Why a Domain Transfer Fails, and the 60-Day Lock Explained
A domain transfer fails for a short list of reasons, and each has a fix. The most common are a locked domain, a wrong code, an email vote nobody answered, and the 60-day lock that follows a new registration, a recent transfer or a change of registrant on a generic name such as .com. Find your symptom below and you will know what to do next.
Last reviewed: 10 November 2026, against the ZARC policies for .za names and the ICANN Transfer Policy for generic names.
Before you start
- The domain name you are transferring and its extension. The rules differ for .co.za and for .com.
- The email address the transfer notices go to, which is the registrant email.
What is the 60-day lock?
On generic names such as .com, .net and .org, ICANN's Transfer Policy blocks a transfer in two situations:
- A new or recently moved name. A name cannot transfer within 60 days of being registered or of its last transfer.
- A change of registrant. A material change to the registrant's name, organisation or email address locks the name against transfer for 60 days, unless the registrar offered an opt-out and you took it before the change.
.za names work differently. A new .za registration waits seven days, not 60. A change to the registrant details puts the name in a five-day pending update, and a transfer started in that window cancels the change. There is no 60-day lock on .co.za.
Which symptom do you have?
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The code is rejected | The domain is still locked, or the code has a space or a missing character | Unlock the domain, request a new code and paste it without spaces. How to get the code |
| The transfer is refused with a 60-day message | The name was registered, transferred or had its registrant changed in the last 60 days | Wait for the 60 days to end, then start again. Next time, transfer first and change the registrant afterwards |
| A .co.za transfer was rejected after five days | Neither you nor your current registrar voted, or the vote went to a registrant email you cannot read | Correct the registrant email, wait for the five-day update to finish, then start the transfer again and approve the vote |
| A .za name will not start a transfer in its first week | New .za registrations cannot move during the seven-day grace period | Start again after seven days |
| The name has expired | A name in redemption after expiry cannot be transferred | Renew or restore it first, then transfer. What happens when a domain expires |
| The status shows a lock you did not set | A registry lock, a dispute or an abuse hold is on the name | Only the party who placed it can remove it. Ask your current registrar which it is |
| Your current registrar wants an invoice paid first | The unpaid sum is for another service | A generic name must be released even when there is a payment dispute, unless the unpaid item is the name's own registration period |
What if your current registrar will not release the name?
Keep every email, the lookup showing the registrant, and your invoices, then use the route for your extension:
- .za names. Complain in writing to the registry, ZARC, which handles complaints about unlawful transfers and about how a registrar manages a name. It does not handle disputes about hosting, email or unpaid accounts. A dispute about who is entitled to the name goes to ZADNA's alternative dispute resolution process, or to court.
- Generic names. File a transfer complaint with ICANN Contractual Compliance. A registrar may deny a transfer only for the reasons the Transfer Policy lists, and a payment dispute over other services is not one of them.
How do you avoid a failed transfer next time?
- Check the registrant first. The registrant is your business, with an email address you read.
- Transfer before you change the registrant. On a generic name, a registrant change starts the 60-day lock.
- Check the expiry date. Renew first if the name is close to lapsing.
- Keep the nameservers as they are during the transfer, and move the DNS afterwards. The domain transfer checklist lists the steps in order.
Need a hand?
Open a ticket in the console with the domain name and what the transfer shows. We will check it with you. Domain transfers follow the registry and ICANN rules and our Specific Terms.
Official Documentation Reference
- ICANN: Transfer Policy: the reasons a registrar may and may not deny a transfer.
- ICANN: Transfer complaint: where to complain about a wrongly denied generic transfer.
- ZARC: Registrant voting procedure: how the .za vote decides a transfer.
- ZADNA: Rights protection: the .za dispute process.
