Transferring Your Domain Away From Hover

You can move your domain away from Hover to a different registrar at any time — you don't need to wait until it's close to expiring. Starting early gives you plenty of time to finish before any deadline. This article covers how to prepare, what to expect during the transfer, and the slightly different process for .UK domains.

Why Timing Matters

Most TLDs add a year to the domain's registration when a transfer completes, so there's no downside to starting the process well ahead of your renewal date. Hover recommends beginning the transfer as early as possible to leave room for anything that comes up along the way.

Before you begin

• Turn off the domain's transfer lock in your Hover control panel.
• Retrieve the domain's authorization code. You'll need to provide this to your new registrar.
• Confirm your Admin and Owner contact email addresses are valid and reachable. If they're not, update your registration records first.

Note: When updating your registration records, check Don't apply a 60-day transfer lock to this domain — once the lock is applied, Hover can't lift it early.

Step 1: Prepare Your Domain

1. Sign in to your Hover control panel using your chosen method of 2FA. Selecting Control Panel takes you to a list of your domains if you have more than one; select the domain name to open its Overview page.
2. Turn off the domain's transfer lock, retrieve the authorization code, and confirm the Admin and Owner contact emails are valid, as described above.
3. Check the domain's nameservers to see whether they point to Hover (ns1.hover.com and ns2.hover.com).
4. If the domain is using Hover's nameservers, set up your DNS records with your new provider before starting the transfer. Nameservers can't be changed once a transfer is in progress, so skipping this step can cause a service interruption. Ask your new provider for their recommended approach.

Step 2: Initiate and Confirm the Transfer

1. Start the transfer with your new provider of choice.
2. Watch for a transfer-away email sent to the Owner's contact address. It contains a link to confirm or cancel the transfer — actioning it promptly can help the transfer complete faster.

Transferring .UK Domains

.UK domain transfers work a little differently. Instead of an authorization code, Hover (as the losing registrar) needs to update the domain's registrar (IPS) tag before the transfer can start.

1. Get the IPS tag from your new provider.
2. Contact Hover Support so we can apply the tag for you.

Note: Prepare your nameservers before requesting the tag change, just as with a standard transfer — otherwise you may experience domain downtime.

Good to Know Before You Go

• New registrations and transfers carry a 60-day lock. ICANN requires every registrar to enforce this.
• Your new registrar may require you to approve the transfer by email before it can be submitted.
• You can cancel a transfer out of Hover by declining it using the link in the confirmation email — but only before you approve it. Once approved, the transfer can't be cancelled.
• Hover disconnects email service once the domain transfers away. Back up your email, line up a new provider, update your DNS records, and reconfigure your mail clients before starting the transfer.

Next steps

• Check with your new registrar for any transfer-in steps specific to them.
• Moving the domain to another Hover account instead of a different registrar? That's a domain push, not a transfer — see Moving a Domain Between Hover Accounts (Domain Push).

Questions? Contact Hover Support.