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A .CA domain transfer should not take your website offline — downtime usually happens when DNS gets changed by accident, not because the domain moved to a new registrar.

That distinction matters. Your registrar is the company that manages the domain registration. Your web host is where the website files, email, databases, and server settings live. You can transfer a .CA domain to a new registrar while keeping the same website, same email, and same DNS records running the whole time.

This guide explains how to move a .CA domain to a new registrar safely, what to check before you start, and where downtime usually sneaks in.

What a .CA Domain Transfer Actually Does

Transferring a .CA domain means moving domain management from one registrar to another. For example, you might move the domain because you want better support, easier billing, Canadian-focused service, or to keep hosting and domains under one account.

A registrar transfer does not automatically move your website. It also does not automatically move your email accounts, WordPress site, DNS zone, or hosting plan.

That is good news if your only goal is to change registrars. Your website can keep loading from the same server while the domain registration moves in the background.

Downtime usually happens when someone changes one of these during the transfer:

• Nameservers
• A records or AAAA records
• MX records for email
• TXT records for SPF, DKIM, DMARC, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or other services
• DNSSEC settings
• CDN or proxy settings

Simple rule: If you are only transferring the registrar, keep your existing nameservers exactly as they are until the transfer is complete and verified.

Registrar Transfer vs. Hosting Migration

This is where many business owners get tripped up.

A domain registrar transfer changes who manages your domain registration. A hosting migration moves your website files, database, email, or DNS hosting to a new provider.

You can do one without the other.

• Registrar transfer only: Your website and email stay where they are. Lowest risk if DNS is left untouched.
• Hosting migration only: Your website moves to a new server, but your domain stays with the same registrar.
• Registrar transfer plus hosting migration: Both the domain management and website hosting move. This needs more planning.

If you are moving your actual website, not just the domain registration, read How to Migrate Your Website to a New Host before making changes. That process involves backups, testing, DNS cutover timing, and post-migration checks.

Before You Start: Do These Checks First

A smooth .CA transfer starts before you request the transfer code. Spend a few minutes gathering details now and you can avoid a messy outage later.

1. Confirm Who Controls the Domain

Make sure you can log in to the current registrar account. If an old developer, agency, employee, or former business partner controls the login, sort that out first.

You should also confirm that the registrant contact information is correct. For .CA domains, the registrant must meet Canadian Presence Requirements set by CIRA. In plain English, the domain holder needs to qualify under one of the accepted Canadian categories, such as a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, corporation, partnership, association, trademark holder, or other eligible registrant type.

If the domain is registered under the wrong person or a long-gone vendor, fix ownership before transferring. A registrar transfer is not the best moment to discover nobody has access to the approval email.

2. Check the Domain Status

Your domain usually needs to be unlocked before it can transfer. Many registrars show this as “Registrar Lock,” “Transfer Lock,” or “Client Transfer Prohibited.”

If the domain is locked, unlock it in the current registrar dashboard. Some registrars may also require confirmation by email or two-factor authentication.

If your .CA domain is very close to expiry, deal with that first. Transfer rules and timing can vary by registrar, and you do not want an expiry issue mixed into a transfer. Renewing first is often the safer option if the expiry date is coming up soon.

3. Identify Where DNS Is Hosted

This is the most important technical check.

Your DNS may be hosted at:

• Your current registrar
• Your web hosting provider
• A dedicated DNS provider
• A CDN or security platform
• Your email provider

Look at the current nameservers on the domain. The nameservers tell the internet where to find the DNS records for your domain.

If the nameservers are hosted at your current registrar, ask the new registrar what happens after transfer. Some registrars keep DNS running for a while after transfer, but you should never assume that. If your DNS is tied to the old registrar account and disappears after transfer, your website and email can go offline.

Tip: If your DNS is hosted at the old registrar, copy every DNS record before starting the transfer. Better yet, set up the same DNS zone at the new provider first, then switch nameservers only after everything has been checked.

4. Export or Screenshot Your DNS Records

Before touching anything, save a copy of the full DNS zone.

At minimum, record these:

• A records for the root domain and subdomains
• AAAA records if IPv6 is used
• CNAME records, including www and service-related records
• MX records for email routing
• TXT records for SPF, DKIM, DMARC, domain verification, and third-party tools
• SRV records, if used
• CAA records, if used for SSL certificate control
• DNSSEC DS records, if DNSSEC is enabled

Email records deserve special care. Losing MX or TXT records can break receiving mail, sending mail, or email authentication. If you are not sure how your email is configured, see Email Hosting: Setting Up Professional Email.

