.UK Policies

The policies and agreements listed below will take effect at the point of transition to the new registry platform. The transition date will be announced in due course with a formal notice period being given. The full summary of the consultation responses can be found here. 

The future state .UK agreements can now be found here:

1. .UK Registry-Registrar Agreement
2. Nominet Registry-Registrar Base Agreement

Future state .UK policies are here: 

1. .UK Reseller Policy
2. .UK Proxy Policy
3. .UK Registration Policy
4. .UK Schools Domain Name Policy
5. .UK Registrant Terms and Conditions 
6. .UK Transactional Reporting Policy
7. .UK Inter-registrar Transfer Policy 
8. .UK Registry-Registrar Lifecycle Policy 
9. .UK Add Grace Period Limits Policy 
10. .UK Interim Data Quality Policy 
11. Criminal Practices Policy
12. Dispute Resolution Service Policy

.UK RESELLER Policy 

Policy Version: 2025-06

1. Introduction
   1.1. This .UK Reseller Policy (Policy) governs Registrars’ use of Resellers.
   1.2. Any capitalised terms used but not defined in this Policy have the meaning given to them in the Registry-Registrar Base Agreement or other document comprising the .UK RRA.
2. Conditions applicable to use of Resellers
   2.1. Registrars may use Resellers provided that they comply with the conditions set out in this Policy.
   2.2. Registrars may not transfer, subcontract or delegate any of their rights or obligations under the .UK Registry-Registrar Agreement to Resellers or any other third parties.
   2.3. As between Nominet and Registrars, Registrars are responsible for the information, service, marketing and advice Registrants are given, whether or not the Registrar deals with Registrants directly.
   2.4. Nominet is not required to deal with or give any recognition or special privilege to any Reseller.
   2.5. Any actions or omissions of a Registrar’s Reseller may have a direct impact on that Registrar’s compliance with the .UK Registry-Registrar Agreement and will be treated as the actions or omissions of the Registrar for the purposes of compliance with the .UK Registry-Registrar Agreement.
   2.6. Registrars must make their Resellers aware of the .UK Registry-Registrar Agreement and Registry Policies and ensure that the way their Resellers deal with Registrants is compatible with the .UK Registry-Registrar Agreement and Registry Policies.
   2.7. Registrars’ contracts with Reseller(s) must be compatible with the terms of the .UK Registry-Registrar Agreement and Registry Policies.
   2.8. Registrars must provide Nominet with copies of their contracts with Resellers or relevant excerpts of those contracts that relate to Domain registrations on Nominet’s request.
   2.9. Registrars must ensure that their Resellers provide them with all information relevant to Domain registrations for which they act as a Registrar to enable them to comply with their obligations under the .UK Registry-Registrar Agreement to keep Registration Data accurate and up to date. Any obligation under the .UK Registry-Registrar Agreement for the Registrar to do something because it becomes aware of a change in a Registrant’s information or situation also applies where the Registrar’s Reseller has become aware of a change in a Registrant’s information or situation.
   2.10. Registrars must confirm to Nominet whether a person or organisation is a Reseller or account holder controlling a Domain and provide Nominet with full contact details for them on Nominet’s request.

.UK PROXY POLICY 

Policy Version: 2026-03

1. Introduction
   1.1. This .UK Proxy Policy (Policy) governs Registrars’ provision of Proxy Services.
   1.2. In this Policy the following terms have the meanings set out below:

1.3. Any capitalised terms used but not defined in this Policy have the meaning given to them in the Registry-Registrar Base Agreement or other document comprising the .UK RRA.

2. Proxy Service
   2.1. All Registrars in good standing may apply to provide a Proxy Service.
   2.2. Registrars must apply to Nominet before they provide a Proxy Service by emailing the compliance team ([email protected]) including details of how the Registrar intends to fulfil its obligations under this Policy.
   2.3. Registrars must market Proxy Services fairly. Registrars must not mislead Registrants into buying a Proxy Service by making false claims that their contact data will be made public by default and that a Proxy Service is therefore required to protect their privacy.
3. Proxy details and use
   3.1. Registrars must submit Proxy Service Contact Information to Nominet in compliance with all applicable Registry Policies.
   3.2. Registrars must opt to disclose Proxy Service Registration data to allow the publication of data on the RDDS.
   3.3. Registrars must promptly forward on to the Registrant any correspondence it receives using the Proxy Service Contact Information.
4. Registration Data
   4.1. The Registrar must retain full, accurate and validated details for all Registrants in compliance with all applicable Registry Policies for whom it has made a Proxy Service Registration. For avoidance of doubt these details must not be details for another proxy or privacy service of any sort.
   4.2. The Registrar must promptly provide Nominet with the following information on a quarterly basis:
   4.2.1. the total number of Proxy Service Registrations it has made;
   4.2.2. breakdown of its Proxy Service users by geographic area and city/town; and
   4.2.3. abuse statistics in relation to its Proxy Service Registrations – including complaint numbers, suspensions and involvement in the DRS.
   4.3. Nominet may, not more than once in any 12-month period, audit the accuracy of a sample of the Registration Data. The Registrar must provide Nominet with the underlying Registration Data when requested by Nominet. Any such audit will be carried out by Nominet’s compliance team, unless the Registrar at its own cost engages a reputable third-party audit provider to carry out the audit and report its findings to Nominet.
   4.4. Registrars must demonstrate to Nominet’s reasonable satisfaction that the underlying Registration Data is secure and will be accessible by Nominet in the event of the Registrar’s business failure for any reason. This obligation could be satisfied either by use of an escrow provider or provision to Nominet of a credible Proxy Service incident plan or wider business continuity plan.
5. Disclosure of Registration Data
   5.1. Any Registrar offering a Proxy Service must provide 24/7 support to Registrants to whom you provide the proxy service and provide underlying Registration Data to Nominet or any of the UK law enforcement agencies listed in Nominet’s Criminal Practices Policy within one (1) working day.
   5.2. If any Proxy Service Registration is subject to a DRS process, the Registrar must provide Nominet with the relevant underlying Registration Data within two (2) working days.

