domains

.ca domain registration

Pricing (US Dollars)

Period	Registration Fee	Renewal Fee	Transfer Fee
1	$110.74	$115.36	-
2	$220.56	-	-

General information for .ca names

.ca is the official country code domain name for Canada

Special requirements for .ca name registration

Local presence requirement applies. This includes fulfilling any one of the following criteria:

You are a citizen of Canada.
You are a permanent resident of Canada
The business is incorporated in Canada
The business is a partnership where at least 66.6% of the partnership fulfils the above criteria
You have a Canadian registered trade mark matching the domain that you want to register
You are Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second or one of her successors

Formal policies for ca names

CIRA POLICIES, RULES, AND PROCEDURES

GENERAL REGISTRATION RULES
Version 3.5

POLICIES, RULES, AND PROCEDURES FOR 
NEW DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATIONS, 
RENEWALS, TRANSFERS AND MODIFICATIONS OF DOMAIN NAME 
REGISTRATIONS 
AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS CONCERNING DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATIONS

1.	Application of Rules and Procedures
2.	Registration of Domain Names
3.	Admissible Domain Names
4.	Registration and Upgrade of Sub-Domain Names
5.	Validation and Processing of Transaction Requests
6.	Re-Issuance of User Account and Password
7.	Confirmation of Registration Information
8.	Modification of Registration Information
9.	Change of Registrar
10.	Renewal of Registration
11.	Transfer of Registration
12.	Suspension of Registration 
13.	Cancellation of Registration 
14.	General

