Do two things neeed to be touching in order to transfer charge?

Answer 1

No, not if there's enough charge. Clouds in the sky transfer charge to the ground

quite readily, without touching. When that happens, we call it "lightning".

Answer 2

No, two things do not need to be touching in order to transfer charge. Charge can be transferred between objects through processes such as induction or conduction, where the charge is either redistributed or passed from one object to another without direct contact.