--- title: How do I transfer ownership of a Vercel team? description: Learn how to transfer ownership of a Vercel team, including the exact dashboard steps to promote a new Owner and remove the original one. url: /kb/guide/how-do-i-transfer-ownership-of-a-vercel-team canonical_url: "https://vercel.com/kb/guide/how-do-i-transfer-ownership-of-a-vercel-team" last_updated: 2026-08-03 authors: Sam Ko related: - /docs/rbac/access-roles - /docs/plans/pro-plan/trials - /docs/rbac/managing-team-members - /docs/accounts - /docs/rbac/access-roles/project-level-roles - /docs/rbac/access-roles/team-level-roles - /docs/plans/pro-plan install_vercel_plugin: npx plugins add vercel/vercel-plugin --- Transferring ownership of a Vercel team happens in two parts. First, you promote another team member to the [Owner role](https://vercel.com/docs/rbac/access-roles#owner-role), then that new Owner removes or demotes the original Owner. Vercel doesn't have a single "transfer ownership" button, because ownership is a role like any other, and a team can hold more than one Owner at once. Here's the click path for both parts, followed by the rule that governs the order and the one plan where the process doesn't apply. ## How to transfer ownership by promoting a new Owner The first part is adding the Owner role to the account taking over the team: 1. From the dashboard, select your team from the team switcher 2. Open **Settings** in the sidebar and go to **Members** 3. If the person isn't on the team yet, enter their email address, select **Owner** from the role dropdown, and select **Invite** 4. If the person is already a team member, find them in the **Team Members** list and select the **Manage Role** button next to their current role 5. Choose **Owner** from the dropdown and confirm the change Invited members have 7 days to accept before the invite expires (30 days on SAML-enforced teams), so confirm that the new Owner appears with the Owner role in the **Team Members** list before you move on to the second part. ## How to complete the transfer by removing the original Owner Only an Owner can change roles or remove members, so the newly promoted Owner (or any existing Owner) must complete this step. From the **Team Members** list under **Settings > Members**, there are two ways to handle the original Owner's account: - **Demote to Member:** Select **Manage Role** next to the original Owner, choose **Member** from the dropdown, and confirm. This keeps the person on the team with full project access, but removes their team-level control over billing, invitations, and roles. - **Remove from the team:** Select the ellipses (…) next to the original Owner's name, then select **Remove from Team**. This takes the person off the team entirely. Demoting keeps the original Owner active on projects, while removing them clears their access completely. Either option finishes the transfer. ## Why Vercel requires a new Owner before you remove the old one This order isn't optional. A team can't be left without an Owner, so Vercel blocks a member from leaving the team or being removed from it while they're the last remaining Owner. Promoting a new Owner first satisfies that requirement, which is why the role change always happens before the removal or demotion. The same rule protects you from locking yourself out of your own team. If you're the sole Owner and want to hand off the team, promote your successor before you demote or remove yourself. ## Team ownership limits during a Pro trial A team on a [Pro trial](https://vercel.com/docs/plans/pro-plan/trials) is capped at one Owner, and Vercel doesn't allow Owner changes at all during the trial period. If you need to transfer ownership, upgrade the team to the paid Pro plan first, then follow the steps above once the trial restriction is lifted. ## Next steps With the new Owner confirmed and the original Owner's role updated, revisit your team's other role assignments while you're in the settings. Open your [team's Members settings](https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fsettings%2Fmembers&title=Go+to+Members+settings) to make further changes or plan out the rest of your team. ## Related resources - [Managing team members](https://vercel.com/docs/rbac/managing-team-members) - [Account management](https://vercel.com/docs/accounts) - [Project Level Roles](https://vercel.com/docs/rbac/access-roles/project-level-roles) - [Team Level Roles](https://vercel.com/docs/rbac/access-roles/team-level-roles) - [Vercel Pro Plan](https://vercel.com/docs/plans/pro-plan) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can a Vercel team have more than one Owner? Yes. Teams can have multiple Owners, and adding one doesn't affect any existing Owner's access. Vercel recommends at least two Owners per team for continuity, so someone can always manage settings, billing, and roles if one Owner leaves or becomes unavailable. ### What happens if I try to remove the last Owner from a team? Vercel blocks it. A team can't be left without an Owner, so a member can't leave or be removed from the team while they're the last remaining Owner. Promote another member to Owner first, then remove or demote the original account afterward. ### Can I transfer ownership during a Pro trial? No. Pro trial teams are capped at one Owner, and Vercel doesn't allow Owner changes during the trial. Upgrade to a paid Pro plan first, then promote a new Owner and remove or demote the original one. ### Does demoting an Owner to Member remove their access to projects? No. A demoted Member keeps full control over the projects they already had access to, including deployments and settings. What they lose is team-level control, including billing, inviting new members, and changing other members' roles, all of which remain restricted to the Owner role.