came across. The cold email domain checker reads them for a list of domains. For the status codes themselves, see what a domain's status codes mean, and for who holds a domain now, finding out who a domain is registered with.
What this check cannot do
- It reads the registry record. It cannot see an opt-out, a registrar's own policy, or whether the owner's email for approvals works.
- A 60-day lock after a change of registrant is not in the record, so it is not detected.
- Extensions whose registry publishes no RDAP, such as .io, .co, .me and .de, show unknown.
- Country-code registries set their own rules, so the 60-day rule is shown as a note for them.
- The limit is 100 domains a run without an account and 500 signed in.
Check the list you send from the moved domain
Upload your list on the verify page: the first 100 email checks are free with a Google sign-in, no card. Each address comes back valid, risky or invalid with a reason, and nothing is sent to anyone on the list. For larger or recurring lists, see bulk email verification, list cleaning and pricing.
Check your domains now
Paste them into the domain transfer checker.
Common questions
How do I check if a domain can be transferred?
Read its EPP status codes and dates from the registry record. A clientTransferProhibited code means a registrar lock you can turn off. A domain within 60 days of registration or a previous transfer is usually refused. A transfer checker reads this for many domains at once.
Why can't I transfer a domain within 60 days?
ICANN's Transfer Policy lets the current registrar deny a transfer within 60 days of registration or of a previous transfer between registrars, and most do. This applies to generic TLDs such as .com, .net and .org.
What blocks a transfer?
Besides the two transfer locks: pendingTransfer, pendingDelete, redemptionPeriod and pendingRestore. An expired domain has to be restored at the current registrar first.
Does the checker see a 60-day lock after a change of owner?
No. That lock is not in the registry record, so it is not detected.
Do country-code domains follow the same rules?
Not always. Country-code registries set their own transfer rules. .uk, for example, moves domains by changing the IPS tag rather than with an auth code.
Check your list before you send
Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.