Domain and Account Ownership and Verification

In this article, we will be discussing the following topics:

Verification Request Types Defined
What do I need to know before proceeding with the Ownership Process?
Accounts Registered Under an Individual Person
- Deceased Owner (Individual)
Accounts Registered Under an Organization or Company Name
Unacceptable Documents
How to Process Domain Ownership or Change of Registrant Verification

We suggest that you review the acceptable/unacceptable documentation we have listed below. Sending unacceptable documents may delay your process of gaining access.

Verification Request Types Defined

Account Ownership Verification

This refers to the process one would take when a customer is not able to confirm the account, has forgotten their password, and is unable to receive a password reset email.

Domain Ownership Verification

This refers to the process one would take when a customer is not able to confirm the Ownership of a domain within an account, cannot access said account, or has forgotten their password and is unable to receive a password reset email.

Change of Registrant Verification

This refers to the process one would take when a customer wants to change the domain contact information for WHOIS. This information is where we normally send all the updates regarding all domain-related concerns.

What do I need to know before proceeding with the Ownership Process?

Before submitting your information via the Ownership Form, you will be asked to provide the following acceptable documents depending on whether the account is owned by an Individual or a Company/Organization.

Accounts Registered Under an Individual Person

You will need to provide one of the following acceptable documents:

Driver's License or State ID* (Secondary document may be required** )
Passport*– (Supporting document required**)

*All identification documents must be in color and show the complete name, date of birth, expiration date, and signature of the account owner. Documentation will be considered unacceptable if the information is not visible, blurred, or blocked.

**Secondary documentation is necessary for any government-issued ID or business documents that do not match the address on file or when sending a Passport. These include utility bills (gas, water, electric, internet, phone), tax documents, or a bank/credit card statement. Documents must show an address that matches the address we have on file.

Deceased Owner (Individual)

In cases where the account owner has died, and someone needs to regain access to the account, they must provide 3 things: 

Contacting customers must provide a color copy of their government-issued photo ID.
A copy of the account owner or registrant's death certificate. 
Legal documentation indicating contacting customer should have control of the account or domain(s) (e.g., Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, or Letters of Representation).

Accounts Registered Under an Organization or Company Name

You will need to provide one of the following acceptable documents as proof of ownership:

Certificate of Association (also known as Certificate of Incorporation in some states)
501(c)(3)
DBA/ Fictitious Name Documentation
IRS EIN Letter
Business License
Sales Tax Permit
Articles of Dissolution

Note: Business documents publicly available or sourced online are tagged as unacceptable documents. Documents that are expired will not be accepted.

Unacceptable Documents

Any Identification that is not color copies
Altered documents and Identifications
Employer identification document
Anything that is not in English or is not a Certified translation into English
Documents sourced online/available publicly

How to Process Domain or Account Ownership

Go to the Request Account Ownership page.

Select the Request Type.

Enter the Username or Domain name on the account.

Provide your email address.

Click the Choose Files button to add all the necessary documents to be submitted.

Provide a short and clear explanation of the issue inside the How Can We Help? Field.

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