Estate planning as a DreamHost account holder

DreamHost is an independent web hosting company and ICANN-accredited domain registrar that has been operating since 1997. DreamHost offers shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, cloud hosting (DreamCompute), object storage (DreamObjects), and domain registration services. A DreamHost account can hold domain registrations, hosted websites, Professional Email mailboxes, databases, and DNS configurations. DreamHost publishes a "Gaining access to accounts of the deceased or incapacitated" article in its Knowledge Base listing the documentation an estate receiver sends to gain access to the account. The two asset types come apart at death: a domain registration stays active for the rest of its paid registration period even if the account is closed, while hosted websites and mailboxes depend on the hosting plan staying paid.

After a DreamHost account holder dies, domains can be claimed by the estate. The transfer requires a death certificate and may require additional legal documentation depending on the account balance.

DreamHost supports transferring domains to another person during the account holder's lifetime.

What happens at death

DreamHost publishes a deceased-account access procedure in its Knowledge Base (help.dreamhost.com/hc/en-us/articles/215202507), retitled in 2026 to cover the incapacitated as well as the deceased. The estate receiver sends -- by mail, email, or fax -- (1) identification verification for the person requesting access (driver license, photo ID card, passport, and so on), (2) the WebID (username), email address, or website name of the individual associated with the account, (3) a copy of the death certificate of the deceased, when applicable, and (4) a copy of the document that gives the requestor authority over the DreamHost account or the estate, such as a will, trust, or applicable probate ruling. No court order is required. If the account owner was under 18, a copy of their birth certificate verifying age and the parental relationship is sent instead, and a power of attorney is not required. Email attachments must be .jpg, .png, .gif, or .pdf and go to verifications@dreamhost.com. Domain ownership turns on the domain registration contact: where the registration contact information displays the survivor with a verifiable email address, DreamHost states the registration is theirs and can be moved to their own account; where it does not, DreamHost states it is not able to release the name and can only release it to the verified estate receiver. DreamHost also states it cannot endeavor to identify or contact the estate receiver directly, though support will attempt to reach the account owner at the account contact email as part of verification.