What Is a Domain Ownership Transfer?

A domain ownership transfer (also known as a domain registrar change of ownership) is the process of legally transferring a domain name from one registrant (the current owner) to another registrant (the new owner). This changes the registrant contact information in the domain's WHOIS record, effectively transferring ownership of the domain itself.

An ownership transfer keeps the domain with the same registrar — it only changes who owns it.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, please ensure that:

The domain is not locked (Client/Server Update Prohibited should be disabled).

The domain is not in the Redemption Period or pending deletion.

The email address of the current registrant (owner) must be verified — otherwise, the ownership transfer may fail.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Log in to Your NameMart Member Center

Step 2: Navigate to My Domains

Step 3: Select the Domain(s) to Ownership Transfer

For a single domain: Find the domain in your list and check the box next to it.

For multiple domains: Check the boxes next to all domains you wish to ownership transfer.

Click on the More Bulk Operation dropdown menu.

Select Domain Ownership Transfer from the list.

Click the Bulk Operation button to proceed.

Step 4: Choose the New Owner Contact Template

You will be redirected to the Bulk Operation – Domain Ownership Transfer page. Here you will need to:

Select a new contact template from your saved contact list. This template should contain the new owner's registrant information.

If you don't have a saved template for the new owner, you will need to create one first under Template Management.

Step 5: Confirm and Submit

Click Confirm and Submit to initiate the domain ownership change request.

After Submission

For domains registered with certain registrars (e.g., Key-Systems GmbH, Web Commerce Communications Limited dba WebNic.cc), additional steps are required:

After submission, the new owner will receive a confirmation email. The ownership transfer will only be successful after the new owner clicks the confirmation link in that email.

Additionally, once the ownership change is completed, the domain cannot be transferred to another registrar for 60 days (subject to the applicable registrar lock policy).

Important Notes

Ownership transfer is not the same as registrar transfer. Moving a domain to a different registrar is a separate process.

Some TLDs do not allow direct ownership changes and require a special offline manual review of paper materials.

The domain's expiration date does not change after an ownership transfer.

If the domain has been placed on clientHold, you may need to remove it before initiating the ownership transfer.