ICANN domain transfer policies have changed as of December 2016. Updates to whois information are considered a change of ownership and may warrant a 60-day transfer lock.
Please be aware that if you do not complete the steps for transferring your domain away from OpenSRS then the domain will remain under the management of InMotion Hosting.
Completing a domain transfer away from InMotion Hosting requires that the domain is unlocked and meets all of the conditions required for transfer. InMotion Hosting is a reseller of domain registrations using a domain registrar named OpenSRS. We will walk you through the steps of transferring a domain away from our registrar below.
In this guide:
- Requirements for Transferring a Domain to Another Domain Registrar
- Steps for a Domain Transfer away from InMotion Hosting
- Disputes with a Domain Transfer
Requirements for Transferring a Domain to another Domain Registrar
A domain transfer will only process when all of the requirements have been met. A common need that is often forgotten is the access to the administrator email address. Insure that you can see the emails sent to this email address before transferring a domain. Here is the list of requirements for transferring a domain away from our domain registration:
- A domain cannot be transferred within 60 days of initial registration
- A domain cannot be transferred within 14 days of its expiration date
- Domain privacy must be removed before the transfer can be processed
- You must have access to the administrator address listed with the domain’s WHOIS information
See the official documentation from ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) for more details.
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Steps for a Domain Transfer away from InMotion Hosting
After you confirm that you meet the above requirements, please go through the following steps for your domain transfer:
- Contact our live Customer Service team to unlock your domain for a domain transfer to another domain registrar.
- Customer Service verifies the customer credentials and also checks to make sure that the domain meets all the necessary requirements for release.
- Once the verifications are complete an authorization code is emailed. The code will be needed by the new domain registrar in order to complete the transfer of the domain.
Please note that any DNS changes that had not been completed will not be saved if the transfer occurs before propagation completes. Changes to DNS include A records, CNAME, or other TXT changes (basically any record change within the DNS). Typically, changes in DNS require up to 24 hours for propagation to complete
The new registrar will then use the code to transfer the domain to their service. Please note that domain transfers may take 7-10 business days to complete. This completes the process of transferring a domain away from InMotion Hosting.
Disputes with a Domain Transfer
If your domain was transferred accidentally or by someone who was not supposed to have access to your domain, then you may need to issue a dispute with ICANN through your domain registrar. You should speak with your registrar if you are unable to get the transfer reversed through conversation with the new domain registrar. The registrar is the entity that must file the complaint with ICANN.
Generally, disputes only occur when a domain is transferred without the owner’s permission. It is therefore very important that you discuss a domain transfer if you are working with more than one person in the management of your website.
For more details on the policy, please make sure to thoroughly read the ICANN document on Registrar Transfer Dispute Resolution Policy. One of the most important things to know is that you should file a dispute within 6 months of the transfer.
For more tips and tricks on domain management, see our knowledge base for Domain Names.
All hosting companies offer the steps to unlock your domain by yourself in a management panel, except with InMotionHosting, who makes it as difficult as possible to transfer domains. This should be forbidden by law since these are scare and delay tactics.
Hello Bo,
I’m sorry that you feel that way about the domain transfer process. The rules for transferring are ICANN’s rules (https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/transfer-policy-2016-06-01-en), not ours. We are not using “scare tactics”. We require registrants to contact us directly to help stop disputes or mistakes with the transfers, and that often leads to delays with domain transfers. Basically, you call InMotion to transfer the domain away, we make sure you’re the verified owner and that the domain is able to be transferred. After verification, the key required for the transfer is then given to you so that the transfer can occur. This occurs with one interaction. The requirements for a domain transfer have often led to multiple contacts and loss of time for a domain transfer. However, we do respect your opinion. This process is regularly reviewed and if it can be automated to help save time and money then management will make the change to an automated process.
It was really good article. I recently transferred my domain name with NameSilo and their support team really helped me to get through the process.
Isn’t it true that one can make a name server change and then later make a registry transfer after the 60 day ICANN restriction passes?
According to the new transfer policy only “making any change to the first name, last name, organization field, or email within the registrant contact object” would cause a change of ownership and warrant a 60-day transfer lock. For full details, be sure to check out OpenSRS’s new transfer policy to learn more about our registrar’s policies.
I currently have an inMotionHosting account for my club’s wordpress site. My texas-corvette-association.com domain is updated through inMotion Hosting (whatever registrar you use (tucows.com) I belive. I am going to be POINTING my domain to a new club management sevice next week (Club Express) where my website will now be hosted.
My question: If I do not plan to renew my hosting plan and my domain will be pointing somewhere else, SHOULD I go through the steps to TRANSFER the domain to someone else. Or can I just keep my inMotion Hosting account active with you for the sole purpose of paying for my domain? I don’t want to risk the domain expiring.
If you are using another host for your website, you can continue with what’s known as a “domain only” account. To keep your domain registered and you will be able to maintain just the name servers (for pointing to the website host), however, you will not have access to cPanel, if you cancel your hosting plan–separate from your domain registration. cPanel would allow you to host emails and DNS records, for example, if you keep your hosting and registration, then you can use cPanel to host your emails and use cPanel to maintain the DNS records to ONLY host the website with the other host. Depending on what services you’re utilizing, those are the main things to consider. I hope this helps!
I received the first email — “Domain Management Rights Released – InMotion Hosting, Inc.” — but have yet to receive the second which allows me to set my password. Two days have passed since I received the first email. When will I receive the second?
Kevin, if you have not received the 2nd email, please let our Support Team know, and they should be able to re-attempt.