The Safest Way to Transfer a .CA Domain Without Downtime

Here is the low-risk approach we recommend for most small business websites.

Step 1: Leave Your Nameservers Alone

When you start the transfer at the new registrar, choose the option to keep existing nameservers if available.

This keeps DNS pointing to the same place during the transfer. Your website keeps resolving to the same server, and your email keeps following the same MX records.

Do not use the transfer as a chance to “clean things up” unless you have a proper DNS plan. Domain transfers and DNS cleanups should be separate jobs.

Step 2: Lower DNS TTL If You Plan to Change DNS Later

If you are only changing registrars and keeping DNS exactly the same, TTL changes may not be necessary.

If you plan to move DNS after the transfer, lower your TTL values before the change. A common temporary TTL is 300 to 600 seconds, if your DNS provider allows it. This helps changes spread faster when you later point the domain somewhere new.

Do this ahead of time, not five minutes before the cutover. Existing DNS resolvers may still respect the old TTL until it expires.

Step 3: Unlock the Domain and Get the Authorization Code

Log in to the current registrar and request the transfer authorization code. This may also be called an EPP code, auth code, transfer code, or authorization key.

For .CA domains, the new registrar will use this code to request the transfer. Treat it like a password. Do not send it in a group chat or leave it sitting in an unsecured document.

If the code does not work, request a fresh one from the current registrar. Transfer codes can sometimes expire or be regenerated.

Step 4: Start the Transfer at the New Registrar

At the new registrar, enter the .CA domain name and authorization code. Review the registrant information carefully.

For .CA domains, you may need to confirm eligibility details related to Canadian Presence Requirements. The exact wording can vary by registrar, so read the prompts rather than clicking through quickly.

During checkout or setup, watch for any option that changes nameservers. If your goal is zero downtime, keep the current nameservers.

Step 5: Watch for Approval Emails

Transfer approval emails may go to the registrant or administrative contact email address on the domain. Make sure that inbox is accessible before you begin.

If your domain uses privacy protection, the registrar may still have a way to forward approval messages. The exact process varies, so check your registrar dashboard and support documentation.

Do not ignore transfer emails. Some transfers proceed automatically after a waiting period, while others may require action. The safest approach is to monitor the inbox and approve anything legitimate as soon as you are confident it is from the registrar.

Step 6: Verify DNS During and After the Transfer

Once the transfer starts, check that the domain still uses the same nameservers.

After the transfer completes, check again. You want to confirm:

• The domain resolves to the same website IP address
• The www version still works
• Email is still being delivered
• SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are still present
• SSL still loads correctly over HTTPS
• Any CDN or proxy settings still behave as expected

If your site uses WordPress, log in and test key actions too. Submit a contact form, check important pages, test booking forms, and make sure WooCommerce checkout still works if you sell online.

What Usually Causes Downtime During a .CA Transfer

The transfer itself is rarely the villain. These are the usual suspects.

Changing Nameservers Too Early

If you switch nameservers before the new DNS zone is fully prepared, visitors may be sent to a blank server, parking page, or nowhere at all.

Before changing nameservers, confirm that the new DNS provider has every required record. Do not rely on “automatic DNS import” unless you have manually checked the result.

Forgetting Email Records

Many people copy the website A record and forget the MX records. The site works, but email stops.

Also copy TXT records used for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Without them, your outgoing mail may start landing in spam or failing authentication checks.

If you need a refresher on email authentication records, read How to Set Up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for Your Business Email.

DNSSEC Mismatches

DNSSEC can improve DNS security, but it can also cause a hard outage if the DS record at the registrar does not match the DNS provider’s signing keys.

If DNSSEC is enabled and you are changing DNS providers, plan carefully. You may need to remove the old DS record before switching, then add the new one after the new DNS zone is signed. The safest steps depend on your DNS provider, so follow their current documentation or ask support.

If you are not changing nameservers, DNSSEC is usually less risky because the DNS provider is staying the same. Still, verify it after the transfer.

Letting the Domain Expire Mid-Process

Do not start a transfer at the last minute before expiry unless you know exactly what your registrar allows.

If the domain is mission-critical, renew early or transfer well ahead of the expiry date. A few extra days of planning is much cheaper than a site and email outage.

Mixing Too Many Changes Together

The riskiest transfers are the ones where everything changes at once: registrar, hosting, DNS, email, CDN, SSL, and WordPress updates.

Split the work into stages:

1. Transfer the domain registrar while keeping nameservers the same.
2. Verify website and email.
3. Move DNS only if needed.
4. Move hosting only after backups and testing are ready.

