Frequently Asked Questions

You may already know that CA domains are underutilized and have been doubling or tripling in number every year.

CA domains are:

  • a globally recognized domain type
  • as globally accessible as .COM and other domains
  • available to all Canadian Citizens/Residents, organizations with a presence in Canada and owners of a registered Canadian Trademark
  • available now, reserve the name you want for an unlimited time, even for future use
  • give you a national identity with global scope
  • give you a shorter name which is easier to remember
  • make it easy to track a website targeted specifically to Canadians
  • are inexpensive to own
  • are inexpensive annually to retain

Domain Name Selection Guidelines

The only characters allowed in a domain name are letters, digits and the dash (-). These names are reserved: names and abbreviations of the provinces and territories when used in .city.prov.ca and .prov.ca domain names, single letter names, ac, arts, ca, canada, co, com, domain, edu, eg, firm, gov, gouv, int, internet, mil, net, nom, nui, org, mil, rec, store, tm, www, obscenities. You may include the reserved word in your domain name; it just can't be the only word in your name.

Can anyone register a .ca domain?

Yes. If you are a Canadian Citizen, or have a physical presence in Canada or own a Trademark registered with Industry Canada.

Can I register more than one domain?

Yes. You may register as many .ca domains as you'd like.

When did the rules change?

Most rules began transition 09/18/00. Rules in place for over 10 years were abolished 10/22/00. The one domain limit was removed 11/08/00. Domain name format qualifications were removed 11/08/00. Domain names became blocked at other levels 11/08/00. The 08/01/00 registration restriction to upgrade was removed 12/01/00. The ability to register new municipal domains was added 12/14/02. The ability to release a blocked domain was added 12/20/00. Protection for domains registered prior to 10/22/00 was removed 02/01/01 and all domains not registered a 2nd time were returned to the pool of available names. Domain transfers between registration companies and between owners was added 02/05/01. First cancelled domains rescheduled for release 01/24/02. The ability to register top level Municipal domains added 04/18/02. As of 10/21/02 new Newfoundland/Labrador domains registered end in .nl.ca or .ca, your choice (instead of .nf.ca). On 06/10/08, WHOIS display of ownership information for individuals was blocked, internet-wide. In October 2010, the ability to register new provincial level domains was removed (Existing domains are grandfathered for renewal only - if you own a .bc.ca for example, you may keep it.) January 2013, domain names with french accents accepted.

How do I register a .ca domain now?

There are 3 steps:
1. Pick the name you want
2. Lookup the name to make sure it's available
3. Register it right away, securely, online

Can individuals register a .ca domain?

Yes.
You may register as a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident.

Can I register any name I want?

In most cases.
See domain name selection guidelines above. For registered trademarks, trademark.ca or a domain name including the trademark will register.

Is CA Internet Domain Name Registration free?

No.
The central registry for the .ca domain was maintained by volunteers at no cost to domain owners for over 10 years. A new central registry has taken over the role and there are fees to own .ca domain names and there are annual fees to retain domain names. 

From time to time, promotional contests are run or domain names are donated to help charitable organizations with fundraising efforts.

How are National, Provincial and Regional level subdomains issued?

Today, only top level .ca domains may be registered and prov.ca domains may be renewed.

Historically, National level domains were issued with the extension .ca. Provincial domains were issued with the extension .prov.ca. Regional level domains were issued with the extension .city.prov.ca. Any level domain could be registered as long as the domain name was available at all levels. National level owners can issue their own subdomains as prov.domainname.ca or name.domainname.ca or city.prov.domainname.ca without registering them.

Issuing your own subdomains is easy via DNS Manager here

. Domains (yourname.ca or yourtrademark.ca) are issued to individuals and organizations meeting one (1) of the following criteria: Incorporated (Federal or Provincial) Registered Unincorporated (registered Proprietorship or Partnership) Canadian Citizen Permanent Resident Association Trademark Owner Trademark 9(1) Owner Government Organization Political Party Legal Representative Educational Institution Hospital Library or Museum Trade Union Trust
A legal representative must be acting on behalf of a Canadian or a Canadian organization. The only exception to the Canadian/Canadian presence requirement is a Trademark registered with Industry Canada. In this case, the domain will register if your address is outside Canada, your domain name matches or includes your trademark and you provide your TMA number. In the case of a 9(1) Trademark, provide the application number instead of the TMA number. Trademarks search. 

Provincial subdomains (yourname.yourprovince.ca) are registered to maintain a provincial identity. Any level domain can be registered as long as the domain name is available

Regional level domains (yourname.yourcity.yourprovince.ca) are registered to maintain a regional identity. Any level domain can be registered as long as the domain name is available at all levels.

Do I have to register more than once?

If you registered prior to September 18th, 2000. All .ca domains were held in a registry database. This database was maintained by volunteers for over 10 years. As of November 1st, 2000, the volunteers stopped maintaining the database. A mostly government organization assumed the role. A 2nd time registration was required to put your domain into a new database. If you have not registered again yet, you may still register by submitting a new application for the domain name as long as it's still available here

What is a web administrator?

An unattended password protected secure server website which allows you to update your information anytime at the click of a button.

Can I change my registration information?

Registered domain owners keep their domains up to date and working as they should with a 24-hr realtime web admininistrator. All contact information and dns are updated through a password protected website. Especially important when you need to make name server changes right away or your website or email is down. Convenient password recovery utility prevents access delays. An unlimited number of changes can be made throughout the year. Use the manage menu at the bottom of the page.

Can I use the web administrator to update DNS?

Login and use the make changes menu. If you would like your .ca zone secured with DNSSEC, please visit to order DNS manager to activate service. We are CIRA certified to provide DNSSEC service.

Do you connect my domain name to a website?

If you need a website, click here and we'll install one for you to customize.

How do I set up my domain name for email?

If you need email, click here and we'll install one for you to customize.

If you need help or have a question, email and we'll do our best to make sure the result meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.