1.	APPLICATION OF RULES AND PROCEDURES
1.1	Registrations and Other Transactions.  The following policies, rules, and procedures 
apply to new Domain Name (as defined in the Registrant Agreement and hereafter the 
�Domain Name�) registrations.  They also apply to the renewal, transfer, modification, 
suspension and cancellation of a Domain Name Registration that is registered in the 
CIRA Registry (a �Registration�) and to other transactions with respect to Registrations 
and CIRA membership (including the procedure for changing Registrars, confirming 
registrant information, providing the Registrar with authority to change critical 
information, and issuing to registrants of the CIRA Registry (�Registrants�) a 
replacement User Account and Private Password. In this document as well as any other of 
the Registry PRP as defined below, �CIRA Certified Registrar�, �CIRA certified 
registrar� or �Registrar� and similar expressions means a Person who has been certified 
or re-certified to act as a registrar of the Registry in accordance with the Registrar 
Agreement with CIRA. (amended 2003-06-05)
(a)	(deleted 2003-06-05)
(b)	 (deleted 2003-06-05)
1.2	UBC Registrations.  On December 1, 2000, CIRA took over the control and operation of 
the .ca registry from the University of British Columbia (the �UBC Registry�).  Each 
registrant in the UBC Registry who became a registrant prior to November 8, 2000 (a 
�UBC Registrant�) was required to apply to CIRA, through a CIRA Certified Registrar, 
for a registration in the CIRA registry of its Domain Name or subdomain name 
registered, whether provisionally or otherwise, in the UBC Registry prior to November 8, 
2000 and in accordance with the policies, rules and procedures of the UBC Registry 
(�UBC Registration�).  UBC continued to maintain all UBC Registrations in the UBC 
Registry until November 30, 2000.  Any UBC Registrant who transferred his/her/its UBC 
Registrations to CIRA on or before November 8, 2000 (the �Transferred UBC 
Registrant�), is deemed to satisfy the Canadian Presence Requirements for Registrants 
until the Transferred UBC Registrant no longer exists, for whatever reason, or transfers 
the UBC Registration to another Person. (amended 2003-06-05)  
1.3	 (deleted 2003-06-05)
2.	REGISTRATION OF DOMAIN NAMES
A person wishing to register a Domain Name and a person wishing to apply to become a 
Registrant without a Domain Name, in accordance with these policies, rules, and procedures (an 
�Applicant�), must comply with the following: (amended 2003-06-05) 
2.1	Canadian Presence Requirements.  After public consultation, CIRA has determined 
that the .ca domain space should be developed as a key public resource for the social and 
economic benefit of all Canadians.  Accordingly, Applicants must meet certain Canadian 
Presence Requirements. (amended 2003-06-05)
While the Canadian Presence Requirements for Registrants set out below still require a 
connection to Canada, they will enable a much broader group of persons to register a .ca 
domain name than under the policies and rules of the UBC Registry. (amended 2003-06-05)
CIRA is committed to reviewing these Canadian Presence Requirements from time to 
time in order to ensure they remain in the best interests of Canadians and the CIRA 
Registry.
Only the following individuals and entities will be permitted to apply to CIRA (through a 
CIRA Certified Registrar) for the registration of, and to hold and maintain the registration 
of, a .ca domain name: (amended 2003-06-05)
(a)	Canadian citizen.  A Canadian citizen of the age of majority under the laws of 
the province or territory in Canada in which he or she resides or last resided;
(b)	Permanent resident.  A permanent resident as defined in the Immigration and 
Refugee Protection Act, (Canada) S.C. 2001, c. 27, as amended from time to 
time, who is ordinarily resident in Canada (as defined below) and of the age of 
majority under the laws of the province or territory in Canada in which he or she 
resides or last resided; (amended 2003-06-05)
(c)	Legal representative.  An executor, administrator or other legal representative 
of a Person listed in paragraph (a) and (b) above;
(d)	Corporation.  A corporation under the laws of Canada or any province or 
territory of Canada;
(e)	Trust.  A trust established and subsisting under the laws of a province or 
territory of Canada, more than sixty-six and two thirds percent (66 2/3%) of 
whose trustees meet one of the conditions set out in paragraphs (a) to (d) above; 
(amended 2003-06-05)
(f)	Partnership.  A partnership, more than sixty-six and two thirds percent 
(66 2/3%)of whose partners meet one of the conditions set out in paragraphs (a) 
to (e) above, which is registered as a partnership under the laws of any province 
or territory of Canada; (amended 2003-06-05)
(g)	Association.  An unincorporated organization, association or club:
(i)	at least eighty percent (80%) of whose members: (A) are ordinarily 
resident in Canada (if such members are individuals); or (B) meet one of 
the conditions set out in paragraphs (a) to (f) above (if such members are 
not individuals); and (amended 2003-06-05)
(ii)	at least eighty percent (80%) of whose directors, officers, employees, 
managers, administrators or other representatives are ordinarily resident 
in Canada; (amended 2003-06-05)
(h)	Trade union. A trade union which is recognized by a labour board under the 
laws of Canada or any province or territory of Canada and which has its head 
office in Canada;
(i)	Political party.  A political party registered under a relevant electoral law of 
Canada or any province or territory of Canada;
(j)	Educational institution.  Any of the following:  
(i)	a university or college which is located in Canada and which is 
authorized or recognized as a university or college under an Act of the 
legislature of a province or territory of Canada; or 
(ii)	a college, post-secondary school, vocational school, secondary school, 
pre-school or other school or educational institution which is located in 
Canada and which is recognized by the educational authorities of a 
province or territory of Canada or licensed under or maintained by an 
Act of Parliament of Canada or of the legislature of a province or 
territory of Canada;
(k)	Library, Archive or Museum.  An institution, whether or not incorporated, that: 
(i)	is located in Canada; and 
(ii)	is not established or conducted for profit or does not form part of, or is 
not administered or directly or indirectly controlled by, a body that is 
established or conducted for profit, in which is held and maintained a 
collection of documents and other materials that is open to the public or 
to researchers;
(l)	Hospital.  A hospital which is located in Canada and which is licensed, 
authorized or approved to operate as a hospital under an Act of the legislature of 
a province or territory of Canada;
