What happens to GoDaddy accounts when the owner dies
GoDaddy Operating Company, LLC has a formal process for transferring accounts after an account holder dies
GoDaddy Account Recovery (Estate Access)
Initial response: up to 72 hours after submission. Domain expiration is the critical external deadline: websites and email stop working at day 5 after expiration, domains are listed on auction at day 26, a pending bid after day 30 blocks renewal, and a domain is removed from the account at day 72. GoDaddy does not publish an inactivity-based account-deletion policy, but individual products expire on their own renewal dates regardless of whether access has been granted to the estate.
GoDaddy Operating Company, LLC allows GoDaddy accounts to be transferred to the estate or heirs when an account holder dies.
How to request a transfer
To request a transfer of GoDaddy accounts after an account holder's death, follow these steps:
- •Completed "Regain Access To My Account" form with the Estate Administrator listed as the requestor
- •Legal documentation naming the Estate Administrator (letters testamentary or letters of administration)
- •Copy of the death certificate of the deceased
- •Government-issued color photo ID of the requestor showing picture, name, signature, and expiration date (a color copy, scan, or digital picture is acceptable)
- •Day 0: Domain expires; auto-renewal is attempted if enabled. Manual renewal is available at standard price.
- •Day +5: Domain is parked; any connected website or email stops working. Renewal still available at standard price.
- •Day +12: Final auto-renewal attempt. Manual renewal still available.
- •Day +18: Domain is removed from the active account; recovery requires a redemption fee.
- •Day +26: Domain is listed on Expired Domains Auction; recovery with fees still possible.
- •Day +30: If an active auction bid exists, the original registrant can no longer renew.
- •Day +36: Domain enters Final Closeout Auction; recovery with fees still possible if no pending purchase.
- •Day +72: Domain is removed from the account; it cannot be renewed by the original registrant.
Required Documents
- Completed "Regain Access To My Account" form with the Estate Administrator listed as requestor
- Legal documentation naming the Estate Administrator (letters testamentary or letters of administration)
- Copy of the death certificate of the deceased
- Government-issued color photo ID of the requestor (picture, name, signature, and expiration date visible)
- Government-issued business license (additional requirement only if the account is held in a business name)
Timeline
Initial response: up to 72 hours after submission. Domain expiration is the critical external deadline: websites and email stop working at day 5 after expiration, domains are listed on auction at day 26, a pending bid after day 30 blocks renewal, and a domain is removed from the account at day 72. GoDaddy does not publish an inactivity-based account-deletion policy, but individual products expire on their own renewal dates regardless of whether access has been granted to the estate.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Submit the "Regain Access To My Account" form at https://supportcenter.godaddy.com/accountrecovery along with legal documentation naming the Estate Administrator (letters testamentary or letters of administration), a copy of the death certificate, and a government-issued color photo ID of the requestor. GoDaddy states: "You must include all four of these items with your access request, or your request will not be considered." Allow up to 72 hours for an initial response.
Yes. Domain names are licensed property that can be transferred, sold, appraised, and inherited. GoDaddy's Universal Terms of Service references "heirs, successors and assigns." Once estate access is granted, domains can be transferred to another GoDaddy account, renewed, or sold. Unlike game libraries or streaming content, a domain has independent market value and is often the single most valuable digital asset in an estate.
The standard GoDaddy timeline is unforgiving: the website and email stop working at day 5 after expiration, the domain is listed on Expired Domains Auction at day 26, an active auction bid after day 30 blocks the original registrant from renewing, and the domain is removed from the account at day 72. Enabling auto-renew on important domains before death is the single most effective protection.
No. GoDaddy states: "Account closures can not be reversed. Once we delete your data and information, there's no way to retrieve it." You also cannot request refunds after closure. Transfer all domains and back up all data before closing an account, and never close a deceased account holder's account before the estate has secured every domain worth keeping.
Not entirely. Delegate Access lets a trusted person manage domains and complete purchases without sharing a password, and is useful during life and in the immediate weeks after death. Delegates cannot transfer the account to themselves. Formal ownership transfer still requires the Estate Administrator documentation process or a direct domain-level transfer.
Once transferred, accounts are subject to the program's standard terms. Having the deceased account holder's details documented in advance makes the transfer process significantly easier for the family.
Sources
Data sourced from GoDaddy Operating Company, LLC primary sources (9 pages reviewed). How we research.
GoDaddy Account Recovery (Estate Access)
Initial response: up to 72 hours after submission. Domain expiration is the critical external deadline: websites and email stop working at day 5 after expiration, domains are listed on auction at day 26, a pending bid after day 30 blocks renewal, and a domain is removed from the account at day 72. GoDaddy does not publish an inactivity-based account-deletion policy, but individual products expire on their own renewal dates regardless of whether access has been granted to the estate.
