Look the domain up to see whose name it's in. If it's your business, ask the registrar for the Auth-Code. If it's the designer's, ask them to change the holder to you.
Find out who holds the domain
Search for your domain on the Domain Name Commission website. It shows the expiry date, the registrar (the company it's registered through, such as 1st Domains or Freeparking) and the holder, who legally owns the domain.
| The holder is | Where you stand |
|---|---|
| Your business | You only need access. Get the Auth-Code. |
| The designer or their company | They need to change the holder. |
| The designer, and they won't help | You escalate. |
If it's in your name, get the Auth-Code
To move a .nz domain to another registrar you need its Auth-Code (once called a UDAI). It's a 16-character code the registrar issues to the holder on request, valid for 30 days.
- Ask the registrar shown in the lookup for the Auth-Code.
- Prove you're the holder, usually through the email on the record. If that's the designer's address, ask how else they verify you.
- Give the code to the registrar you're moving to, and they start the transfer.
If it's in the designer's name
Changing the holder is a standard request, and the registry doesn't charge for it (some registrars do). Ask the designer in writing to change the holder to your business by a set date, and keep a copy. Most will sort it out once asked.
If they won't, ask the registrar what they need, then complain to the Domain Name Commission. Last is the .nz Dispute Resolution Service, which starts with mediation. An expert decision costs NZ$2,000 + GST and usually takes about 40 working days. You need to show you have rights in the name, such as your business name, and that the designer holding it is unfair.
For a .com, the code is called an auth code or EPP code. Changing the holder can lock it against moving registrars for 60 days, though many registrars let you opt out.
Don't let it expire meanwhile
If the designer is the holder, the renewal is theirs, so sort out the holder well before the expiry date. From then on, keep the domain in your business's name with an email address you control. Your web person can manage it without holding it.
When to get help
If the designer has gone quiet, the holder's email is one you can't reach, or the expiry date is close, it's worth handing over before it becomes urgent. Talk to us.