Change of Registrant Guide

This document has been prepared to explain the Change of Registrant process carried out via Domain Name API, within the scope of the ICANN Transfer Policy and including the Designated Agent option.

1. What is a Change of Registrant?

A Change of Registrant refers to a change in the Registered Name Holder (Registrant) information shown in the WHOIS/RDDS records of a domain name.

The following changes are considered within the scope of a Change of Registrant:

  • Change of Registrant First Name – Last Name
  • Change of Organization / Company name
  • Change of Registrant email address

Such changes are subject to a special approval process under the ICANN Transfer Policy.

2. What is a Designated Agent?

A Designated Agent refers to an individual or entity authorized to approve the Change of Registrant process on behalf of the Registrant.

To appoint a Designated Agent:

  • The Designated Agent Agreement must be completed and signed - Download
  • If the user account is under an individual’s name, an ID document consistent with the authorized name in the contact details must be provided
  • If the user account is under a company name, a certificate of activity or a company certificate consistent with the company details must be provided via the support system
  • In addition, the user must clearly specify in the relevant request for which domain name and which contact information the change is requested

A Designated Agent may be used only in special cases such as when the user cannot perform the changes or cannot access the old email address.

A Designated Agent may be used only for the purpose of providing COR approval, in special cases such as when the Registrant cannot access the old email address.

3. How Does the Change of Registrant Process Work?

Step 1 – Initiating the Change

The domain owner initiates the Change of Registrant request via the panel or API.

Step 2 – Notification and Approval Emails

In accordance with the ICANN Transfer Policy, the following notifications are sent:

  • An information/approval email to the current (prior) Registrant email address
  • An information/approval email to the new Registrant email address

These emails are not WHOIS verification emails; they are part of the ownership change approval process.

Step 3 – Approval Period

The time granted for the parties to approve the Change of Registrant request:

  • 15 days

If no approval is given within this period, the request is automatically cancelled.

4. Difference From WHOIS / RDDS Email Verification

The Change of Registrant process is different from WHOIS/RDDS email verification:

  • WHOIS verification is performed for an unverified Registrant email address.
  • A Change of Registrant may be triggered even if the email address is verified.
  • The two processes may run in parallel or separately.

5. 60-Day Transfer Lock

Once the Change of Registrant is successfully completed, a 60-day transfer lock is applied to the domain name in accordance with the ICANN Transfer Policy.

During this period, the domain name cannot be transferred to another registrar. Domain renewal, DNS management, and internal transfers are not affected.

6. What Changes When a Designated Agent Is Used?

If a Designated Agent is selected:

  • The approval step may be carried out by the Designated Agent only to provide approval, provided that the Registrant has given explicit authorization.
  • However, the requirement that the Prior Registrant initiates the request and that the prior/new Registrant is notified continues to apply.
  • The 60-day transfer lock continues to apply.

7. Important Notes

  • A Change of Registrant cannot be reverted; it can only be cancelled before the approval period expires.
  • A new Change of Registrant request cannot be initiated during an ongoing process.
  • Designated Agent authorization is limited to COR approval; it does not cover transfer authorities such as initiating/authorizing inter-registrar transfer requests.
  • For ICANN audits, notification records and approval logs are retained.

8. Help & Support

For questions about the Change of Registrant or Designated Agent processes, you may contact the Domain Name API Support Team ([email protected])

Related Articles