.UK REGISTRATION POLICY 

Policy Version: 2026-03

1. Introduction
   1.1. This .UK Registration Policy (Policy) governs the registration of Domains in the .UK namespace with specific rules for those directly administered by Nominet.
   1.2. The following terms used in this Policy have the meanings set out below:

1.3. Any capitalised terms used but not defined in this Policy have the meaning given to them in the Registry-Registrar Base Agreement or other document comprising the .UK RRA.
1.4. Nominet directly administers the .UK country-code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD) and the following Zones within the .UK ccTLD:

1.5. The following Zones have been delegated to and are administered by other entities as trustees:

Trustees may operate the Zones directly or via a technical partner such as a registry services provider.

2. Nominet administered Zones
   2.1. Nominet maintains a reserved Domains list which contains Domains that cannot be registered.
   2.2. Nominet may check all Domains for compliance with this Policy either before or after a Domain is registered or renewed. If the Domain does not meet the requirements in this Policy, then Nominet may reject the application, registration or renewal of the Domain.
3. .uk
   3.1. Domains registered in .UK are intended to be used for those who wish to be associated with the United Kingdom.
   3.2. The sale of Third-Level Domain registrations to unrelated third parties is prohibited.
4. .co.uk
   4.1. Domains registered in .co.uk are intended to be used for commercial purposes.
5. .org.uk
   5.1. Domains registered in .org.uk are intended to be not-for-profit or public service enterprises. These may include, as non-exhaustive examples, charities, trades unions, political parties, community groups, educational councils and professional institutions.
6. .me.uk
   6.1. The .me.uk Zone is intended to provide a personal namespace within the .UK ccTLD. Unless clause 6.3 applies, Registrants of .me.uk Domains must be, and remain at all times, a natural person (“Qualifying Person”), and shall not be recorded in the Registry as being the agent, trustee, proxy or representative for any person or entity (whether having an individual legal personality or not) that is not a Qualifying Person.
   6.2. Unless clause 6.3 applies, no registration, transfer, renewal or change may be requested to a .me.uk Domain which would be in breach of clause 6.1, and Nominet may reject any such request. If any such action is requested and does occur, Nominet may reverse that action at any time in addition to any other rights Nominet may have within the .UK Registry-Registrar Agreement or otherwise.
   6.3. Where, as a result of Nominet’s .UK dispute resolution service or judicial proceedings (of relevant jurisdiction) a .me.uk Domain is to be transferred to a person who is not a Qualifying Person, Nominet shall permit the transfer to, and continued registration by, the transferee provided that no use is made of that .me.uk Domain for any purpose for as long as the transferee holds the Domain.
   6.4. To prevent a breach of clause 6.1, Nominet may put the Domain into a Special Status e.g. by blocking the entry of any nameservers onto the record for that Domain.
   6.5. The transferee under clause 6.3 will be able to transfer the Domain to a Qualifying Person, in which case the specific restrictions imposed under that clause will cease to apply.
7. Registered company domains .ltd.uk and .plc.uk
   7.1. No Third-Level Domain shall be registered in either the .ltd.uk or .plc.uk Zone unless all the requirements of this section are met.
   7.2. All Registrants wishing to register a Domain in the .ltd.uk or .plc.uk Zone must:
   7.2.1. be incorporated companies (not partnerships of any type or unincorporated companies) listed on the Register of Companies (Names Register) at Companies House under the Companies Act 2006 as amended from time to time; and
   7.2.2. be entitled to use ‘Limited’, ‘cyfyngedig’, ‘ltd.’ or ‘cyf’ in their corporate name to register a Domain in the.ltd.uk Zone; or
   7.2.3. be entitled to use ‘Public Limited Company’, ‘Cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus’, ‘Plc.’ or ‘ccc’. in their corporate name to register a Domain in the plc.uk Zone.
   7.3. Applications for Domains in the .ltd.uk and .plc.uk Zones must state the full name of the company as registered and the company registration number. The applicant must be prepared to provide proof of the company’s incorporation if requested by Nominet.
   7.4. If Nominet becomes aware that the Registrant company has changed its name, been dissolved, or is otherwise removed from the list of active names on the Names Register, it may transfer, cancel, suspend or amend the Domain in accordance with the .UK Registrant Terms and Conditions. Nominet will send notice in accordance with the .UK Registrant Terms & Conditions unless the Registrant company has been removed from the list of active names on the Names Register, in which case Nominet shall have no obligation to send such notice.
   7.5. No Domain shall be registered in either the .ltd.uk or .plc.uk Zone unless the Third-Level Domain can be derived from the official company name of the applicant using the algorithm in clause 7.7. If the algorithm does not generate a Domain permitted by this Policy, the application to register a Domain will be refused.
   7.6. The algorithm set out in clause 7.7 is intended to assist in converting a company name to a Domain capable of registration within either the .ltd.uk or .plc.uk Zone. The algorithm is not guaranteed to generate a Domain capable of registration with Nominet and may only produce a Domain that is still in an inappropriate format or has already been registered. In these cases, Nominet will not register the Domain.
   7.7. The following steps must all be carried out in the order below.
   7.7.1. The following terms or abbreviations must be removed from the end of the company’s name:
   • limited
   • public limited company
   • cyfyngedig
   • cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus
   • ltd
   • plc
   • ccc
   7.7.2. Each occurrence of the characters “&” and “+” must be replaced by the word “and”.
   7.7.3. All punctuation marks and currency symbols must be removed.
   7.7.4. Any marks on or around the letters must be removed, for example accents, leaving only the “base letter”, i.e. the letter without any marks in or around the letter.
   7.7.5. If the company name begins with the phrase ‘the’ it may be removed.
   7.7.6. If the company name ends with any of the following words or phrases, they may be removed:
   • company
   • cwmni
   • and company
   • a’r cwmni
   and any abbreviation of these (such as “co”, “and co”, or “cpy”).
   7.7.7. All remaining spaces must either be removed or changed to hyphens (one hyphen per continuous string of spaces).
8. .net.uk
   8.1. No Third-Level Domain shall be registered or renewed in the .net.uk Zone unless all the requirements of this section are met.
   8.2. The .net.uk Zone is reserved for the network information centre (NIC) and network operation centre (NOC) computers, administrative computers, and network node computers of network providers.
   8.3. Registrants in the .net.uk Zone must be internet service providers (ISP). Notwithstanding the Registry Policies, no Domain shall be registered in the .net.uk Zone unless, in Nominet’s reasonable opinion, the applicant is an ISP and the Domain registered is the same as or a similar variant of the applicant’s name.
   8.4. Without prejudice to any other test that Nominet may apply, the applicant shall only be deemed to be an ISP if the applicant is either;
   • a company listed on the Register of Companies at Companies House under the Companies Act 2006 as amended from time to time;
   • a partnership as defined by the Partnership Act 1890, Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000 or a sole trader;
   • a United Kingdom government department, local government body, or associated government funded organisation;
   • a recognised academic institution geographically located in the United Kingdom; or
   • a charity on the Register of Charities at the Charity Commission in the United Kingdom;
   and the applicant:
   • is listed as a local internet protocol (IP) address registry with a regional IP address registry; or
   • has an autonomous system containing hosts in the United Kingdom that is listed with a regional IP address registry and that is continuously or at all reasonable times reachable from major internet exchange points.
   8.5. Domains registered in the .net.uk Zone may only be used in the manner set out in this Policy. Nominet may transfer, cancel, suspend or amend a Domain if it believes it is not being used in accordance with this Policy.
   8.6. The Domain must not be used in connection with any service provided by the Registrant on behalf of any other entity. For example, the Domain must not be used as part of another entity’s email address or URL.
9. .sch.uk
   9.1. The rules that apply to applications for Domains in the .sch.uk Zone are set out in the .UK Schools Domain Name Policy.
10. .nic.uk
    10.1. The .nic.uk Zone is exclusively for the use of Nominet as the Registry operator.

