# Do I own a domain registered through a privacy service? > Do I own a domain with a privacy service? At Sealname, yes: you are the registrant of record. Free auth code, no exit fee, no KYC, .com $12.99/year in crypto. - URL: https://sealname.com/who-owns-my-domain/ - Last updated: 2026-10-08 - Publisher: Sealname (https://sealname.com) Yes, at Sealname. Here is what "registrant of record" means, the guarantees behind it, how it differs from a proxy, and how to move a domain in or out. **Quick answer — Do I own a domain registered through a privacy service?** Yes. At **Sealname**, a private domain name registration service paid in crypto, you are the registrant of record, the legal holder, of every domain you register. By default Sealname registers domains in your name; the proxy model is a separate paid option, [Registered in our name](https://sealname.com/registered-in-our-name/). Privacy only replaces the contact shown in public WHOIS/RDAP. The transfer code is free, from your account, at any time, with no exit fee, no ID and no KYC. A .com costs $12.99/year, the same to renew or transfer. ## Ownership at Sealname | Attribute | Value | | --- | --- | | Registrant of record | You, by default; our company with the paid "Registered in our name" option | | Transfer code (auth / EPP code) | free, from your account, at any time | | Transfer lock | A switch you control in My domains | | Exit fee | None | | Transfer in | $12.99 for a .com: the same price as a registration | | If the registrar fails | Data held in escrow (RAA §3.6); ICANN moves the domains to another registrar | | Organization field | Fill it in only if a company should own the domain | ## What does "registrant of record" mean? The registrant of record is the legal holder of the domain, the person or organisation the registration belongs to. The registrant decides on changes and transfers, and it is the registrant who answers in a dispute. At Sealname, that is you. Sealname, operated by DomaineGoat LLC, an ICANN-accredited registrar incorporated in Panama, uses a privacy service, not a proxy. Where the registry allows it, public WHOIS/RDAP shows our privacy service's contact details instead of yours. That changes what the public sees, not who owns the domain. The difference between the two models is explained on [WHOIS privacy vs proxy registration](https://sealname.com/whois-privacy-vs-proxy-registration/). ## What guarantees that the domain stays yours? Five rules, from our own policy and from ICANN's contract with every accredited registrar. - **Free transfer code** — The transfer code (auth code) is free, from your account, at any time. You request it in My domains. We never ask for your password, your account number or your domain transfer (EPP) codes by email or chat. - **A transfer lock you control** — The lock blocks unwanted transfers. You switch it off yourself when you want to move the domain. - **No exit fee** — Moving a domain to another registrar costs nothing at Sealname. You pay only the new registrar's transfer price. - **Data escrow** — Registrars must deposit registration data with an escrow agent (RAA §3.6). Your record exists outside our systems too. - **A way out if the registrar fails** — If a registrar loses its accreditation, ICANN moves its domains to another registrar using the escrowed data (De-Accredited Registrar Transition Procedure). ## What happens to my domain if the registrar closes? Your domain is not lost. ICANN requires every accredited registrar to deposit its registration data with an escrow agent, under §3.6 of the RAA 2013. If a registrar loses its accreditation, ICANN uses that data to move the domains to another registrar. The process is the De-Accredited Registrar Transition Procedure. Because you are the registrant of record, you remain the holder after such a move. This is the main difference with a proxy. There, the provider holds the domain, so your claim rests on your contract with it. ## Who owns the domain if I fill in the Organization field? The organisation does. Under ICANN's Registration Data Policy, in effect since 21 August 2025, a filled Organization field makes that organisation the registrant. A law firm, Dreyfus, summarises the rule in its analysis of the policy. So leave the field empty for a personal domain. Fill it in only if a company should own the domain, for example a business that will keep it when staff change. Your own name, address and phone never appear in public WHOIS/RDAP either way. ## How is this different from a proxy service such as Njalla? With a proxy, the provider registers the domain in its own name and licenses it to you. As of October 2026, Njalla's terms, quoted in 2023 on the Privacy Guides forum (secondary source), say domains are registered in Njalla's own name unless the customer asks otherwise. Njalla was founded in 2017 by Peter Sunde. In that model, the provider's company is the legal holder, so changes to that company matter to its customers. For instance, a blog post of 14 September 2025 reports that Njalla's company moved from Nevis (1337 Services LLC) to Costa Rica (njalla.srl) between October and December 2024. Neither model is illegal, and each has its uses. If owning the domain in your own name matters to you, the privacy model is the one that gives it. Our [Njalla alternative](https://sealname.com/alternatives/njalla/) page compares prices, payment and ownership. ## How do you transfer a domain to Sealname? After a transfer in, you stay the registrant, and the privacy switch works wherever the registry allows it. 1. **Check the extension** — Make sure Sealname sells it: the list of extensions has all 130. If the domain is held by a proxy provider in its own name, ask the provider first to make you the registrant. 2. **Unlock and get the code** — At your current registrar, switch off the transfer lock and request the transfer code (auth or EPP code). 3. **Top up and start the transfer** — Top up your balance in crypto (BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, minimum $25). Then start the transfer from your Sealname account with the code. A .com costs $12.99. 