GoDaddy domain transfer disabled? Why and what to do

When GoDaddy shows the transfer option greyed out, or says your domain is "not eligible", one of five things is almost always behind it: the domain is less than 60 days past its registration, a transfer or an owner change; Domain Lock is still on; a Domain Protection plan is asking you to prove who you are; the domain has expired or is about to; or the domain sits in an account that is not yours. Each one looks a little different on screen, and most can be cleared in a day. The one you cannot rush is the 60-day wait.

First, find out which reason it is

Before you click around, collect two facts. They usually point straight at the cause.

1. Sign in to GoDaddy, open Domain Portfolio and click the domain. Note the expiry date and whether the lock switch shows on or off.
2. Look the domain up on ICANN's lookup tool. Write down the Created and Updated dates and every line under Domain Status.

GoDaddy also tells you more than the grey button does. If you choose the option to transfer to another registrar on a domain that cannot go yet, GoDaddy shows a message with the reason. Read it slowly; it often names the exact rule.

Reason 1: the 60-day wait

This is the most common one, and the one no support agent can switch off. A domain cannot move to another registrar within 60 days of:

• being registered for the first time,
• arriving from another registrar, or
• a change of the registrant's name, organization or email, when the 60-day lock that comes with that change was accepted.

What it looks like: the lookup shows a Created date, or an Updated date that matches a contact change, from the last two months. The domain status may still say only "client transfer prohibited", which is why owners think the lock switch is the problem.

What to do: mark the date 60 days on in your calendar and wait. GoDaddy also notes that some domains bought as part of a bundle have a longer wait after registration, so if you bought the domain with another product, check the message GoDaddy shows. In the meantime nothing stops you from pointing the domain at a new website, which our guide on pointing a GoDaddy domain at a new website walks through. Domain transfer lock: why you can't move your domain yet explains the waiting periods in more depth.

Reason 2: Domain Lock is still on

GoDaddy turns on a lock by default so nobody can move the domain without you. While it is on, the transfer cannot start.

What it looks like: in the domain's settings, under the transfer section, a lock switch shows as on. The lookup lists "client transfer prohibited".

What to do:

1. In Domain Portfolio, open the domain's settings.
2. Find the lock switch in the transfer area and turn it off.
3. Wait a few minutes, refresh, and check it shows off.

If the switch will not move, the domain is probably in a "pending" state, for example waiting for a contact change to be approved. Finish or cancel that change first.

Reason 3: a Domain Protection plan wants proof

GoDaddy sells Domain Protection plans that put extra checks on risky actions, including a transfer away. That is the point of them. They do not block a move for good, but they add a step.

What it looks like: when you try to turn off the lock or show the authorization code (the password-like code the new registrar asks for), GoDaddy asks for a code from your phone or authenticator app, or sends a one-time password to the registrant email.

What to do: have your phone and the registrant email open before you start. GoDaddy's own instructions also suggest downgrading the protection to none before a transfer away. If the code goes to an email address you no longer read, update that contact first, and decline the 60-day lock if you are offered the choice.

Reason 4: the domain has expired, or nearly

GoDaddy recommends renewing before you transfer. An expired domain can still move for a short time, but once it falls into the stage registrars call redemption, a transfer is off the table until it is restored, and restoring costs more than renewing.

What it looks like: the expiry date in your account is past or very close, and the lookup status may show "auto renew period" or "redemption period". Your website or email may have stopped too.

What to do: renew it at GoDaddy, even if you plan to leave. A transfer normally adds a year to the registration at the new registrar anyway, so an early renewal is rarely wasted. What happens if your domain expires covers the stages.

Reason 5: the domain is not in your account

Sometimes the transfer option is missing because you are signed in to the wrong GoDaddy account, or the domain was registered by a former web designer, an old partner or an employee under their login.

What it looks like: the domain does not appear in your Domain Portfolio at all, or it appears as a domain you manage on someone's behalf without full rights.

What to do: try every email address you might have used to sign in. If it is someone else's account, ask them in writing to move the domain into an account in your name at GoDaddy first, then transfer it from there. Who owns my domain? How to check helps you work out whose name is on it.

Other holds that need a phone call

A few situations need GoDaddy's support team rather than a setting:

• A suspended domain (status "client hold"), often after an unpaid bill or an unverified email. Your site and email are down too.
• A dispute or legal hold, shown as "server transfer prohibited" when you did not ask for a registry lock.
• An unpaid balance on the account, which can hold changes until it is settled.

Call, have the domain name and your account PIN or login ready, and ask what exactly blocks the transfer away.

Once it is cleared

When the reason is gone, the move itself is quick to start: turn off the lock, show or copy the authorization code, and enter it at the new registrar. GoDaddy says you can approve the pending transfer from its transfers page to speed it up; otherwise it finishes on its own in about a week. Our main guide to moving a domain away from GoDaddy covers what else to check first, especially email and DNS records.

What to do this week

• Run the lookup and write down the Created and Updated dates and the status lines.
• Try the transfer option in GoDaddy and read the message it shows.
• If it is the 60-day wait, put the date in your calendar and point the domain meanwhile if you need to.
• If it is the lock or a protection plan, have your phone and registrant email ready and clear it in one sitting.
• If the domain is close to expiry, renew it now.

If the reason you want to leave GoDaddy is really the website, that part does not have to wait for the domain: you can see your site rebuilt first and move the domain whenever the lock allows.