.UK SCHOOLS DOMAIN NAME POLICY 

Policy Version: 2025-06

1. Introduction
   1.1. This .UK Schools Domain Name Policy (Policy) governs the use of .sch.uk Domains.
   1.2. Any capitalised terms used but not defined in this Policy have the meaning given to them in the Registry-Registrar Base Agreement or other document comprising the .UK RRA.
2. Applying for a .sch.uk Domain
   2.1. Schools in the UK are eligible to register a .sch.uk Domain of their choice if they do not already hold one.
   2.2. School Domains should follow the format schoolname.area.sch.uk in accordance with the Schedule 1 – Geographical zone identification set out below. For example, a .sch.uk Domain for a school based in Oxford could look like st-marys.oxon.sch.uk.
   2.3. Where groups of schools are forming a consortium for the centralised provision of teaching or IT services, either led by a local authority or a school group, a .sch.uk Domain can be registered for the consortium. The local authority or lead school in the consortium must apply for the Domain using their name and contact details for the registration process.
   2.4. Applications to register a .sch.uk Domain must be made through a Registrar.
   2.5. Before an application can be approved, the Registrar must forward to Nominet in writing a signed request on the letterhead of the school/appropriate controlling authority. The request must include the full name and job title of the person signing the request and contain the following details:
   • Applied for Domain
   • Registrar who submitted the application
   • Existing Domain (if applicable)
   • School name
   • ID number
   • Postal address
   • Contact name
   • Contact email address
   2.6. The Registrar must send the application material referenced in clause 2.5 to [email protected] for review and approval.
   2.7. School Domains for Northern Ireland are allocated by the Education Authority Northern Ireland. All applications for a ni.sch.uk Domain must be submitted to Education Authority Northern Ireland by calling 0870 6011 666.
   2.8. Schools or their local authorities may have an Accreditation that allows access to only manage their .sch.uk Domains without the need to be a member of Nominet.
3. Fees
   3.1. Registrars will be charged the current standard .uk price for the registration of a .sch.uk Domain as set out in the Registry Configuration table on Registrar Resources.
4. Cancelling .sch.uk Domains
   4.1. If a school with an existing .sch.uk Domain applies for a new Domain, a cutover period of three (3) months is provided before the existing Domain is cancelled.
   4.2. If Nominet becomes aware that a school with a registered .sch.uk Domain has closed or no longer exists, Nominet may cancel the Domain. Nominet will send notice in accordance with the .UK Registrant Terms & Conditions.

Schedule 1 – Geographical zone identification

SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND

SCHOOLS IN SCOTLAND 

SCHOOLS IN WALES 

.UK REGISTRANT TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

Policy Version: 2026-03

1. Application of these terms and conditions
   1.1. By instructing a Registrar to register a Domain on their behalf, the Registrant accepts Nominet’s terms and conditions, which are comprised of:
   • these terms and conditions;
   • the Registry Policies; and
   • the DRS Policy,
   in each case as may be varied from time to time by Nominet.
2. Definitions
   2.1. In these terms and conditions, the following words have the following meanings:

3. Nominet’s rights and obligations
   3.1. Nominet will:
   3.1.1. process a potential Registrant’s application made via a Registrar to create or renew a Domain in accordance with the Registry Policies;
   3.1.2. maintain overall ownership, control and responsibility for the Registry;
   3.1.3. make changes to the Registry in accordance with the Registrant’s instructions made via its Registrar to Nominet;
   3.1.4. provide the technical operation of the name servers for the registry zones that Nominet operates and make entries in the appropriate zone file to delegate Domains in accordance with Industry Good Practice; and
   3.1.5. provide an escalation path for the Registrant where a Registrar is not complying with its agreements with Nominet.
   3.2. Nominet owns and shall retain all copyright, database rights and other intellectual property rights in the Registry.
   3.3. Nominet may contact the Registrant directly from time to time where necessary for the management of the Registrant’s Domain(s).
   3.4. Nominet does not have to take any action in respect of the Registry or make any changes to the Registry until it is satisfied that it has received a valid request from the Registrant.
   3.5. Nominet will be entitled to assume that any action requested using the Registrant’s Credentials to login to Nominet’s systems has been submitted by the Registrant or by someone authorised by them.
4. Registrant’s rights and obligations
   4.1. The Registrant acknowledges that:
   4.1.1. the Registrar acts on behalf of the Registrant in creating and maintaining a Domain;
   4.1.2. any communication to or from the Registrar to Nominet is taken as being to or from the Registrant;
   4.1.3. the Registrant should always contact the Registrar regarding any queries or changes related to the Domain; and
   4.1.4. Nominet processes Registration Data as described in Nominet’s Privacy Notice.
   4.2. The Registrant is responsible for providing and updating accurate Registration Data including technical and contact information to facilitate timely resolution of any problems that arise in connection with the Domain.
   4.3. If the Registrant licenses use of a Domain to a third-party:
   4.3.1. the Registrant shall remain the Registrant of record;
   4.3.2. the Registrant shall remain responsible for providing and updating accurate Registration Data; and
   4.3.3. the Registrant shall be liable for any harm caused by wrongful use of the Domain, unless it discloses the identity of the licensee and current contact information provided by the licensee within seven (7) days to a party providing the Registrant with reasonable evidence of actionable harm.
   4.4. The Registrant must notify the Registrar and Nominet immediately regarding any legal proceedings concerning its Domain.
   4.5. The Registrant acknowledges that a Domain is not an item of property, and that Nominet will not be bound by, or record on the Registry, any mortgage-related obligations.
   4.6. The Registrant represents and warrants that:
   4.6.1. to the best of the Registrant’s knowledge and belief, neither the registration of the Domain nor the way it is directly or indirectly used infringes the legal rights of any third-party or any applicable law;
   4.6.2. it (or its Registrar) has notified any third party whose Personal Data is to be held in the Registry as Registration Data in connection with its Domain(s) of Nominet’s processing of Registration Data as described in clause 7;
   4.6.3. any identity and contact information shared with Nominet (either directly or through the Registrar) comprised in Registration Data is correct and kept up to date;
   4.6.4. its registration or use of the Domain does not infringe the intellectual property rights (for example, trademarks) of any person;
   4.6.5. the alphanumeric characters that constitute the Domain are not Proscribed; and
   4.6.6. it will not use the Domain for any unlawful purpose.
   4.7. The Registrant shall indemnify Nominet against any and all losses, costs and expenses (whether direct or indirect) arising out of any breach by the Registrant of any of the warranties and representations in clause 4.6.
   4.8. The warranties and representations in clause 4.6 and the indemnity in clause 4.7 shall continue to apply after the Domain has been created and shall not be affected by the Cancellation or transfer of the Domain.
   4.9. The Registrant may contact Nominet directly with complaints when it believes that the Registrar has not acted or is not acting in accordance with the Registry Policies.
   4.10. The Registrant must keep any Credentials or other piece of information used as part of Nominet’s security procedures confidential. Nominet has the right to disable any Credentials, at any time, if in its opinion its security procedures have been compromised.
5. Contact details
   5.1. The Registrant shall provide to the Registrar correct, accurate and reliable contact details and correct and update them within seven (7) days of any change during the term of the Domain registration in line with the Registry Policies. This means that the information must be good enough to allow Nominet to contact the Registrant quickly at any reasonable time, must not be deceptive, and must clearly identify the Registrant.
   5.2. The Registrant’s wilful provision of inaccurate or unreliable contact details, wilful failure to update contact details provided to the Registrar within seven (7) days of any change, or failure to respond for over thirty (30) days to inquiries by the Registrar concerning the accuracy of contact details associated with the Registrant’s Domain shall constitute a material breach of the Registration Agreement and be a basis for cancelling and/or for placing the Domain into a Special Status.
6. Fees
   6.1. The fee for creating and renewing a Domain is paid by the Registrant to the Registrar.
   6.2. Nominet will charge the Registrar in accordance with Nominet’s UK Pricing Schedule.
   6.3. Nominet reserves the right to:
   6.3.1. not start any process until it has received the correct fee for the process;
   6.3.2. Cancel a Domain from the Registry without notice if debt relating to the Domain has not been paid and is past due date for payment; and
   6.3.3. not provide credit notes or refunds to a Registrant unless Nominet has made a significant mistake.
7. Use and disclosure of Registration Data
   7.1. Nominet uses and discloses Registration Data, which may contain Personal Data relating to the Registrant and other Contacts, as described in the Privacy notice.
   7.2. Nominet shall process Registration Data in compliance with its obligations under the Data Protection Legislation and other applicable laws.
   7.3. The Registrant may obtain a copy of the Personal Data Nominet holds about it by contacting Nominet’s data protection officer at [email protected] or Nominet UK, Minerva House, Edmund Halley Road, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4DQ. The Registrant may also ask its Registrar to confirm what Registration Data Nominet holds in the Registry.
8. Cancellation and alteration of Domains
   8.1. Nominet may Cancel or put a Domain into a Special Status if:
   8.1.1. in Nominet’s sole discretion it believes that the Registrant or Registrar has failed to provide accurate and reliable contact details in accordance with clause 5.1;
   8.1.2. in Nominet’s sole discretion it believes that the Registrant or Registrar has failed to keep contact details up to date in a timely manner in accordance with clause 5.2;