(m)	Her Majesty the Queen.  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second and her 
successors;
(n)	Indian band.  Any Indian band as defined in the Indian Act (Canada), R.S.C. 
1985, c. I-5, as amended from time to time, and any group of Indian bands;
(o)	Aboriginal Peoples.  Any Inuit, First Nation, Metis or other people indigenous 
to Canada, any individual belonging to any Inuit, First Nation, Metis or other 
people indigenous to Canada and any collectivity of such Aboriginal peoples;
(p)	Government.  Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, a province or a 
territory; an agent of Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, of a province or 
of a territory; a federal, provincial or territorial Crown corporation, government 
agency or government entity; or a regional, municipal or local area government;
(q)	Trade-mark registered in Canada.  A Person which does not meet any of the 
foregoing conditions, but which is the owner of a trade-mark which is the subject 
of a registration under the Trade-marks Act (Canada) R.S.C. 1985, c.T-13, as 
amended from time to time, but in this case such permission is limited to an 
application to register a .ca domain name consisting of or including the exact 
word component of that registered trade-mark; or
(r)	Official marks.  A Person which does not meet any of the foregoing conditions, 
but which is a Person intended to be protected by Subsection 9(1) of the Trade-
Marks Act (Canada) at whose request the Registrar of Trade-marks has published 
notice of adoption of any badge, crest, emblem, official mark or other mark 
pursuant to Subsection 9(1), but in this case such permission is limited to an 
application to register a .ca domain name consisting of or including the exact 
word component of such badge, crest, emblem, official mark or other mark in 
respect of which such Person requested publications.
For the purposes of CIRA�s Policies, Rules, and Procedures (the �Registry PRP� which shall 
mean the CIRA policies, rules, and procedures relating to Registrants, Registrars, and Domain 
Name Registrations as amended or adopted by CIRA from time to time and posted on CIRA�s 
website, including, without limitation, applications for Domain Name Registrations and other 
transactions relating to Domain Name Registrations.  All of the Registry PRP are currently 
located at http://www.cira.ca/en/cat_Registrar.html.): (amended 2003-06-05)
(a)	�ordinarily resident in Canada� means an individual who resides in Canada for 
more than 183 days in the twelve month period immediately preceding the date 
of the applicable request for registration of the .ca domain name or sub-domain 
name and in each twelve month period thereafter for the duration of the domain 
name Registration; and
(b)	�Person� includes an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a trust, an 
unincorporated organization, association or club, the government of a country or 
any political subdivision thereof, or any agency or department of any such 
government, and the executors, administrators or other legal representatives of an 
individual in such capacity, a �person� as defined in the Trade-marks Act 
(Canada) and a Person intended to be protected by Subsection 9(1) of the Trade-
marks Act (Canada).
2.2	WHOIS Search.  Once the Applicant is satisfied that it meets the Canadian Presence 
Requirements for Registrants outlined above, the Applicant should conduct a Domain 
Name search, to see if the Domain Name is available for registration within CIRA�s 
�WHOIS� look-up system (located at http://www.cira.ca/en/re_whois.html). (amended 
2003-06-05)
2.3	Selection of a CIRA Certified Registrar.  The Applicant must select a CIRA Certified 
Registrar, who will act on its behalf, in submitting an application for the registration of a 
Domain Name (�Registration Request�) to CIRA.  A Registration Request cannot be 
submitted directly by the Applicant to CIRA, but must be made through an active CIRA 
Certified Registrar. For a list of active CIRA Certified Registrars, please visit 
http://ro.cira.ca/re_choose_en. Registrars may have different contractual provisions, 
provide different services, have different geographical focuses, function in different 
languages and have different payment and other terms and conditions.  Each Applicant 
should consider which Registrar is most suitable for the needs of the Applicant. (amended 
2004-07-15)
2.4	Submission of Registration Request by Registrar.  Once an Applicant has selected a 
Registrar, the Registrar will be responsible for preparing and transmitting to CIRA a 
Registration Request based on information provided by the Applicant to the Registrar.  
The Applicant will have to provide all relevant information to the Registrar, and the 
Registrar will have to provide all relevant information to CIRA in order to complete the 
Registration Request to CIRA.
2.5	 (deleted 2003-06-05)
2.6	Registration Period.  An Applicant may select a registration period of one (1) to ten (10) 
years for the registration of the Domain Name that is the subject of the Registration 
Request.  An Applicant must advise its Registrar which registration period it wishes to 
select. (amended 2003-06-05)   
It has come to CIRA�s attention that one or more Registrars may be charging Applicants 
fees for the registration of a Domain Name based on the number of years selected by an 
Applicant, but limiting the term of registration to one (1) year, renewable for successive 
one (1) year terms.  Such Registrars may then be paying CIRA for a one (1) year 
registration period and agreeing with the Applicant to renew the Registration and pay 
CIRA the applicable fee on each anniversary of the Registration until the term paid for 
expires. (amended 2003-06-05)  
Registrars must allow Applicants to select and pay for a registration period of from one 
(1) to ten (10) years.  The following policies, rules, and procedures set out herein must be 
followed by Registrars in dealing with Applicants. (amended 2003-06-05)
If an Applicant either selects a registration period of more than one (1) year or is charged 
by its Registrar on the basis of a registration period of more than one (1) year, then the 
Applicant�s Registrar must request registration of the domain name for the full period 
requested by the Applicant (or for which it was charged) and pay to CIRA the applicable 
Registration Fee for the full registration period selected or paid for by an Applicant at the 
time as specified in these policies, rules, and procedures. (amended 2003-06-05)
2.7	Validation of Registration Request.  Registration Requests and all other requests to 
which this Section 2.7 applies will be validated according to the following criteria before 
being processed:
(a)	Registration Requests can only be made by an active CIRA Certified Registrar 
and must conform to CIRA's Technical and Security Policies and Procedures for

Register a .ca domain now