serverTransferProhibited: What It Means & How to Remove It
serverTransferProhibited prevents your domain from being transferred to another registrar — but unlike its client twin, it's set by the registry operator itself, not your registrar. ICANN describes it as an uncommon status, usually enacted during legal or other disputes, at your request, or while a redemptionPeriod status is in place.
The practical difference matters: your registrar's unlock button cannot remove a server code.
What serverTransferProhibited means
The registry — the operator of the TLD, one level above your registrar — has flagged the domain so that all inter-registrar transfer requests are rejected. Server codes take precedence over client codes, so even a fully unlocked domain at the registrar level cannot transfer while this is set.
There are two very different reasons it appears. The good one: you (via your registrar) subscribed to a registry lock service, a premium protection where the registry itself blocks transfers, updates, and deletions until a manual, verified request unlocks them. The bad one: a legal dispute, court order, or UDRP proceeding has frozen the domain.
Is it good or bad news?
If you bought registry lock, it's excellent news — this is the strongest transfer protection available, used on high-value domains precisely because a registrar account compromise can't bypass it.
If you didn't request it, per ICANN it may indicate an issue that needs to be addressed promptly — commonly litigation or a dispute over the name. Contact your registrar for specifics.
How to remove it
- •Contact your registrar — you cannot deal with the registry directly. Ask why the code is set.
- •If it's a registry lock service, follow your registrar's verified unlock procedure (often a phone call or multi-party confirmation), complete your transfer, then re-lock.
- •If it's dispute-related, the code stays until the dispute resolves; your registrar can tell you what the registry requires.
- •Expect this to take longer than removing clientTransferProhibited — per ICANN, the registrar has to forward your request to the registry and wait for them to lift the restriction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't my registrar just unlock serverTransferProhibited?
Because it was set at the registry, one level above the registrar. Server codes take precedence over client codes. Your registrar must request removal from the registry operator and wait for them to act.
Is serverTransferProhibited the same as registry lock?
Registry lock services typically set serverTransferProhibited (usually with serverUpdateProhibited and serverDeleteProhibited) as their mechanism. But the code can also appear for legal disputes or during redemption, so its presence alone doesn't tell you which — ask your registrar.