Transfer Your Domain to Chief Host
What you'll learn
By the end of this guide you'll have started a domain transfer to Chief Host so your domain registration and hosting are both managed in one place.
Before you start
Make sure these requirements are met before you begin:
- Your domain must be more than 60 days old — newly registered or recently transferred domains are locked for 60 days by ICANN rules.
- Your domain must be unlocked at your current registrar. (See your registrar's help docs for how to unlock it.)
- You need the domain's EPP code (also called an authorisation code, auth code, or transfer key). Get this from your current registrar.
- The registrant email address on the domain must be one you can access — you'll receive a transfer approval email there.
- Domain privacy/WHOIS protection should be disabled temporarily at your current registrar so the transfer approval email can reach you.
Tip: .uk and .co.uk domains use a different transfer process — they use a "change of registrar" via a TAG change rather than an EPP code. Contact our support team and we'll handle the .uk transfer for you.
Steps
- Log in to your Client Area at my.chief-host.com.
- Click Domains in the top navigation bar.
- Click Transfer Domains to Us. [Screenshot: Client Area → Domains → Transfer Domains to Us]
- Enter your domain name (e.g.,
yourdomain.com). - Enter the EPP / authorisation code you obtained from your current registrar.
- Click Submit.
- Review your order — domain transfers typically cost the same as a one-year renewal and add a year to your domain's expiry date.
- Complete payment.
- Check your email — you'll receive a transfer approval email at the registrant email address on the domain. Click the approval link to authorise the transfer.
???? Important: If you don't approve the transfer via email, it will eventually be cancelled. Check your spam/junk folder if you don't see the email.
- Wait for the transfer to complete — standard domain transfers take 5–7 days. During this time your website and email continue to work normally.
What to expect next
- Once the transfer completes, you'll receive a confirmation email from Chief Host.
- Your domain will appear under Domains → My Domains in the Client Area.
- Your domain's nameservers will remain unchanged during the transfer — your website and email won't be interrupted.
- After the transfer, you can update your nameservers to
ns1.chief-host.comandns2.chief-host.comif needed. See Point Your Domain to Chief Host Nameservers.
Common issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| "Transfer rejected" | Make sure the domain is unlocked and the EPP code is correct. Some registrars generate one-time-use EPP codes — request a fresh one. |
| "Didn't receive the approval email" | Check your spam folder. Confirm the registrant email on the domain is correct. Temporarily disable WHOIS privacy at your current registrar. |
| "Domain is within 60 days of registration" | ICANN requires a 60-day wait after registration or a previous transfer. Wait until the lock period expires. |
| "My .uk domain won't transfer with an EPP code" | UK domains use a TAG-based system. Contact Chief Host support and we'll initiate the transfer for you. |
