Integrative Conjugative Elements (ICEs) are chromosomal elements that are widely distributed in bacterial genomes, hence contributing to genome plasticity, adaptation and evolution of bacteria. Conjugation requires a contact between both the donor and the recipient cells and thus likely depends on the composition of the cell surface envelope. In this work, we investigated the impact of different cell surface molecules including cell surface proteins, wall teichoic acids, lipoteichoic acids and exopolysaccharides on the transfer and acquisition of ICESt3 from Streptococcus thermophilus The transfer of ICESt3 from wild type donor towards mutated recipient cells increased 5- to 400-fold compared to WT when recipients cells were affected in lipoproteins, teichoic acids or exopolysaccharides. These mutants displayed an increased biofilm-forming ability compared to WT suggesting better cell interactions that could contribute to the increase of ICESt3 acquisition. Microscopic observations of S. thermophilus cell surface mutants showed different phenotypes (aggregation in particular) that can also have an impact on conjugation.By contrast, the same mutations did not have the same impact when the donor cells, instead of recipient cells, were mutated. In that case, the transfer frequency of ICESt3 decreased compared to WT. The same observation was made when both donor and recipient cells were mutated. The dominant effect of mutations in donor suggests that modifications of the cell envelope could impair the establishment or activity of the conjugation machinery required for DNA transport. IMPORTANCE: ICEs contribute to horizontal gene transfer of adaptive traits (for example virulence, antibiotic resistance or biofilm formation) and play a considerable role in bacterial genome evolution thus underlying the need of a better understanding of their conjugative mechanism of transfer. While most studies are focusing on the different functions encoded by ICEs, little is known about the effect of host factors on their conjugative transfer. Using ICESt3 of S. thermophilus as a model of study, we demonstrated the impact of lipoproteins, teichoic acids and exopolysaccharides on ICE transfer and acquisition. This opens up new avenues to control gene transfers mediated by ICEs.