How to transfer your domain to DreamHost
So you want to transfer your domain registration to DreamHost? That’s great!
If you have a domain registered at another provider, but would like to manage it through your DreamHost account, you can transfer this domain registration to DreamHost. This makes it easy to manage all aspects of your account from a single location. Follow these steps to transfer your domain registration to DreamHost.
1. Get Your Authorization Code
This code, also known as “auth code” — or “EPP key” if you’re really nerdy — is absolutely, 100 percent required to transfer your domain name. The auth code was designed to prevent unauthorized or fraudulent domain transfers as it helps ensure that the person transferring the domain is, in fact, the owner, but make no mistake about it, without the auth code, your domain will not successfully transfer.
2. Unlock Your Domain Name
This is pretty simple and something that you’ll do in the control panel of your current domain registrar. Basically, your domain can’t be transferred if it’s locked. So before you initiate a domain transfer, unlock your domain.
3. Remember the 60-Day Domain Rule
Something that people often forget is that your domain can’t be transferred within 60 days of registration. If you registered your domain within the last 60 days, then tough break, you will not be able to transfer it to a new registrar.
4. Turn off Whois Domain Privacy (if it’s Turned On)
I know, I know. We love domain privacy too — heck, we even offer it for free! — but in order to successfully transfer your domain to us (or any registrar for that matter), you have to turn off privacy temporarily. Why? Because your new registrar has to recognize that you are the legal owner of the domain. With privacy turned on, we can’t see that you’re the real owner of the domain. Don’t worry, when initiating the domain transfer process in the DreamHost panel, you’ll be able to enable domain privacy again.
5. Make Sure You Have Access to Your Admin Email Address
In other words, make sure the whois info of your domain name is accurate, especially the admin email address. When you transfer your domain, all the important transfer emails, like the Form of Authorization (FOA) email, will be sent to the admin email address.
6. Approve Your Domain Transfer
After you’ve initiated the domain transfer in the DreamHost panel, you’ll have to eventually approve it. That approval process starts with the FOA email we talked about in point No. 5.
After you’ve taken these steps, It will take approximately 7–10 days for your domain to transfer over to DreamHost.