   8.1.3. in Nominet’s sole discretion it believes the Domain is being used, or has a high risk of being used, in a way that is likely to endanger any part of the domain name system, other internet users (including but not limited to the distribution of viruses and malware, phishing activity or facilitating distributed denial of service attacks), or Nominet’s systems and internet connections; or
   8.1.4. the Registrant has breached any provision of the Agreement (including the Registry Policies and DRS Policy) and, if the breach is remediable, has not remedied the breach within 30 days of being notified by Nominet.
   8.2. Nominet may (but does not have to) change the Registrant, delete, update or amend the Domain, put the Domain in a Special Status or prevent its renewal:
   8.2.1. on instruction by the Registrant;
   8.2.2. if Nominet reasonably believes that the changes to update the Registry or to correct any error, ambiguity or inaccuracy relating to the Domain registration (including any error in making the Domain available for registration or an error in a previous Cancellation of the Domain) would make the Registry more accurate;
   8.2.3. to carry out a decision an expert has made pursuant to Nominet’s Dispute Resolution Service; or
   8.2.4. if Nominet receives a complete and valid court order which Nominet or the Registrant (or both) must obey, or if not making the changes the court orders would be a contempt of court by Nominet or the Registrant.
   8.3. If the Registrant is a natural person, their Domain will be Cancelled if they die and the person legally appointed to deal with the Registrant’s assets does not change the registrant of the Domain (either to themselves or someone else) within a year of the Registrant’s death (or the end of their appointment, whichever comes first).
   8.4. If the Registrant is not a natural person, the Domain will be Cancelled if it completes a liquidation or disbandment process or otherwise no longer exists, even if (where possible) it is later restored by an official or court order or decision.
9. Duration, renewal, change of registrant and transfer of domain to a new Registrar
   9.1. Nominet will register a Domain for a period between one (1) and ten (10) years in accordance with the Registry Policies. Instructions to create a Domain should be given by the Registrant to the Registrar who will instruct Nominet.
   9.2. The Registrant may renew its Domain at, or before, the end of its term in accordance with Nominet’s renewals processes. Instructions to renew a Domain should be given by the Registrant to the Registrar who will instruct Nominet.
   9.3. Failure by the Registrant to instruct the Registrar to renew the Domain in accordance with Registry Policies will result in the Registrar requesting deletion of the Domain.
   9.4. Nominet may transfer its rights and responsibilities with respect to a Registrant’s Domain to anyone else in Nominet’s sole discretion.
   9.5. The Registrant may request the Registrar change the Registrant of a Domain provided that the Registrar binds the new Registrant to the Registration Agreement and these terms and conditions subject to Registry Policies.
   9.6. The Registrant may transfer a Domain between Registrars provided that it:
   9.6.1. follows the transfer process as documented in the Registry Policies; and
   9.6.2. agrees to the new Registrar’s Registration Agreement.
10. Exclusions and limitations of liability
    10.1. Nothing in the Agreement limits or excludes either party’s liability for fraudulent misrepresentation or death or personal injury caused by its negligence or any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable laws.
    10.2. The creation or change of Registrant of a Domain does not constitute acknowledgement by Nominet that the Registrant has any rights in any words included in the Domain.
    10.3. Nominet shall not be liable for:
    10.3.1. loss of profit, revenue or other type of economic loss (whether direct or indirect);
    10.3.2. loss of business or contracts;
    10.3.3. loss of expected savings or goodwill; or
    10.3.4. consequential or indirect losses arising out of or in connection with the registration of a Domain, including but not limited to:
    10.3.5. any mistake or missing information in the Registry; and
    10.3.6. loss of registration and/or use of the Domain for whatever reason and whether temporary or otherwise.
    10.4. Implied terms are, to the fullest extent permitted by law, excluded from the Agreement.
    10.5. Nominet’s total liability to the Registrant under the Agreement or otherwise (including negligence) shall not exceed £5,000.
11. Term and termination
    11.1. The Agreement comes into effect on the date of the relevant action as described in clause 1.1 and continues for as long as the Registrant is recorded in the Registry as a Registrant for a Domain.
    11.2. The Registrant may terminate the Agreement by:
    11.2.1. requesting via its Registrar that the Domain is deleted, following which the Domain will follow the deletion process as set out in the Registry Policies;
    11.2.2. completing the change of registrant process with its Registrar for someone else to become the Registrant for the remainder of the term of the registration of the Domain; or
    11.2.3. not renewing the Domain at the end of the term of the registration of the Domain, following which the Domain will follow the deletion process as set out in the Registry Policies.
    11.3. Nominet may terminate the Agreement by Cancelling or altering the Domain in accordance with clause 8 with the effect that the Registrant is no longer recorded in the Registry as a Registrant for a Domain.
    11.4. On termination or expiry of the Agreement this clause and clauses 3.2, 4.6, 4.7,4.8, 7, 8.3, 8.4, 10, 12 and 13 shall continue in effect.
12. Notices
    12.1. Except as set out in the DRS Policy, any notice in relation to the Registrant’s Domain will be considered to have been served if hand-delivered or sent by prepaid post or by email to:
    12.1.1. the Registrant or its Registrar at any postal or email address recorded in the Registry for the relevant Domain;
    12.1.2. Nominet at its registered office address or [email protected].
    12.2. A notice will be deemed delivered on the date it was hand-delivered, three (3) days after being sent by prepaid post or on the date it was sent by email.
13. General
    13.1. If a court rules that any provision of the Agreement is invalid, unenforceable or void, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
    13.2. A person who is not a party to the Agreement shall have no rights to enforce any provision of the Agreement.
    13.3. Nominet may make reasonable changes to these terms and conditions, the DRS Policy and the Registry Policies at any time.
    13.4. The Agreement, comprising these terms and conditions, the Registry Policies and the DRS Policy, forms the entire agreement between the Registrant and Nominet in relation to the Domain, and replaces all previous contracts, understandings and representations about the Domain, whether oral or written.
    13.5. No failure or delay by Nominet to exercise any right or remedy provided for in the Agreement shall constitute a waiver of that or any other right or remedy, nor shall it prevent or restrict the further exercise of that or any other right or remedy. No single or partial exercise of such right or remedy shall prevent or restrict the further exercise of that or any other right or remedy.
    13.6. The Agreement and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with the Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

