Just because you registered a domain name with one registrar doesn’t mean you’re locked in for life.

You have every right to transfer your domain name to another registrar or hosting provider, but there’s a catch.

You might be thinking my domain name expired: how to get it back? If your domain name is expired, you’ll have to go through some extra steps. And, in some cases, a transfer may not be possible.

We’ll walk you through your options and provide step-by-step instructions.

Can You Transfer an Expired Domain Name from GoDaddy?

Even if your domain name is expired, GoDaddy will let you transfer it to another registrar in some instances.

There are several caveats that can throw a kink in the transfer request, so we’ll break down the rules.

You can transfer an expired domain from GoDaddy if:

-      The expiration is within the 18-day redemption grace period. This grace period applies to most major top-level domains (TLD)s, including .COM, .ORG, and .NET.

-      The domain is unlocked.

-      You’ve disabled Whois privacy protection.

-      You have the EPP code, which proves you own the website. This code can also be referred to as an Auth or Authorization code among other registrars.

If these conditions are not met, you’re not going to be able to complete the transfer process on your own, but you could potentially get some help from GoDaddy’s customer support.

Further issues could also prevent or complicate transfers, such as:

-      You renewed an expired domain with GoDaddy, but then try to transfer it within 45 days of your expiry date. In this case, GoDaddy could cancel or revoke your renewal.

-      You no longer have access to the email address associated with your account.

How to Transfer the Expired Domain Names from GoDaddy

The expired domain business isn't really super complicated and assuming you’ve met all of GoDaddy’s conditions, the actual transfer process is relatively straightforward:

1.    First, unlock the domain that’s expired.  You can do this directly from your GoDaddy account by selecting the relevant domain names from the Manage All section and selecting the option that turns the Lock radio button to Off.

Keep in mind that it can take some time for this change to register with the company. Expect to wait up to an hour.

2.    Next, you’ll need to get the EPP code. Again, you’ll be in the same section of your account. Select the relevant domains and go to the Domain Settings page.

Scroll until you find “Get authorization code.” Select that option to have the code sent to your registrant email address.

Do You Have to Renew the Expired Domains Before They Can Be Transferred?

A common misconception is that you should renew your expired domain name before transferring it. The opposite is actually true.

You don’t have to renew with the same registrar, and in some cases, that can compromise the transfer.

As long as your balance is paid for the previous period, you can transfer your domain to any registrar you wish.

Sometimes a domain name expired but is unavailable for some reason, if this happens, contact your domain registrar's customer support team.

They might not be happy to see you go, but they’ll provide the help you need to get sorted.