Thread: What Would Happen To Domains If Registrar Closes?

I was wondering what would happen to the domain names registered at a specific registrar, say, godaddy, then the registrar closed.
Will we lose our domains?

A large registrar would sell their accounts to someone else, so you would suddenly become a customer of enom or whoever.
The next level up becomes responsible for the domains if the registrar just disappears. For most "registrars", there is a higher level registrar they work through. We've had to write a strongly worded letter reminding a registrar that they are responsible for their sponsored registrars and then contact ICAAN to have them remind the larger registrar of their responsibility under their agement with ICAAN. That read no fun, so you don't want to register with someone who will disappear. In the case of the top level registrars, ICAAN becomes responsible if the registrar disappears.

Usually when a registrar closes or decides to, they will most likely sell the entire site off to someone else who would take over. In this case you won't be affected unless the new owners make drastic changes.

If they close completely though, you will just have to register with a new registrar.