REGISTRAR-LOCK is a status code that can be set on an Internet domain name by the sponsoring registrar of the domain name.[1] [2] This is usually done in order to prevent unauthorized, unwanted or accidental changes to the domain name.
When set, the following actions are prohibited by the domain name registry:
Renewal of the domain name is, however, still possible when REGISTRAR-LOCK is set.
Not all Top-level domains (TLDs) support REGISTRAR-LOCK,[3] e.g. .org.uk, and others.
The .ca TLD added support for REGISTRAR-LOCK in October 2010.
, section 6, and, section 2.1, lists the different status codes and their descriptions.
When a domain name is protected by REGISTRAR-LOCK at the registrar level the domain name will have the status code "ClientUpdateProhibited.[4] " The status codes of domain name can be found using the WHOIS system.[5]
For a domain name to be eligible for transfer from the sponsoring registrar to a different registrar the REGISTRAR-LOCK must first be disabled at the sponsoring registrar.[6]
REGISTRAR-LOCK is not the same as REGISTRY-LOCK.[7]
REGISTRY-LOCK is a strong security feature implemented at the registry level that is used to prevent unauthorized changes to a domain [8] name. When a domain name has been locked at the registry, an agent of the sponsoring registrar must transmit a request to the registry to unlock the domain name. The agent of the sponsoring registrar requesting that the domain name be unlocked is subsequently contacted via a phone call by the registry and required to provide a secret passphrase over the phone for the domain name to be unlocked. This is an added layer of security that can be used to [9] protect strategic domain names.
When a domain name is protected by REGISTRY-LOCK at the registry level the domain name will have the status code "ServerUpdateProhibited."[10]