.UK Transactional Reporting Policy

Policy version: 2026-03

1. Introduction
   1.1. This .UK Transactional Reporting Policy (Policy) governs the publishing of monthly .UK registrar transactions by Nominet.
   1.2. In this Policy the following terms have the meanings set out below:

1.3. Any capitalised terms used but not defined in this Policy have the meaning given to them in the Registry-Registrar Base Agreement or other document comprising the .UK RRA.

2. Publishing of Transactions Reports
   2.1. Nominet will aim to publish publicly a Transactions Reports in respect of each calendar month at [URL tbc].
   2.2. The Transactions Reports shall be withheld until three (3) months after the end of the month to which the report relates.
3. Purposes and benefits of publishing Transactions Reports
   3.1. The Transactions Report will:
   3.1.1. help the industry and wider community evaluate the health, competitiveness, security and stability of the .UK Registry eco-system;
   3.1.2. allow for transparent comparison of .UK against generic top-level domains based on ICANN’s published data formats; and
   3.1.3. support and inform Registry Policy discussions relating to the health of the .UK Registry.
4. Transactions Report definition
   4.1. The report is published in a comma separated-value formatted file named “uk-transactions-yyyymm.csv”. yyyy represents the year and mm represents the calendar month the report refers to.
   4.2. The first line of the report includes the field names as defined below. The last line of the report includes totals for each column across all registrars; the first field of this line is “Totals”.

.UK Inter-registrar transfer policy

1. Policy version: 2026-03
2. This document sets out the inter-Registrar transfer policy for the .UK top level domain.
3. It is a fundamental policy principle for the registry that Registrants may choose from a competitive Registrar market to register or maintain their domains and must be able to move between Registrars accordingly.
4. Registrant request transfer authorisation code from losing Registrar.
   4.1. To transfer a domain between Registrars, a Registrant must ask the losing Registrar to:
   4.2. Set and provide them with a Transfer Authorisation Code. Any request to set a new Transfer Authorisation Code will also be a request to expire any existing transfer authorisation codes.
   4.3. Remove any Registrar set transfer locks on their domain before requesting the gaining Registrar to transfer the domain.
5. Losing Registrars must when asked to transfer a domain:
   5.1. Ensure the request is authentic from their Registrant.
   5.2. Remove any transfer locks that the Registrar has set on the domain at no charge within 5-days when asked to do so by the Registrant – unless the Registrar can show the lock is in place to prevent a case where they reasonably believe domain name abuse is taking place and/or to adhere to other registry policies.
   5.2.1. For the avoidance of doubt, a Registrar imposing a transfer lock without consent of the Registrant after create, update or transfer in of a domain or its associated objects where there is no other evidence of domain name abuse or breach of policy is not allowed. Consent may be provided within a registrar’s terms and conditions, but any terms may not restrict the registrants right to removal of the lock in accordance with registry policy.
   5.3. Set a Transfer Authorisation Code at the registry for the domain.
   5.4. Provide the Transfer Authorisation Code to the Registrant within 5-days at no charge.
   5.5. Retain records, which must be made available to Nominet’s compliance team in a transfer dispute or audit of compliance, pertaining to the provision of the Transfer Authorisation Code for 15 months including:
   5.5.1. Timestamp of Transfer Authorisation Code being sent.
   5.5.2. Communication method of the Transfer Authorisation Code.
   5.5.3. Who the Transfer Authorisation Code was provided to.
6. The registry will set a Time To Live (TTL) on any Transfer Authorisation Code that is created. Only one Registrar set Transfer Authorisation Code may exist at a time on any one domain.
7. The Registrant:
   7.1. May request that the transfer is done:
   7.1.1. without renewal, provided the gaining registrar supports incoming transfer without renewal, except if the domain is in the auto renew grace period; or
   7.1.2. With renewal of a period of 1-10 years except where that would result in an expiry date of more than 10 years in the future.
   7.2. Must:
   7.2.1. agree to the gaining Registrars’ terms and conditions of service including binding to current registry policies and Registrant Terms and Conditions.
   7.2.2. request the transfer of the domain by providing a valid Transfer Authorisation Code to the gaining Registrar.
8. The gaining Registrar must:
   8.1. bind the Registrant to their terms and conditions and the registry policies and Registrant Terms and Conditions and be able demonstrate this to Nominet’s compliance team.
   8.2. submit a transfer request to the registry:
   8.2.1. including the Transfer Authorisation Code.
   8.2.2. only request a renewal with transfer if the Registrant has requested the renewal period. For the avoidance of doubt registrars are free to charge for incoming transfers whether a renewal is requested or not.
   8.2.3. If the domain is in the auto renew grace period, the registrar must request a minimum of one year renewal for the transfer to be accepted.
9. The Registry will immediately upon receipt of a transfer request:
   9.1. Verify that:
   9.1.1. no locks exist on the domain to prevent transfer;
   9.1.2. the Transfer Authorisation Code for the domain is valid.
   9.2. Provided the verification in preceding step is OK, move the domain immediately to the new Registrar:
   9.2.1. If the Registrar did not request renewal, the domain will transfer with no charge from the Registry to the Registrar.
   9.2.2. If the Registrar requested a renewal the appropriate renewal term will be processed as part of the transfer.
   9.2.3. If the domain is in the auto renew grace period, the auto renewal will be cancelled resulting in only the renewal requested as part of the transfer request being charged.
   9.2.4. Expire the Transfer Authorisation Code from the domain.
10. The registry will if it has not received a transfer request in 14-days from the time the Transfer Authorisation Code was set, expire the Transfer Authorisation Code.
11. Complaints regarding inter-Registrar transfers
    11.1. A complaint may be made to Nominet by a Registrant against the losing Registrar if:
    11.1.1. the losing Registrar fails to remove a transfer lock and/or provide a Transfer Authorisation Code to a Registrant in accordance with this policy.
    11.1.2. The losing Registrar does not take reasonable steps to ensure the authenticity of a request to provide a Transfer Authorisation Code; and/or provides the Transfer Authorisation Code to an unauthorised third party.
    11.2. A complaint may be made by the losing Registrar to Nominet as to the legitimacy of an inter-registrar transfer
    11.2.1. The losing Registrar may dispute an inter-registrar transfer which has completed on behalf of, and with the consent of, the Registrant by raising a complaint with Nominet.
    11.2.2. The outcome of any compliance investigation into any complaint under this policy may result in the Registry:
    11.2.2.1. Upholding the status quo.
    11.2.2.2. Putting a domain into the state the Registrant intended.
    11.2.2.3. Suspending a Registrar’s Accreditation for breach of policy.
    11.2.2.4. Terminating a Registrar’s Registry-Registrar Agreement for breach of policy.

