What happens to DreamHost domains when someone dies
DreamHost publishes its own process for a deceased person's account; a written request goes by email to verifications@dreamhost.com.
DreamHost's terms allow DreamHost domains to transfer to the estate after the account holder dies.
DreamHost publishes its own process for a deceased person's account: Gaining access to accounts of the deceased or incapacitated; a written request goes by email to verifications@dreamhost.com. The request takes 5 documents.
How to request a transfer
- •Identification for the estate receiver, such as a driver license, photo ID card or passport.
- •The WebID (username), email address or website name associated with the account.
- •A copy of the death certificate, and a copy of the will, trust or probate ruling giving authority over the account or the estate.
- •For an account owner under 18, a copy of the birth certificate verifying age and the parental relationship instead.
- •Email: verifications@dreamhost.com, with .jpg, .png, .gif or .pdf attachments.
- •Fax: 714-671-9098.
- •Mail: DreamHost Web Hosting, Attn: Abuse Team, PMB #327, 417 Associated Rd., Brea, CA 92821 USA.
Required Documents
- Identification verification for the estate receiver: A driver license, photo ID card, passport or similar.
- The WebID, email address or website name associated with the account: The WebID is the account username.
- A copy of the death certificate: When applicable
- A copy of the document giving authority over the account or the estate: A will, trust or applicable probate ruling.
- A copy of the birth certificate: If the account owner was under 18. It verifies age and the parental relationship; a power of attorney is not required.
What DreamHost says happens7
- Who owns the asset
Domain ownership turns on the registration contact: where it 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 releases the name only to the verified estate receiver.1
- Verifying the requester
DreamHost states it cannot endeavor to identify or contact the estate receiver directly; as part of verification, support attempts to reach the account owner at the account contact email.1
- Court orders and legal process
No court order is required; DreamHost asks for a will, trust or applicable probate ruling.1
- Disclosure of account content
Where a third party other than the estate receiver wants the website files, DreamHost directs them to the estate receiver rather than releasing anything itself.1
- Subscriptions and billing
Hosted websites and mailboxes depend on the hosting plan staying paid, and they do not move with a domain registration.1
Panel access is restricted once a balance is 30 days past due, and the account is suspended for non-payment after a 60-day grace period from the invoice date; billing reminders go only to the primary email address on the account.2, 3
A cancelled Professional Email plan keeps running through the end of the current billing term and can be reactivated at any point before that term ends, but not after.4
- Closing the account
A domain registration stays active for the rest of its registration period even if the account is closed; when closing, the holder selects which services and domains to keep, and any outstanding balance is paid first.5
On closing, a free-registration credit must be paid unless the domain is within 30 days of expiry, and a closed account can be reactivated through support.5
- Domain renewal and expiry
When a domain registration expires, the website, email service and other services associated with it stop working. DreamHost holds an expired .com, .net, .org or .info registration for a 30-day grace period at the regular renewal price; non-standard TLDs may not offer that grace period.3
After the grace period the registry places the name in a 30-day redemption period, recoverable only for a registry redemption fee plus a one-year renewal charge, then a pendingDelete period in which it can no longer be redeemed, then release to the public.6, 7
Renewal reminder emails start four weeks before a domain expires and go only to the primary account email; ICANN reminders go out four weeks and one week before, with a final notice on the expiration date.3, 7
Not in DreamHost's published guidance4
- How long a request takes
- A phone number for this
- An online portal for estate requests
- A death or estate clause in the Terms of Service
A written request to DreamHost can ask it to transfer the registration to a new registrant, disclose the account’s content, provide purchase and transaction records for the estate inventory and preserve the account while the estate is opened.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter for DreamHost drafts that request from the estate's details.
Sources
Data sourced from DreamHost primary sources (9 pages reviewed). How we research.
DreamHost estate claims
DreamHost Verifications
Fax
Mailing address
Website
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: the probate petition, small estate affidavit, notice to creditors, inventory, and closing forms.
Affidavit of Death
Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.
IRS Form 56
Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines, and inheritance taxes.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need and see ordering info for your state.
Do I Need Probate?
Find out if an estate needs probate or qualifies for simplified procedures.
What Happens to Jointly Owned Property When an Owner Dies?
See what your state records when a joint tenant with right of survivorship dies: an affidavit, the death certificate or a new deed.
Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?
Find out which tax returns need to be filed after someone dies and whether tax clearance is required.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Personalized plan for settling an estate after someone passes away.
What Do I Do When Someone Dies?
A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with state rules noted where they apply.
