Domain Registries themselves - such as ICANN and CIRA for example - have restrictions on when and how they will allow a transfer. These are not rules set by REGISTRARS, and they are not rules set by us - they are rules built into the REGISTRIES themselves. There is no way to change these rules, they are built in for everyone's protection. Mainly, they are rules built in to make sure that no one is stealing anyone else's domain names. In the past, there were times when someone would 'hijack' a domain like IBM.com or LLOYDS.com and even GOOGLE.com was hijacked one time, before these types of restrictions, rules and limitations were put in place. Basically, that's why these 'checks and balances' were put in place and it's therefor not really possible to bypass or circumvent these rules and restrictions.
Also, this isn't an exhaustive list. This is just quick info on what are common restrictions that people bump into.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE REGISTRIES RULES & YOUR REGISTRANT AGREEMENT.
When did you register?
ICANN, the corporation responsible for regulating all domain registrations, prohibits anyone from transferring a domain until 60 days after registration or transfer. If you registered or transferred your domain within the last 60 days, you won't be able to transfer your domain successfully until this waiting period is over. To review your domain registration date, visit your Client Area, and you can look up your domain details, which shows your registration or renewal dates. If your domain is not in your 'inventory' then you can look it up on the ICANN website.
When did you last modify domain information or contact information?
The Registries typically prohibit transfers for a time period after information on the domain is modified, or after contact information is modified. The rationale is that if a hijacker somehow manages to change your domain contact information, he could otherwise immediately then transfer (steal) your domain. By placing restrictions on transferring domains after certain information modifications, that helps prevent this from happening, and it greatly increases the ability to thwart domain hijacking.
Is your domain Registry Locked?
When you registered your domain, there is a 'lock' to help prevent unauthorized transfers. To transfer your domain to another provider, you'll need to make sure your domain is unlocked. You can unlock your domain in your Client Area.
Do you have your authorization code?
When you initiate a trasnsfer at a new Registration Provider, be sure you have your authorization code for the domain. The new provider needs this code to verify the transfer. You can request your code (or Key) in the domain details area of your client area.
Is your email address correct?
Your new provider will send an email to the administrative contact listed in your domain registration (your WHOIS information) when your domain transfer is ready. Be sure your administrative contact's email address is correct, or you won't be able to confirm the transfer.
Do you have ID Protect turned on?
ID Protect or other types of Private Domain Registration is an optional service that masks personal information that would otherwise be visible in the public WHOIS registry information that includes the administrative contact email address mentioned above. To ensure you receive your new provider's email, we recommend that you disable this feature during any transfer process.
Have you made changes to your WHOIS information recently?
It may take a short time for those changes to become visible to everyone on the Internet sometimes as much as 72 hours. If you have made any changes to your domain contact information, please wait a few days before transferring your domain. Also, as mentioned above, changes to certain domain and contact information may also impose a Lock imposed by the Registry in order to help prevent domain hijacking attempts.
Is the domain's expiry or renewal imminent?
The transfer process may take only several hours, but it may also take several days to process. You should initate the transfer process AT LEAST two weeks before the expiry or renewal date of the domain. There is no downside to transfering a domain weeks or even month's early, and you don't lose any registration time when you do that, since the transfer process extends the regsitration for an additional year in the process. Waiting till the last day or two and initiating a transfer at that point is likely to run into complications.
