What .UK Domain Owners Should Check Before the February 2027 Registry Change

Nominet plans to move the .UK registry to a new platform on February 9, 2027. The change covers extensions including .uk and .co.uk and will alter how registrars handle transfers and parts of the domain lifecycle. Domain owners should review time-sensitive transfers and expiration dates before the switchover.

What is changing?

Nominet announced the transition date on June 4, 2026. Its registry guidance says the move affects registrar systems, transfer processes and domain lifecycle rules. The planned date is February 9, 2027; the change has not happened yet.

The scope includes .uk and .co.uk, along with other names in the .UK registry. Nominet's future-state documentation says secure transfer authorization codes will be required under the new process. That describes the coming registry process, not a claim that a particular NicNames control or transfer step has already changed.

Check transfers close to the transition

The detail that matters most to an owner mid-transfer is Nominet's transition rule: a domain still marked pendingTransfer under the old push-transfer process when the registry switches will have that transfer cancelled. The registrant would need to restart it using the new process. This does not say that every transfer will be cancelled.

If you expect to move a .UK domain around the transition date, confirm the status and timing with both registrars. Use our domain-transfer preparation guide to identify the current DNS provider and preserve the website and email records your services need. Moving a registration does not itself move the website or mailbox.

Review expiration and contact details

Nominet also describes changes to how domains at different lifecycle stages will be treated at cutover. Rather than assume an old renewal or restoration window will apply, check the exact expiration date and renewal settings with your registrar, especially for a name already close to expiry. The NicNames domain lookup guide explains how to read public registration dates and registrar information; account-level billing remains the reference for renewal action.

Keep the registrant contact information at your registrar current so you can receive any domain-specific instructions. Nominet's announcement addresses registry and registrar operations; it does not call for a blanket nameserver change by domain owners. If you have a transfer or renewal in progress near February 9, ask NicNames Support about your specific domain before changing settings.