Who can register .au domain names?
Can you register a domain name?
AuDA has clear policies on eligibility for registering domain names. Some are overall guidelines for any domain registration within the au top-level domain (TLD); others are specific to the second-level domain (2LD). The TLD that auDA governs is au. A 2LD is the next level of hierarchy below this, for example com.au, net.au and id.au.
Domain name composition
Eligible domain names must be at least 2 characters long and consist of a combination of letters (a-z), numbers (0-9) and hyphens (-). For registration purposes at least, they are case-insensitive (more on that in a later article). Domain names cannot start or end with a hyphen (-) and hyphens cannot appear in the 3rd and 4th character position, e.g. 12--34.com.au.
The five common 'open' 2LDs
There are five common, 'open' second-level domains. 'Open' domains are those that are available to the general public, subject to certain eligibility criteria, as opposed to 'closed' 2LDs such as gov.au, that are reserved for use by specific groups.
The 5 open 2LDs are asn.au, com.au, id.au, net.au and org.au. Eligibility for each is discussed below.
More details on the eligibility criteria shown below can be found at the auDA's Domain Name Eligibility and Allocation Policy Rules for the Open 2LDs (2005-01).
All au 2LDs must be either an exact match, acronym or abbreviation of the name of the registrant’s company or trading name, organization or association name or trademark; or be otherwise closely and substantially connected to the registrant, e.g. a product name.
Please note: Registration of a domain name means the granting of a license by auDA for the registrant to use the domain name exclusively for a period of time. Ownership of the domain name remains with auDA.
asn.au and org.au
The asn.au and org.au 2LDs are reserved for non-commercial organisations. Eligibility for an asn.au or org.au domain name is based on the registrant being:
a) an association incorporated in any Australian State or Territory; or
b) political party registered with the Australian Electoral Commission; or
c) a trade union or other organisation registered under the Workplace Relations Act 1996; or
d) a sporting or special interest club operating in Australia; or
e) a charity operating in Australia, as defined in the registrant’s constitution or other documents of incorporation; or
f) a non-profit organisation operating in Australia, as defined in the registrant’s constitution or other documents of incorporation.
com.au and net.au
The com.au and net.au 2LDs are designated for use for commercial purposes. Eligibility for com.au or net.au domain names is based on the registrant being:
a) an Australian registered company; or
b) trading under a registered business name in any Australian State or Territory; or
c) an Australian partnership or sole trader;
d) a foreign company licensed to trade in Australia; or
e) an owner of an Australian Registered Trade Mark; or
f) an applicant for an Australian Registered Trade Mark ; or
g) an association incorporated in any Australian State or Territory; or
h) an Australian commercial statutory body.
id.au
The id.au 2LD is reserved for registration by individuals. Eligibility for a id.au domain name is based on the registrant being:
a) an Australian citizen; or
b) an Australian resident.
id.au domain names must be an exact match of the registrant’s personal name, be an acronym or abbreviation of the registrant’s personal name, or be otherwise closely and substantially connected to the registrant. This would be in cases where the domain name:
(i) is derived from one or more words of the registrant's personal name; or
(ii) includes one or more words of the registrant's personal name; or
(iii) is a personal name by which the registrant is known.
