There are many reasons that you might choose to transfer a domain name from management under one registrar to another. You may have found a better price at another registrar, or you want to consolidate all of your domain names, hosting, etc., with one company. Perhaps you’re working with a new website developer or administrator and they prefer a particular registrar. Or maybe you purchased a domain from an individual (or sold one) and now you need to move it.

Whatever the circumstance, here’s a step-by-step explanation of what to expect. And if you’ve been dreading the transfer process, fear not. It really isn’t that complicated or scary.

Step 1: Unlock the domain at the OLD registrar. Depending on where you currently have the domain name registered, you may be able to do this in the control panel or dashboard, or you may have to contact customer support. If you do not have login credentials for the account (for instance, if you’re moving a domain name for a client) then someone who does have credentials will need to handle this step.

Step 2: Initiate the transfer at the NEW registrar. This is usually the simplest part of the process. Registrars are understandably happy to receive new business, so most make it fairly easy to initiate a transfer in. Some even offer extensions of the registration period for free with a transfer. Look for a link that says something like “Domain Transfers” or “Transfer Here.” You’ll enter the domain name you’d like to transfer and make payment for the registration period of your choice.

Step 3: Confirm the transfer with the NEW registrar. When you initiated the transfer at the gaining registrar, they should have sent an email to the administrative contact for the domain name. If you are the administrative contact, look for the email and follow the instructions to confirm the transfer. This usually involves going to a confirmation link and entering an ID number and Key Code. Again, if you are not the administrative contact for the domain name, you’ll need to get that person to handle this step (or to forward the email to you). It may also be necessary to enter an authorization code that you receive from the losing registrar at this point.

Step 4: Confirm the transfer with the OLD registrar. Once you complete step 3, the gaining registrar will send a notification to the losing registrar to transfer the domain. Some registrars will notify the administrative contact by email with instructions on how to approve the transfer out. Others will simply automatically release the domain after a waiting period (usually 5 days).

Step 5: Success! You should receive an email from your new registrar notifying you that the transfer is complete and that you can manage the domain in your account there. At some registrars you may also be able to check the status  throughout the process in your dashboard or control panel. If all goes well, the entire process should be complete in a week or so from when you initiated the transfer.

This process may vary slightly from one domain registrar to another, so it’s a good idea to know the policies of both the losing and gaining registrars on the front end. It’s also important to make sure that the administrative records at your old registrar are correct, and that the domain name is active and available to be unlocked before you begin. Keep in mind that you cannot make a transfer if the domain has been registered for less than 60 days (or under management at the current registrar for less than 60 days).

If you have hosting associated with the domain name being transferred, this may complicate the process further, so be sure that you look into those implications before the move.