Who actually owns my domain name, and how do I check?

The short answer: the legal owner of a domain name is the registrant, the person or business named on the registration. That's often not the business using it: web designers and old IT companies regularly register domains in their own name. You can check with a free WHOIS lookup, then ask your registrar to put it right.

Why this matters more than you'd think

Your domain name is behind your website and your email. If it expires, or the person who controls it disappears, both can stop working. And if the registrant is someone else, getting it back can take weeks of emails, forms and proof that you're who you say you are.

It usually goes wrong quietly. A web designer registers the domain to save you the hassle, the business moves on, and years later nobody knows where the renewal emails are going.

Who's who

• The registrant is the legal owner. This should be your business.
• The registrar is the company you rent the domain through and pay renewals to.
• The registry runs the whole domain ending. For .uk domains (including .co.uk) that's Nominet. For .com it's a different registry, but you deal with a registrar either way.

How to check who owns your domain

1. Search for a WHOIS lookup. For .uk domains, use the lookup on Nominet's website. For .com and others, use the ICANN lookup or a reputable WHOIS site.
2. Enter your domain, without "www".
3. Look at the registrar name and the expiry date. These are almost always shown.
4. Look for the registrant name. For privacy reasons this is often hidden, especially for individuals, so don't panic if you can't see it.

If the registrant is hidden, log in to your account with the registrar and check the details there. For .uk domains, Nominet also lets the registrant check and manage their details directly.

What "good" looks like

Run through this checklist:

• The registrant is your business's legal name (your limited company, if you are one), not a person or an old supplier.
• You have the login for the registrar account, not just your web designer.
• The contact email is one that will still be read if someone leaves, such as a shared address.
• The domain is on auto-renew, with a payment card that won't expire before the next renewal.
• You know which other services rely on it: website, Microsoft 365 email, any online shop.

What happens if it expires

Typically there's a short grace period. Then your website stops loading and email to your addresses stops arriving. If it's still not renewed, the domain is eventually cancelled and released, and anyone can register it, including people who buy up expired domains to resell or misuse.

Renewing on time costs very little. Getting a lapsed domain back can cost a lot more, if it's possible at all.

How to move it somewhere you control

If the domain is with a registrar you don't control, you can transfer it.

For .uk domains (Nominet):

1. Open an account with the registrar you want to use, and ask them for their IPS tag.
2. Ask the current registrar to change the domain's tag to the new one. Some let you do this yourself in their control panel.
3. Once the tag changes, the new registrar takes over. There's usually no transfer code involved.

For .com and most other endings:

1. Ask the current registrar to unlock the domain.
2. Get the auth code (also called an EPP code).
3. Start the transfer at the new registrar using that code, then approve the confirmation email.

If the registrant is the wrong person, changing the registrant is a separate step and may need their agreement. Do it before anything else.

Keep your domains with your other renewals, in one place you can see. If you use your domain for Microsoft 365 email, see How do I use my own domain for Microsoft 365 email? for what else it controls.

Common questions

My web designer registered it. Is it still mine?

Not legally, if they're named as the registrant. Most designers are happy to hand it over when asked. If they won't, or can't be found, the registrar or Nominet has a process for disputes, but it's slower.

Will transferring my domain break my email or website?

It shouldn't, as long as the settings (DNS records) are copied across correctly before or during the move. That's the part to get right, so check them first.

Do I need to own the .com as well as the .co.uk?

Not necessarily, but many businesses register both to stop someone else using the other one. If you do, keep them in the same place.