.UK Registry-Registrar Lifecycle Policy

1. Policy version: 2026-03
2. The registry operates a lifecycle with Registry Grace Periods as follows:
   2.1. Add Grace Period (subject to add grace period limits policy): 5 days.
   2.2. Renew Grace Period: 5 days
   2.3. Transfer Grace Period: 5 days
   2.4. Auto-renew Grace Period: 45 days
   2.5. Redemption Grace Period: 30 days
   2.6. Pending Delete Grace Period: 5 days.
3. Transfer Lock on registration, transfer or change of registrant
   3.1. The registry will not apply a transfer lock on registration, transfer or change of registrant.
   3.1.1. Registrars may and are encouraged to utilise transfer locks as a matter of good security practice but where they do so must remove them at the Registrants request in accordance with the .UK Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy.
4. Notice to Registrants of Fees and Procedures
   4.1. Registrars must make their renewal fees reasonably available to Registrants and prospective Registrants at the time of registration of a domain.
   4.2. At a minimum, these fees must be clearly displayed on the Registrar’s website and a link to these fees must be included in the Registrar’s registration agreements. Registrars who do not offer or provide Registrar services through a website must at least include the fees in their registration agreements.
   4.2.1. Additionally, Registrars must ensure that these fees are displayed on their resellers’ websites.
5. Domain cancellation
   5.1. If a Registrant wishes to cancel their domain, they may do so at any time subject to registry policies.
   5.2. To cancel a domain a Registrant must do so via their Registrar, requesting the deletion of their domain.
   5.3. Registrars must:
   5.3.1. Reject cancellation requests for any domains with a ‘server delete prohibited’ lock.
   5.3.2. Process properly authorised domain cancellation requests from a registrant within 5 days by requesting the registry to ‘delete’ the domain.
   5.4. The registry will:
   5.4.1. Provided a domain is not subject to a delete prohibition place a deleted domain into the Redemption Period.
   5.4.2. If the domain is not restored within the Redemption Period put the domain into a pending delete grace period.
   5.4.3. At the end of the pending delete grace period purge the domain from the registry.
6. Expiration Reminder Notices
   6.1. Registrars are required to notify Registrants of their expiry date at least as follows:
   6.1.1. Approximately one month prior to expiry;
   6.1.2. Approximately one week prior to expiry;
   6.1.3. If not renewed by the Registrant with the Registrar before expiry at or within 5 days after expiry.
   6.1.4. If a change of Registrant occurs at or after one month before expiry the new Registrant must be notified of the expiry date.
   6.2. Registrars must describe the methods used to deliver pre- and post-expiration reminder notifications to Registrants.
   6.2.1. If a Registrar offers registration and renewal via a website the information must be displayed there.
   6.2.2. This description should generally include communications channels/media that will be used and identification of the point of contact to which the notices will be transmitted (e.g., email to Registrant, telephone call to administrative contact, postal mail to customer, etc.).
   6.2.3. Registrars’ registration agreements must include either a similar description of its notification methods or a link to the applicable page(s) on its website where this information is available.
   6.2.4. Additionally, Registrars must ensure that these communication methods are described on their resellers’ websites.
7. Renewals
   7.1. A Registrar must not renew a domain without the explicit consent of a Registrant. A Registrar is offered, by the registry, the benefit of the auto-renew grace period to receive that consent.
   7.2. Failure by the Registrant to consent to the renewal of a domain, shall in the absence of extenuating circumstances, result in the deletion of the domain by the end of the auto-renew grace period by the Registrar (although the Registrar may choose to delete the name earlier).
   7.2.1. Extenuating circumstances are defined as:
   7.2.1.1. Dispute service action
   7.2.1.2. Valid court order
   7.2.1.3. failure of a Registrar’s renewal process (which does not include failure of a Registrant to respond),
   7.2.1.4. the domain is used by a nameserver that provides DNS service to third-parties (additional time may be required to migrate the records managed by the nameserver),
   7.2.1.5. the Registrant is subject to bankruptcy proceedings, payment dispute (where a Registrant claims to have paid for a renewal, or a discrepancy in the amount paid), billing dispute (where a Registrant disputes the amount on a bill),
   7.2.1.6. domain subject to litigation in a court of competent jurisdiction
   7.2.1.7. other circumstance as approved specifically by Nominet.
   7.3. Where the Registrar chooses, under extenuating circumstances, to renew a domain without the explicit consent of the Registrant, the Registrar must maintain a record of the extenuating circumstances associated with renewing that specific domain for inspection by Nominet.
   7.4. In the absence of consent to renew by the Registrant or extenuating circumstances, a Registrar must request deletion of a domain within the auto-renew period.
   7.4.1. A Registrar may achieve compliance with this requirement by configuring their accreditation at the registry to auto-delete at the end of the auto-renew period and triggering manual renewals for all renewed domains.
   7.5. Registrars are not required by registry policy to interrupt the DNS resolution path during the auto-renew grace period of an expired domain. However, if the Registrar directs web traffic to the domain to a web page while the domain is still renewable by the Registrant, that web page must conspicuously indicate that the domain is expired and provide renewal instructions.
   7.6. Registrars shall provide notice to each new Registrant describing the details of their deletion and auto-renewal policy including the expected time, at which a non-renewed domain would be deleted relative to the domains expiration date, or a date range not to exceed ten (10) days in length. If a Registrar makes any material changes to its deletion policy during the period of the registration agreement, it must make at least the same effort to inform the Registrant of the changes as it would to inform the Registrant of other material changes to the registration agreement.
   7.7. If the Registrar operates a website for domain registration or renewal, details of the Registrar’s deletion and auto-renewal policies must be clearly displayed on the website.
   7.8. Beginning at the time of expiration and through to the end of the Redemption Grace Period the Registrant at the time of expiration must be permitted by the Registrar to renew the expired domain.
8. Renew Grace Period
   8.1. Only one Renew Grace Period can apply to a domain.
   8.2. Domains in Renew Grace Period can be renewed but in doing so that confirms the acceptance of the early end of any existing Renew Grace Period.
   8.3. A registrar may un-renew a domain during the Renew Grace Period.
   8.3.1. In the event an un-renew returns the domain to an expiry timestamp in the past, the domain will be treated as having entered the Auto-Renew Grace period at the expiry timestamp as if it had never had a Renew Grace Period.
9. Redemption Grace Period
   9.1. The registry offers a Redemption Grace Period immediately following the deletion request of a domain, during which time the deleted domain may be restored at the request of the Registrant by the Registrar that deleted it. Domains deleted during the registry add-grace period are not subject to the Redemption Grace Period.
   9.2. During the Redemption Grace Period, the registry disables DNS resolution and prohibits updates. The registry will also clearly indicate in its Registration Data Directory Service result for the domain that it is in its Redemption Grace Period.
   9.3. Registrars must permit the Registrant to restore a deleted domain during Redemption Grace Period for no additional charge other any outstanding renewal fees.
   9.4. The registry restore fee will be as set out in the .UK Pricing Schedule.
   9.5. Registrars must not restore domain to assume rights, use or sell the domain for themselves or a third-party that is not the Registrant.
10. Impact of disputes. If a domain which is the subject of a Registration dispute is deleted or expires during the Registration dispute, the complainant in the dispute will have the option to renew or restore the domain under the same commercial terms as the Registrant. If the complainant renews or restores the domain, the domain will be placed in clientHold and clientTransferProhibited status, the RDDS contact information for the Registrant will be removed, and the RDDS contact entry will indicate that the domain is subject to dispute. If the complaint is terminated, or the dispute finds against the complainant, the domain must be deleted within 45 days. The Registrant retains the right under the existing Redemption Grace Period provisions to recover the domain at any time during the Redemption Grace Period and retains the right to renew the domain before it is deleted.

