.CA

.CA is the official country code Top-Level-Domain (ccTLD) of Canada.

Introduced	1987
Country	Canada
Registry	CIRA
IDN Capable	Yes
Webpage	Register .CA

Registry

TLD	.ca
Registry	CIRA
Dispute Policy	Rules
Registrar	1api GmbH
WHOIS-Server	whois.cira.ca
WHOIS-Update	5 minutes
Min. Characters	2
Max. Characters	63
Character Set	Letters and numbers Hyphens ("-"), however not at the beginning or directly in front of the TLD IDN: allowed
Limitations	Registrant Contacts: Required: 1 / Maximum: 1 Admin Contacts: Required: 1 / Maximum: 1 Tech Contacts: Required: 1 / Maximum: 3 Billing Contacts: Required: 0 / Maximum: 1
{{{Possible Extensions}}}
IDN capable	Yes
Restore capable	Real-Time
Handle Updates	Supported (partially)
Registration System	Real-Time
Allowed number of NS	0 to 13
Registry Nameservercheck	No
Host IP-Addresses Type	IPv4 / IPv6
Hosts managed as	Object
Root Nameserver Update	hourly
SEC DNS Interface	DS data interface
Transferclass	Pull
Transfer Periods	1Y
Transfer Authcode required	Yes
Transfer Real-Time	Yes
Transfer Lock	Yes
Transfer Confirmation (Request / Approve)	- / -
Owner Change by	Update

Periods

{{{Possible Extensions}}}
Registration Periods	1-10 years
Add Grace Period	0 days
Accounting Period	-1 day
Finalization Period	44 days
Failure Period	44 days
Payment Period	-61 days
Deletion Restorable Period	30 days
Deletion Hold Period	7 days
Explicit Renewals	Yes
Renewal Periods	1-10 years

API

Domain Registration

Domains can be registered in Real-Time with the API AddDomain command.

command = AddDomain
domain  = (DOMAIN)

REQUIRED

ownercontact0 = (CONTACT)
admincontact0 = (CONTACT)
techcontact0 = (CONTACT)
billingcontact0 = (CONTACT)
nameserver0 = (NAMESERVER)
nameserver1 = (NAMESERVER)
X-CA-LEGALTYPE = (TEXT) - see TLD specific

OPTIONAL

auth = (TEXT) | (NULL)
period = (PERIOD)
transferlock = 0 | 1 | (NULL)
X-CA-LANGUAGE = EN | FR

Further information can be found at TLD specific

Domain Transfer

The transfer has to be initiated by the gaining registrar and can be requested with the API TransferDomain command.
A valid Authorization Code must be provided to initiate a transfer successfully. You may obtain the authorization code from the losing registrar.
Domain transfers are processed in Real-Time.

command = TransferDomain
domain = (DOMAIN)

REQUIRED

auth = (TEXT) | (NULL)

OPTIONAL

period = (PERIOD)
transferlock = 0 | 1 | (NULL)

Delete Domain

Domains can be deleted with the API DeleteDomain command.
There is a Deletion Restorable Period of 30 days and a following Deletion Hold Period of 7 days.

command = DeleteDomain
domain = (DOMAIN)

Restore Domain

Restores can be processed in realtime. A restore is possible within 30 days upon deletion. Please use the command RestoreDomain.

command = RestoreDomain
domain = (DOMAIN)

OPTIONAL

subuser = (TEXT)
renewalmode = (NULL) | (TEXT)

Ownerchange

An Ownerchange is free of charge and can be done with the API ModifyDomain command.

command = ModifyDomain
domain  = (DOMAIN)

REQUIRED

ownercontact0 = (CONTACT)
X-CA-LEGALTYPE = (TEXT) - see TLD specific

Further information can be found at TLD specific

TLD specific

Restrictions

.CA domains can only be registered by Canadian individuals and companies. HEXONET currently does not offer a trustee service.

Please note: Before the migration to a new system on October 12, 2010 it was possible to register provincial third level domain names under ab.ca, bc.ca, mb.ca, nb.ca, nl.ca, ns.ca, nt.ca, nu.ca, on.ca, pe.ca, qc.ca, sk.ca and yk.ca. CIRA still supports existing domain names, however new registrations are not possible.

Please read the following carefully, as registration of .CA are unique and require care.

1. Registering a .CA domain for a new registrant (contact)

Whenever you register a .CA domain for a new registrant (using a new registrant contact handle) the registrant has to agree to the registrant agreement within 7 days before the domain becomes active. This can be done at https://services.cira.ca/agree providing the contact id of the new registrant. The contact id is returned as property X-CA-CONTACT-REGISTRANT when you perform a StatusDomain command via API or is displayed in our Control Panal at "REGISTY INFORMATION" for the respective domain.

