What happens to a domain name I own when I die?
A registered domain doesn't expire or transfer on its own — it keeps renewing on the payment method on file until it lapses, and getting it moved to someone else requires going through the registrar's own estate-access process. GoDaddy's, as the largest registrar, is representative and fully documented: "To access a domain or an account after the death of the account holder, you must be the Estate Administrator of the deceased." Source
GoDaddy requires four specific items submitted together, warning that "your request will not be considered" without all four: a completed "Regain Access To My Account" form naming the Estate Administrator as requestor; legal documentation naming that Estate Administrator; a copy of the death certificate; and government-issued photo ID for the requestor, which must be "a color copy, scan or digital picture containing the pictured person, name, signature and expiration date clearly identifiable." GoDaddy states it allows up to 72 hours just for the initial correspondence back.
The practical risk isn't usually the transfer process itself — it's discovery and lapse. If nobody
knows a domain exists, or the card on file gets closed when the estate's other accounts are settled,
the domain can simply expire and become available for anyone else to register, taking down whatever
site or email address depended on it (a website, or an email address like name@theirdomain.com that
other accounts use for password resets).
What we could not verify: Namecheap's or other major registrars' specific deceased-owner process — this pass confirmed GoDaddy's documented procedure only; other registrars' requirements may differ in the specific documents demanded.
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