Auth Code (EPP Code, Transfer Code)

An auth code — also called an EPP code, AuthInfo code, or transfer code — is a short shared secret that a registrar issues for a specific domain to authorize a cross-registrar transfer. EPP (Extensible Provisioning Protocol) is the standard underlying registry protocol; the auth code is the per-domain credential within it. To transfer a domain from one registrar to another, the gaining registrar must present a valid auth code obtained by the registrant from the losing registrar. The code is usually visible inside the registrar's control panel, sometimes hidden behind a "Transfer Out" or "Get EPP Code" button. For tokenized domains, the on-chain ownership transfer does not require an auth code — the NFT transfer is atomic on-chain. Auth codes are only relevant when moving a domain between registrars in the traditional DNS world.