What happens to DreamHost domains when the owner dies

DreamHost has a formal process for transferring domains after an account holder dies

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Timeline

DreamHost does not publish a service-level timeline for deceased-account access decisions. Email submissions to verifications@dreamhost.com are the most direct route; fax and mail are supported alternatives. DreamHost has noted Support will first attempt to contact the registered account email as part of verification.

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Verified Jul 2026

When a DreamHost account holder dies, DreamHost provides a process for transferring domains to the estate or designated heirs.

How to request a transfer

Here is the process for transferring DreamHost domains after the account holder dies:

1
Open a support ticket through the contact form at dreamhost.com/support. DreamHost has no inbound phone line; the only ways to reach support are the contact form, a scheduled callback (paid add-on or included with Dedicated/DreamPress Plus/Pro plans), email, fax, or mail. Estate paperwork must be submitted by email, fax, or mail.
2
Submit the required documentation per the Gaining access to accounts of the deceased article:
  • •Government-issued photo ID of the estate receiver (driver license, passport, or photo ID card)
  • •The deceased's WebID (username), registered email address, or website name
  • •A copy of the death certificate
  • •A copy of the document granting you authority over the DreamHost account or the estate (will, trust, or applicable probate ruling)
  • •If the deceased was under 18: a birth certificate verifying age and parental relationship (power of attorney is not required in this case)
3
Send the documentation by email, fax, or mail. Email is the most direct method:
  • •Email: verifications@dreamhost.com (attachments must be .jpg, .png, .gif, or .pdf)
  • •Fax: 1-714-671-9098
  • •Mail: DreamHost Web Hosting, Attn: Abuse Team, PMB #327, 417 Associated Rd., Brea, CA 92821 USA. Write the deceased's account number or email address on the top of each form.
4
If the estate already has the account login credentials, sign in directly at panel.dreamhost.com and update the contact information. According to DreamHost's article, in that case no additional documentation may be needed.
5
Wait for DreamHost to verify the documentation and grant access. DreamHost's article notes Support may attempt to reach the account owner via the account's contact email as part of verification before granting third-party access -- this is procedural and is not expected to be productive in a deceased-account case.
6
Once access is granted, update the contact information, payment method, and any Account Privileges. Back up websites, databases, and email immediately -- gaining access to the account does not automatically grant a third party rights to website files, and a separate grant of access may be required for hosted content.
7
Address hosted content and email promptly. Hosted websites and paid email require an active hosting plan; per DreamHost's email-plan policy, email accounts are disabled and deleted within 24 hours of the billing period ending. Domain registrations remain active through the rest of their paid registration period regardless of account status.
8
Decide whether to keep, transfer, or release each domain. Domains can be moved to another DreamHost account using the internal transfer flow (receiving account pays the transfer fee and gets a one-year extension) or transferred away to a different registrar. International ccTLDs may need Support assistance.

Required Documents

  • Government-issued photo ID of the estate receiver (driver license, passport, or photo ID card)
  • WebID, registered email address, or website name of the deceased account holder
  • Copy of the death certificate
  • Document granting authority over the DreamHost account or estate (will, trust, or applicable probate ruling)
  • If the deceased was under 18: birth certificate verifying age and parental relationship (replaces the power-of-attorney requirement)

Timeline

DreamHost does not publish a service-level timeline for deceased-account access decisions. Email submissions to verifications@dreamhost.com are the most direct route; fax and mail are supported alternatives. DreamHost has noted Support will first attempt to contact the registered account email as part of verification.

Download instructions for the whole estate

Frequently asked questions

DreamHost publishes a formal process for granting account access to the estate representative. The representative must submit a government-issued photo ID, the deceased's WebID (or registered email or website name), a copy of the death certificate, and a document granting authority over the estate (will, trust, or applicable probate ruling). Documentation can be emailed to verifications@dreamhost.com, faxed to 1-714-671-9098, or mailed to DreamHost's Brea, CA address. Domain ownership at death turns on whose contact information is in the domain registration, not the account ownership.

DreamHost does not offer a formal beneficiary designation. The closest equivalent is asking DreamHost Support to add an internal note to the account specifying who should be given access in case of death; DreamHost confirms it will place these instructions on the account's internal note system. The estate representative still has to submit the standard documentation through the deceased-account access process when the time comes.

Account Privileges let the primary account holder grant panel access to another person with their own login. Permissions are configurable per function: Billing, Grant Privileges, Private Servers, Domains, Domain Registrations, Users, Groups, Discussion Lists, Databases, and Hosting Plans. The sub-user logs in at panel.dreamhost.com and only sees what they have been granted. Important caveat: privileged users do NOT receive account or billing notices -- those go only to the primary email address -- so a privileged sub-user alone is not enough to catch missed renewals. Full primary-holder control still runs through DreamHost's deceased-account access process, or an internal account note naming who should receive access.

DreamHost does not have an inbound phone line for general or estate support. Estate documentation can be emailed to verifications@dreamhost.com, faxed to 1-714-671-9098, or mailed to DreamHost Web Hosting, Attn: Abuse Team, PMB #327, 417 Associated Rd., Brea, CA 92821. Callbacks from DreamHost Support are available as a paid add-on ($9.95 one-time or $14.95/month for three) or included with Dedicated, DreamPress Plus, and DreamPress Pro plans; callbacks happen during local business hours seven days a week.

If the domain registration contact information already shows your name and a verifiable email address, DreamHost treats the registration as yours and you do not need to go through the deceased-account access process for that specific domain. If the registrant contact does not match you, DreamHost can only release the name to the verified estate receiver, who must then transfer it to you.

Per DreamHost's deceased-access article, gaining access to the account does not automatically give a third party rights to website files hosted in the account. A separate grant of access from the estate receiver may be required for hosted content. The estate representative should prioritize downloading backups of all hosted files, databases, and email as soon as access is granted.

After the transfer is complete, the recipient can use the domains according to the program's standard terms. Document the deceased account holder's details to make this process easier for your executor or family.

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Sources

Data sourced from DreamHost primary sources (12 pages reviewed). How we research.