.UK Add Grace Period Limits Policy

1. Policy version: 2024-01
2. The Add Grace Period (AGP) shall be restricted as:
   2.1. During any given month, Nominet shall not offer any refund to a Registrar for any domains deleted during the AGP that exceed:
   2.1.1. 10% of that Registrar’s net new registrations (calculated as the total number of net adds of one-year through ten-year registrations, or
   2.1.2. fifty (50) domains, whichever is greater, unless an exemption has been granted by Nominet.
   2.2. A Registrar may seek an exemption from Nominet from the application of such restrictions in a specific month, upon demonstrating:
   2.2.1. extraordinary circumstances;
   2.2.1.1. For any Registrar requesting such an exemption, the Registrar must confirm in writing to Nominet how, at the time the domains were deleted, these extraordinary circumstances were unknown, reasonably could not have been known, and were outside the Registrar’s control. Acceptance of any exemption will be at the sole and reasonable discretion of the Nominet. However, “extraordinary circumstances” which reoccur regularly for the same Registrar will not be deemed extraordinary.
   2.2.2. evidence the domain(s) were being used to commit DNS Abuse or were fraudulent registrations.
   2.2.2.1. For any Registrar requesting such an exemption, the Registrar must confirm in writing to Nominet full details of the DNS abuse or fraudulent registrations.

.UK Interim Data Quality Policy

1. Policy version: 2024-06
2. We intend to work with stakeholders to develop a suitable Know Your Customer policy ahead of transitioning .UK to the new Registry platform. In the event this work is not completed ahead of transition, this Interim Data Quality policy will come into effect at transition to the Nominet Registry Services Provider platform.
3. Introduction: Improving and maintaining the quality of the data on the register for .UK domain names is a key objective for Nominet. We have and will continue to take steps to achieve this and believe that registrars play a key role in helping us to do so. This Data Quality Policy sets out some of the ways we expect registrars to help us improve our data quality. N.B. terms that have been capitalised in this document have the meaning set out in the “Definitions” section at the end of this Policy.
4. Data Quality Policy Statement. Registrars must submit Complete and accurate data in their transactions with us.
   4.1. Registrars must ensure that data they submit to us can be Validated.
   4.2. All Registrars must be satisfied that the email address for the Registrant is a reliable means by which to contact the Registrant.
5. Incomplete Data
   5.1. Where data submitted by a Registrar is incomplete, it will not be accepted by our systems and the relevant transaction submitted by the Registrar will be rejected in real time.
6. Data Validation
   6.1. Nominet may Validate any Registrant data submitted to us. Where Nominet determines that data submitted cannot be Validated, Registrars will be required to take steps to resolve the issue. These requirements are:
   6.1.1. The Registrar must take appropriate steps to confirm to Nominet that the data
   is Valid. For example, the Registrar may choose: to ask the Registrant to provide corrected data; to confirm that the data is reliable based on its own knowledge or information from a trustworthy third party source; or, to obtain documentary evidence that the data is reliable such as a utility bill or similar document.
   6.1.2. Nominet may suspend domain names where we are unable to Validate data.
7. Processes and Auditing
   7.1. Nominet will monitor a Registrar’s compliance with this policy through its data quality audits of Registrars.
8. Updating this Policy.
   8.1. Nominet will review this policy on a regular basis to ensure it continues to reflect best practice and current practices within the industry. We may update this policy by providing all Registrars with at least 30 days notice and posting the new policy on our website.
9. Definitions
   9.1. “Complete” means that data complies with the format requirements enforced by the registry system;
   9.2. “Incomplete” means data that is not Complete; and,
   9.3. “Validate” means confirming that data is reliable by comparing it to data provided by a trustworthy source (which may be a third-party database), and “Valid” and “Validated” shall be understood accordingly.