How to change the registrant contact details for your domain?

To change the registrant contact details for your domain, log in to the registrar account that holds the domain, open the domain's Contacts, Contact Information or Registrant section, edit the name, organisation, email, phone or address, and save. Your registrar will usually email the old and new registrant addresses to confirm the change, and you must click the verification link within the deadline or the domain can be suspended. If you change the registrant's name, organisation or email, many gTLDs treat it as a change of registrant, which can trigger extra confirmation and, at some registrars, a temporary block on transferring the domain to another registrar.

Keeping registrant details accurate is easy to neglect, but those details decide who legally holds the domain and where critical notices go. This guide explains the different contact types, what counts as a change of registrant, the step-by-step process, how ownership changes and ccTLDs differ, how to check the result with RDAP and WHOIS, and the mistakes that most often cause problems.

Why Registrant Contact Details Matter

The registrant is the person or organisation that holds the right to use the domain. It isn't whoever pays the bill, whoever built the website or whoever has a login to the registrar account. If there's ever a dispute, the registrant record is what the registrar and registry look at first.

Accurate registrant details matter because:

• Ownership disputes: If an agency, former employee or business partner registered the domain in their name, they're the legal holder, not you.
• Renewal and expiry notices: Registrars send renewal reminders and expiry warnings to the registrant email. Miss them and you risk the domain lapsing. See what happens when a domain expires.
• Transfer approvals: Transfer confirmations and auth code requests often go to the registrant email.
• Verification requirements: ICANN-accredited registrars must verify registrant contact data and can suspend a domain if the email isn't confirmed.
• Legal and policy requirements: Some ccTLDs require the registrant to be a resident, citizen or registered company in a particular country.

The Different Domain Contacts

Domains have traditionally had four contact roles:

Contact	Purpose	Still required?
Registrant	The domain holder	Always
Administrative	Handled administrative questions on the registrant's behalf	No longer collected for most gTLDs
Technical	Handles DNS and technical issues	Optional at many registrars
Billing	Receives invoices	No longer collected for most gTLDs

Under ICANN's Registration Data Policy, which replaced the older WHOIS rules for gTLDs, registrars are no longer required to collect administrative and billing contacts, and the technical contact is optional. Many registrar dashboards still show all four fields, and many ccTLDs still use them. Focus on the registrant first, because it's the one that defines ownership.

What Counts as a Change of Registrant

For gTLDs such as .com, .net and .org, ICANN's Transfer Policy distinguishes between ordinary updates and a material change, also called a change of registrant. A material change is generally a change to:

• The registrant's name
• The registrant's organisation
• The registrant's email address

Changes to the postal address or phone number on their own are usually treated as ordinary updates. Correcting a typo or adding a missing middle name is often not considered material, but registrars apply the rules in their own systems, so don't assume a small edit will slip through without a confirmation step.

The Change of Registrant Process and Transfer Lock

Under the Transfer Policy that has been in force since 2016, a change of registrant on a gTLD domain works roughly like this:

1. The registrar asks the current registrant to confirm the change, often by email, unless they're already logged in and authorised.
2. The registrar notifies both the old and new registrant once the change is complete.
3. The registrar applies a 60-day lock preventing transfer to another registrar, unless the registrant opted out of the lock before making the change.

The opt-out is usually a checkbox on the edit form labelled something like "Do not apply 60-day transfer lock". Tick it only if you might genuinely need to move the domain to another registrar soon.

ICANN's updated Transfer Policy is changing these rules. It removes the post-change-of-registrant transfer lock and replaces most of the confirmation process with notifications to the registrant. Registrars are moving to the new rules on their own timelines, so check your registrar's current process, and expect to see either behaviour for a while. If a transfer is refused after a contact change, the lock is the likely cause, which is covered in why is your domain transfer stuck or failing.

How to Change Registrant Contact Details Step by Step

The exact labels vary between registrars, but the process is broadly the same everywhere.

1. Make Sure You're in the Right Account

Log in to the registrar that currently manages the domain. If you're not sure which registrar that is, an RDAP lookup shows it:

curl -sL https://rdap.org/domain/example.com | jq -r '.entities[] | select(.roles | index("registrar")) | .vcardArray[1][] | select(.[0]=="fn") | .[3]'

Example Registrar, LLC

If you can't log in because the account belongs to someone else, skip to the section on getting a domain back from an agency or former employee below.

2. Secure the Account First

Before you change anything, make sure the account itself is protected. Turn on two-factor authentication and update the account email if it's out of date. The account login and the registrant email are separate fields at most registrars, and both matter. How to protect your domain from hijacking covers account security in depth.

3. Open the Contact Settings

Find the domain in your domain list and open its settings. Look for:

• Contacts or Contact Information
• Registrant Information or Domain Owner
• WHOIS Information at older registrars

Some registrars let you save contact profiles and apply them to several domains at once, which is useful if you manage many domains for one organisation.

4. Edit the Registrant Details

Update the fields you need:

• Name: The legal name of the person or company. For a business, use the registered company name in the organisation field.
• Organisation: Leave blank if the domain is held by an individual.
• Email: Use an address you check regularly that isn't on the same domain, so you can still receive notices if the domain's DNS or email breaks.
• Phone: Usually in international format, such as +44.2071234567 or +1.5555550100.
• Address: A real postal address. Fake or incomplete details can lead to suspension.

If you want contact details hidden from public lookups, turn on privacy protection after saving. See what is domain privacy protection for how that affects what's shown.

