As an internet site owner, it is important that you register your domain name to make sure you have the exclusive right to use that name for the duration of the licence period.

Domain names are licensed for a two-year period. In the global domain (known as the global Top Level Domain or gTLD) the licence period is one year. If you don’t renew your registration your licence will be cancelled and the domain name will become available for registration by someone else.

Anyone can register an internet domain name in the .au domain by submitting a registration form to an auDA accredited registrar or one of their appointed resellers. There is no restriction on the number of domain names that may be licensed by a registrant; however, an applicant must meet set criteria.

As no two domain names can be exactly the same, it is up to you to search the domain name database, to check that the same or a similar domain name doesn’t already exist in another domain (e.g. .net.au, .com.au).

Since 1 July 2002 the .au domain name market has been opened up to competition and registrars/resellers charge different prices.