Who owns my domain?

Whoever is registered as the registrant of a domain controls it. The registrant can move the domain to another registrar, transfer it to someone else or let it expire. Many domains are registered to the company that built the website, because that company registered the domain on the customer's behalf.

A lookup at the registry or the registrar shows who the registrant is.

Look up the domain

1. For generic extensions such as .com, .net and .org, use ICANN Lookup. For a country extension, use the lookup service of that country's registry. For .no domains that is Norid.
2. Type in the domain name, for example yourdomain.com.
3. Note who is listed as the registrant, if that is shown.
4. Note the registrar. That is the company you contact to make any change to the domain.

For many domains the registrant's name and contact details are hidden for privacy reasons. The registrar is still listed, and the registrar can tell you whether the domain is registered to you.

If the domain is registered to your company

The domain is yours, even if a supplier registered it. Also check that the email address on the registration is one you actually monitor. The registry and the registrar use it for renewal notices and for transfer codes. You change the contact details through the registrar.

To move the domain to another registrar, you need a transfer code, often called an auth code or EPP code. For generic extensions, the registrar has to give the registrant this code on request, and may not refuse only because of a payment dispute. It can still deny the transfer itself if the current or an earlier registration period hasn't been paid. Country extensions have their own rules, so check with the registry.

If the domain is registered to a former supplier

In that case the supplier is the registrant, and the domain has to be transferred to your company. A change of registrant goes through the registrar, and the current registrant has to approve it.

1. Write to the supplier and ask for the domain to be transferred to your company. Include the domain name and the company details the registrar needs.
2. The supplier approves the change with the registrar, and you confirm it as the new registrant.
3. Look up the domain again and check that your company is now listed.

If the supplier has gone out of business, contact the registrar listed in the lookup as soon as possible. A domain that isn't renewed stops resolving and takes the website and email down with it.

When you're stuck

If the supplier won't hand over the domain, you can use the dispute process that most extensions have. For generic extensions it's ICANN's Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy, and country registries run their own. These processes are about rights to a name or trademark, and whether you're entitled to the domain depends on your agreement with the supplier. A lawyer should assess that.