Change a domain name holder?

We have put together a number ‘How do I guides’ for commonly asked questions that we receive at the Domain Name Commission.

We understand that sometimes issues can be complex and these guides might not have all the answers that relate to your specific problem. If this is the case please contact us.

Step 1: Contact the current domain name holder.

Ask the current domain name holder (registrant) to transfer a domain name to you.  

You can find out who the current registrant is and their contact details for the domain name on the registration record (see the ‘How do I guide’ on ‘Search for a domain name’ for more information on how to perform a search).

If the domain name is registered to a company that no longer exists, you will need to contact us for more information. 

Step 2: Contact the domain name holder’s provider.

If the current registrant agrees, then contact the current domain name holder’s provider (registrar) and ask them what they require to perform a transfer for you.

Please note, you can also find out who the registrar is on the registration record.

Step 3: If you would like to change to a new registrar.

Once this process is complete if you would like to transfer your domain to a new registrar, check out our "How do I transfer my domain name guide" 

I contacted the current registrant and they refused to transfer the domain name to me. Is there anything I can do?

If one party feels that they have rights to a domain name that is currently registered to another party the Domain Name Commission has a Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) for this. Here is some more information about the DRS process.