5. Decide on the Transfer Lock Opt-Out

If your registrar shows the opt-out option and you plan to stay with them, leave the lock on. It's a useful protection: if someone took over your account and changed the registrant, the lock would stop them from moving the domain away immediately.

6. Save and Confirm the Emails

After saving, check the inboxes for both the old and new registrant email addresses. You may receive:

• A confirmation request to approve the change of registrant.
• A notification that the change has been completed.
• A verification email asking the new address to confirm it's valid.

The verification email is important. ICANN-accredited registrars must verify a new registrant email, and if it isn't confirmed within the deadline, typically 15 days, the registrar can suspend the domain. A suspended domain stops resolving, so your website and email go offline until the address is verified.

7. Check the Result

Contact details are often redacted in public lookups, but you can confirm that the domain was updated by checking the last changed event:

curl -sL https://rdap.org/domain/example.com | jq '.events[] | select(.eventAction=="last changed")'

{
  "eventAction": "last changed",
  "eventDate": "2026-10-26T09:14:22Z"
}

Registry RDAP data for .com and .net doesn't include registrant details at all. To see what the registrar publishes, follow the related link to the registrar's own RDAP server:

REG_RDAP=$(curl -sL https://rdap.org/domain/example.com | jq -r '.links[] | select(.rel=="related") | .href')
curl -sL "$REG_RDAP" | jq -r '.entities[] | select(.roles | index("registrant")) | .vcardArray[1][] | select(.[0]=="fn" or .[0]=="org") | "\(.[0]): \(.[3])"'

fn: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY
org: Example Ltd

Most registrars redact the name, email and street address, but some show the organisation and country. For more on reading these responses, see what is RDAP and what is WHOIS.

Changing Ownership vs Updating Details

There's a difference between updating your own details and handing the domain to a different person or company.

Updating Your Own Details

New email address, new office, company renamed: you're still the same registrant, just with different information. This is a straightforward edit in your account, although a name or email change may still go through the change of registrant process.

Transferring Ownership to Someone Else

When you sell or give a domain to another party, both the registrant details and the account that controls the domain usually need to change. Most registrars offer one of these routes:

• Account-to-account push: You move the domain into the new owner's account at the same registrar. They then update the registrant details themselves.
• Inter-registrar transfer: The new owner transfers the domain to their own registrar using the auth code. See how to transfer a domain to another registrar.
• Registrant edit only: You change the registrant to the new owner but keep the domain in your account. This is rarely a good idea, because you keep control of the domain while they legally hold it.

For a sale between strangers, an escrow service protects both sides. How to use domain escrow explains the process.

Country-Code Domains Follow Their Own Rules

Many ccTLDs don't follow ICANN's gTLD Transfer Policy. They set their own rules for who can register, how contacts are changed and what proof is needed. Common differences include:

• Formal ownership transfer: Some registries treat a change of registrant as a separate procedure, sometimes with a form, a fee or approval from both parties.
• Eligibility checks: Some ccTLDs require a local address, company registration number or citizenship, and the new registrant must meet the same requirements.
• Identity documents: A few registries ask for documents to prove identity or authority to act for a company.
• Name corrections vs new holders: Fixing a spelling mistake may be allowed as a simple edit, while changing to a completely different person or company is not.

If you hold .uk, .de, .eu, .ca, .au or other country-code domains, check your registrar's help pages or the registry's own documentation before making changes.

Getting a Domain Back From an Agency or Former Employee

A very common problem is a domain registered by a web designer, agency or ex-employee in their own name or account. Ideally, fix this before there's a dispute:

1. Check the current registrar and status with an RDAP lookup so you know where the domain is held.
2. Ask the person to move it: Either push the domain to your account at the same registrar, or give you the auth code and unlock it so you can transfer it.
3. Update the registrant to your company name and a company email address as soon as it's in your account.
4. Put agreements in writing: Future contracts should state that domains are registered in your name.

If the registrant refuses or can't be reached, contact the registrar with evidence that you're the rightful owner, such as invoices, trademark records or company documents. Registrars have different processes, and some cases need legal advice or a formal dispute procedure.

Common Mistakes When Changing Registrant Details

• Using an email on the same domain: If admin@example.com is the registrant email and the domain stops working, you can't receive the notice that would help you fix it.
• Ignoring the verification email: An unverified address can lead to suspension.
• Using a personal email for a company domain: When that person leaves, the company loses visibility of renewal and transfer notices.
• Changing details just before a transfer: A change of registrant can block a transfer for 60 days at registrars still applying the older rules.
• Entering fake details: Inaccurate data breaches the registration agreement and is grounds for suspension, and it weakens your position in any ownership dispute.
• Forgetting other domains: If you manage several domains, update all of them. A spreadsheet or registrar contact profiles help keep them consistent. See how to manage DNS for multiple domains for related housekeeping.

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FAQ: Changing Registrant Contact Details

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Conclusion

Changing your domain's registrant contact is usually a quick edit in your registrar account, followed by confirmation emails that you must act on. The registrant is the legal holder of the domain, so the name, organisation and email in that record should always reflect the real owner and point to an inbox someone actually reads.

Before you change a name, organisation or email on a gTLD domain, check whether your registrar still applies the 60-day transfer lock and whether you need to opt out. For ccTLDs, read the registry's own rules first. Then confirm every verification email, check the last changed date with RDAP, and make a habit of reviewing your domain contacts once a year so a forgotten address never puts your domain at risk.