serverTransferProhibited status

The registry has locked the domain against transfers to another registrar, often as part of a registry lock or during a dispute.

serverTransferProhibited at a glance
EPP status codeserverTransferProhibited
RDAP statusserver transfer prohibited (per RFC 8056)
Set byRegistry
CategoryServer status (set by the registry)
Defined inRFC 5731
ICANN referenceicann.org/epp#serverTransferProhibited

What serverTransferProhibited means

serverTransferProhibited prevents the domain from being transferred from its current registrar to another one. It works like clientTransferProhibited, but it is set by the registry (the "server" in EPP terms) and the registrar cannot remove it on its own. In RDAP it appears as server transfer prohibited.

On many high-value domains it is part of a registry lock: a service offered by many registries through registrars, in which the server prohibition statuses are only removed after a manually verified request. A lookup of google.com, for example, shows the registrar's client locks and the registry's server locks side by side.

Registries also set it for their own reasons. ICANN lists legal and other disputes, a request from the registrant and a domain being in its redemption period as the usual causes.

Official definition: ICANN, EPP Status Codes: What Do They Mean, and Why Should I Know? (serverTransferProhibited)

Why a domain has this status

  • The owner uses a registry lock service for extra protection against hijacking.
  • The domain is the subject of a legal dispute or court order.
  • The domain is in redemptionPeriod, when the registry does not allow transfers.

What you should do

  • If you use a registry lock and want to transfer the domain, ask your registrar to start the registry's unlock procedure. Expect it to take longer than removing a registrar lock, because the registry verifies the request.
  • If you never ordered a registry lock, contact your registrar and ask why the registry has locked the domain. Registrants normally deal with the registry through their registrar.
  • Once the status is gone, also check for clientTransferProhibited and remove that lock before requesting the transfer.

Check a domain's status

Look up any domain to see its current status codes, registrar, expiration date and name servers from the registry's RDAP or WHOIS service.

  • clientTransferProhibited: The registrar has locked the domain against transfers to another registrar, the standard protection against domain hijacking.
  • serverUpdateProhibited: The registry has locked the domain against changes such as new name servers or contacts; only the registry can lift the lock.
  • serverDeleteProhibited: The registry has locked the domain against deletion, which is typical of a registry lock and of domains in the redemption period.
  • pendingTransfer: A transfer of the domain to a new registrar has been requested and is waiting to be approved, rejected or completed automatically.
  • redemptionPeriod: The domain was deleted and no longer resolves, but its owner can restore it for a fee during the redemption period (30 days for gTLDs).

Frequently asked questions

Can my registrar remove serverTransferProhibited?

Not by itself. The status is set by the registry, so the registrar has to ask the registry to remove it. If it comes from a registry lock service, the registry verifies the request before lifting it.

Is serverTransferProhibited a problem?

Not necessarily. On well-known domains it usually means a registry lock is protecting the domain. It only becomes a problem if you want to transfer the domain and don't know why it was set; in that case, ask your registrar.

Further reading