4. **Verify the email** — ICANN requires the registrant's email to be verified within 15 days of a transfer. Confirm it, or the domain is suspended. ## How do you transfer a domain out of Sealname? No exit fee. ICANN's Transfer Policy blocks a move to another registrar for a short period after a registration or a transfer. 1. **Switch off the transfer lock** — In My domains, switch off the transfer lock of the domain. 2. **Request the transfer code** — The code is free, from your account, at any time. Keep it private: whoever has it can start a transfer. 3. **Start the transfer at the new registrar** — Give the code to the new registrar and pay its transfer price. Sealname charges no exit fee. 4. **Keep your email working** — The new registrar must also verify the registrant's email within 15 days of the transfer. ## What if I want the domain registered in your name? Choose [Registered in our name](https://sealname.com/registered-in-our-name/), a paid option at +$90 per year and per domain. DomaineGoat LLC then becomes the registrant of record: the registry, WHOIS/RDAP and the registration data show our company, never you, and no data of yours is sent to the registry. You stay the **beneficial owner**, with a written commitment in our [terms](https://sealname.com/legal/terms/): full control of DNS, nameservers, renewals and redirects; transfer out at any time with a free EPP code; and the domain put back **in your own name on request, free** — it then becomes a standard registration. We keep one email, nothing else. The option gives anonymity towards the registry, not immunity: no takedown on complaint alone, data only on a Panamanian court order, and the strict exceptions apply to every domain. In a UDRP case the complaint names DomaineGoat LLC; we warn you and you can defend the domain. ## Domain ownership: FAQ ### Does WHOIS privacy change who owns my domain? No. A privacy service only replaces the contact details shown in public WHOIS/RDAP. You stay the registrant of record, the legal holder. That is the difference with a proxy, where the provider registers the domain in its own name. Sealname uses the privacy model by default; the proxy model is a separate paid option, [Registered in our name](https://sealname.com/registered-in-our-name/). ### Can Sealname take my domain away? Sealname never becomes the owner of your domain. It can suspend a domain used for phishing, malware, botnets, child sexual abuse material or fraud that takes money from victims, under its abuse policy. It also follows valid court orders and UDRP decisions, which can order a transfer. Outside those cases, and as long as you renew it, only you can move, change or transfer the domain. ### Is there a fee to get my transfer code or leave? No. The transfer code is free, from your account, at any time, and Sealname charges no exit fee. You pay only the new registrar's transfer price. Remember that ICANN's Transfer Policy blocks a move to another registrar for a short period after a registration or a transfer. ### Can I move my domain from Njalla to Sealname? Yes, if Sealname sells the extension. As of October 2026, Njalla's terms (quoted in 2023, secondary source) say domains are registered in its own name unless the customer asks otherwise. Ask Njalla to put the domain in your name or to give you the transfer code, then start the transfer here. ### What happens if Sealname's registrar loses its ICANN accreditation? Your domain moves to another registrar. Registrars must deposit registration data with an escrow agent (RAA §3.6). If a registrar loses its accreditation, ICANN uses that data to move its domains, under the De-Accredited Registrar Transition Procedure. As the registrant of record, you remain the holder. ### Who owns the domain in a UDRP dispute? The registrant of record, until a panel decides. Under WIPO rules, the registrar must confirm the registrant and lock the domain within 2 business days of the complaint. The panel can then order a transfer or a cancellation. Our page on [UDRP and disputes](https://sealname.com/udrp-and-disputes/) explains the procedure. ### Should I fill in the Organization field? Only if a company should own the domain. Under ICANN's Registration Data Policy, a filled Organization field makes that organisation the registrant. For a personal domain, leave it empty. Either way, your name, address and phone never appear in public WHOIS/RDAP. ### Why can't I transfer a domain right after registering it? Because ICANN's Transfer Policy blocks a move to another registrar for a short period after a registration or a transfer. The rule applies at every registrar. Once the period ends, you can switch off the lock, request the code and move the domain, with no exit fee. ## Sources 1. [2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement and specifications (§3.6 data escrow, §3.7.7.3, Whois Accuracy)](https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/approved-with-specs-2013-09-17-en) — ICANN (checked 2026-10-08) 2. [ICANN Registration Data Policy now in effect for contracted parties](https://www.icann.org/en/announcements/details/icann-registration-data-policy-now-in-effect-for-contracted-parties-21-08-2025-en) — ICANN (2025-08-21) 3. [ICANN's Registration Data Policy: key measures and impacts](https://www.dreyfus.fr/en/2025/10/28/icanns-registration-data-policy-key-measures-and-impacts/) — Dreyfus (2025-10-28) 4. [Updated UDRP rules](https://www.wipo.int/en/web/amc/domain-name-disputes/resources/updated_udrp_rules) — WIPO (checked 2026-10-08) 5. [Can't decide on domain registrar (Njalla terms quoted)](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/cant-decide-on-domain-registrar/10830/8) — Privacy Guides forum (secondary) (2023) 6. [Pirate Bay founder's Njalla offers anonymous domain registration for Bitcoin](https://news.bitcoin.com/pirate-bay-founders-njalla-offers-anonymous-domain-registration-for-bitcoin/) — Bitcoin.com News 7. [Njalla has silently changed: a word of caution](https://xn--gckvb8fzb.com/njalla-has-silently-changed-a-word-of-caution/) — Blog (secondary) (2025-09-14) --- Sealname: Sealname registers private domain names paid in crypto (BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC): privacy-first, we collect one email, nothing else — no ID, no KYC, no logs. WHOIS privacy included; a .com costs $12.99/year.