This makes troubleshooting much easier. If something breaks, you know which change caused it.

When You Should Not Transfer the Domain Yet

Sometimes the right move is to wait.

Do not transfer your .CA domain right before a major launch, ad campaign, court deadline, busy restaurant weekend, product release, or seasonal sales push. Even a low-risk transfer can become stressful if support teams are slow or old account access is messy.

You should also wait if:

• You do not know who owns the domain account
• The current registrar login is shared with an old vendor
• Your business email depends on DNS records you have not documented
• DNSSEC is enabled and nobody knows how it was configured
• The domain is already expired or very close to expiry
• You are also changing email providers at the same time

Get control, document the setup, then transfer.

Special Notes for Canadian Businesses Using .CA Domains

A .CA domain carries a bit of Canadian identity. For local businesses, law firms, healthcare clinics, trades, restaurants, real estate agents, and e-commerce stores, that can build trust with Canadian visitors.

But .CA domains also have eligibility rules. The domain holder must meet CIRA’s Canadian Presence Requirements. If your business structure has changed, such as moving from sole proprietor to corporation, make sure the registrant information still reflects the correct legal owner.

If you are consolidating services, Canadian hosting may also be worth considering. Keeping your site close to your Canadian audience can help with performance and support expectations. Ambrite’s cloud web hosting starts at $7.99/month CAD and includes LiteSpeed, NVMe SSD storage, and Imunify360 security protection.

For more on the hosting side of that decision, see Why Canadian Businesses Need Canadian Hosting.

Post-Transfer Checklist

After the transfer completes, do not just assume everything is fine. Run through a quick checklist.

• Confirm the domain is active at the new registrar.
• Confirm the expiry date looks correct.
• Confirm the registrant contact information is accurate.
• Confirm the nameservers are the ones you intended to use.
• Load the website on both the root domain and www version.
• Test HTTPS and make sure there are no SSL warnings.
• Send and receive test emails.
• Submit a contact form and confirm delivery.
• Check any booking, quote request, intake, or checkout forms.
• Verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are still present.
• If DNSSEC is enabled, confirm DNS resolution works from more than one network.

If you use uptime monitoring, keep an eye on it for the next day or two. If you do not, manually check the site from mobile data and a separate internet connection. This helps catch DNS issues that may not show up from your own office network.

Should You Move DNS to the New Registrar Too?

Maybe — but not automatically.

Keeping DNS where it is can be the safest option if everything works and you are only changing registrar billing. There is no prize for moving DNS just because you can.

Moving DNS may make sense if:

• Your old registrar will stop providing DNS after transfer
• You want all domain settings in one dashboard
• Your current DNS provider is unreliable or hard to use
• You need better support for records, DNSSEC, or advanced configuration
• You are moving hosting and want your provider to manage DNS too

If you do move DNS, build the new DNS zone first. Compare it against your exported records. Then change nameservers during a quiet period, not at 4:55 p.m. on a Friday.

How Ambrite Handles Domain and Hosting Moves

When we help a Canadian business move a domain or website, we separate the work into clear steps: domain access, DNS audit, backup, transfer, verification, and only then any hosting or DNS changes.

That approach is slower than clicking every button at once, but it is much safer.

If you are moving a WordPress site to Ambrite hosting, we can help plan the cutover so the domain transfer does not get tangled up with the website migration. Our WordPress maintenance plans start from $49/month CAD for businesses that want ongoing updates, monitoring, backups, and security help after the move.

If you are unsure whether you need a domain transfer, hosting migration, DNS cleanup, or all three, contact us before making changes. A 10-minute review can prevent hours of email and website downtime later.

You can reach Ambrite here: contact Ambrite.

Quick No-Downtime Transfer Plan

If you want the short version, use this plan:

1. Log in to the current registrar and confirm ownership.
2. Copy every DNS record before changing anything.
3. Confirm where DNS is hosted.
4. Unlock the .CA domain.
5. Request the authorization code.
6. Start the transfer at the new registrar.
7. Keep the existing nameservers unchanged.
8. Approve any legitimate transfer emails.
9. Wait for completion and verify nameservers again.
10. Test website, email, SSL, forms, and any checkout or booking tools.

If you remember one thing, make it this: transfer the registrar first, change DNS later only if needed. That is the cleanest way to move a .CA domain without taking your website offline.

This article was written with the help of AI and reviewed by the Ambrite team. Pricing, features, and technical details may change — always verify with official sources before making decisions.