A registry rule that catches people out, and cannot be waived.
WHAT IT IS
A domain cannot be transferred to another registrar within 60 days of initial registration, or within 60 days of a previous transfer.
Many registries also apply a 60-day lock after a change of registrant details, which is the one people do not anticipate.
WHY IT EXISTS
It limits the damage from domain theft. If a stolen domain could be moved immediately and repeatedly, recovery would be almost impossible.
WHAT IT MEANS IN PRACTICE
If you register a domain with one provider intending to move it elsewhere, you must wait. If you update the registrant name or email, check whether that triggers a lock before planning a transfer. No registrar, including us, can override it. It is enforced at the registry.
PLANNING AROUND IT
Register a domain where you intend to keep it, rather than registering cheaply somewhere and planning to move. If you are buying a business or taking over a client's domain, make registrant changes and transfers in a deliberate order with the lock periods in mind. Check the domain's last-updated date in WHOIS before starting a transfer.
