Google Drive Ownership & Transfer / Restore Access Management 

Procedure

1. Validate Request

• Confirm requester identity and business justification.
• Identify the required file/folder and Drive location.
• Confirm whether the content is in My Drive or a Shared drive.
• Obtain required approval, if applicable.

2. Verify Ownership

• Open Google Admin Console → Directory → Users.
• Locate the former employee's account and verify its status.
• Confirm ownership of the required business data.
• Ensure required data is secured before account deletion.

3. Transfer / Restore Access

• Transfer required business files to an authorized current employee or company-managed location.
• Verify successful transfer and continued access.
• If ownership-transfer functionality is unavailable, escalate to the authorized Google Workspace Administrator/Super Admin.
• Never bypass administrative controls.

4. Review Permissions

• Review existing sharing permissions.
• Remove access for former or unauthorized users.
• Grant only the access required for the user's role (least privilege).

5. Validate & Close

• Confirm access with the requester.
• Document the transfer, permission changes, approvals, and escalation details in the service ticket.
• Close the request after successful validation.

Security & Best Practices

• Access must be based on a legitimate business requirement.
• Do not provide unrestricted access when specific files are sufficient.
• Maintain an audit trail for ownership and permission changes.
• Store business-critical content in Shared drives/company-managed locations where appropriate.

Escalation

Escalate when:

• Required Drive administration privileges are unavailable.
• Ownership transfer cannot be completed.
• Former employee data cannot be accessed.
• Business-critical or customer-related data requires administrative intervention.

Ticket Record: Requester | Business Justification | File/Folder | Current/New Owner | Access Changes | Approval | Validation

Related Area: Google Workspace → Drive and Docs → Access & Ownership Management