If you don't activate your .CA domain within 7 days after registration, the domain will get deleted by CIRA without any refund.

If the same (already confirmed) registrant contact is used to register another .CA domain then the domain will be registered in real-time.

How can the registrant confirm the registry REGISTRANT AGREEMENT?

As soon as a registration request has been submitted through the HEXONET system, we will send a confirmation email to the email address of the registrant. This email includes a link which redirects to CIRA´s website and also the required "Contact Id", which can be used to confirm the REGISTRANT AGREEMENT. As soon as the registrant has accepted this agreement, the registration of the requested domain name will be processed.

2. Registering a .CA domain for a previously used registrant (contact)

If you register a .CA domain with the same registrant contact that was already used and confirmed for a previously registered .CA domain, then the domain registration is simply processed in real-time. Another confirmation of the registrant contact is not required.

Registration parameters

You always have to state the legal type of the owner. Please find below the possible legal types.

You can also state the preferred language of the registrant:

Further contact restrictions For Canadian contacts a valid state or province must be provided. Please see below a list of valid Canadian states.
Legal Types (Value Description)

• CCO Corporation (Canada or Canadian province or territory)
• CCT Canadian citizen
• RES Permanent Resident of Canada
• GOV Government or government entity in Canada
• EDU Canadian Educational Institution
• ASS Canadian Unincorporated Association
• HOP Canadian Hospital
• PRT Partnership Registered in Canada
• TDM Trade-mark registered in Canada (by a non-Canadian owner)
• TRD Canadian Trade Union
• PLT Canadian Political Party
• LAM Canadian Library, Archive or Museum
• TRS Trust established in Canada
• ABO Aboriginal Peoples (individuals or groups) indigenous to Canada
• INB Indian Band recognized by the Indian Act of Canada
• LGR Legal Representative of a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident
• OMK Official mark registered in Canada
• MAJ Her Majesty the Queen

Canadian States (Value Description)

• AB Alberta
• BC British Columbia
• MB Manitoba
• NB New Brunswick
• NL Newfoundland & Labrador
• NS Nova Scotia
• NT Northwest Territories
• NU Nunavut
• ON Ontario
• PE Prince Edward Island
• QC Quebec
• SK Saskatchewan
• YK Yukon

Legal contact entities

• bank
• banque
• caisse de credit
• caisse d'economie
• caisse d'epargne
• caisse populaire
• compagnie
• company
• coop
• cooperation
• cooperative
• cooprix
• corp
• corp.
• corporation
• credit union
• federation de societes mutuelles d'assurance
• federation of mutual insurance associations
• fideicommis
• fiducie
• inc
• inc.
• incorporated
• incorpore
• limited
• limitee
• ltd
• ltd.
• lte
• lte.
• ltee
• ltee.
• mutual benefit association
• mutual insurance association
• s.a.
• s.a.r.f.
• s.c.c.
• savings union
• societe commerciale canadienne
• societe de fiducie
• societe de secours mutuels
• societe d'entraide economique
• societe d'epargne
• societe mutuelle d'assurance
• societe par actions
• trust

Trade-mark registered in Canada by non-Canadian owner

In order to register a .CA domain name under the trademark legal type, the trademark must be "registered". Trademarks with a status of "pending" do not qualify.

A Person which does not fall under any other legal type, 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 a request to register a .ca
domain name consisting of or including the exact word component of that registered trade-mark.

This legal type is only intended for Registrants which do not meet the requirements
associated with any other legal type but which have a trade-mark registered in Canada.
(Trademarks subject of trade-mark applications and trade-marks registered in other jurisdictions, such
as the United States, do not qualify.) The domain name to be registered must include the trademark.
(i.e. If the trade-mark is AVEA this type of Registrant can register avea.ca or aveaisus.ca
but not xyz.ca)

The Registrant’s name must be the complete legal name of the trade-mark owner (not the trademark
agent) holding the domain name registration without any abbreviations. (A common
abbreviation may follow the complete name in parentheses.) The applicant must also insert the
Canadian registration number of the trade-mark following the Registrant name.

A valid registrant name would be "Arcuros SPA - TMA1762466"

Partnership Registered in Canada

If the Registrant is a registered Partnership, you should be creating the Registrant using the "PRT"
(Partnership Registered in Canada) legal type.

Please note that the Registrant name must be the registered name of the partnership that will hold the
domain name registration. The Registrant name must also be followed by the jurisdiction of registration.

Examples of VALID Registrant names for the legal type 'Partnership registered in Canada':

John Doe, LLP (Ontario)
Xenon Partnership (Ontario)
Doucett, Entwistle and Theedom LLP (Ontario)
John Doe Partnership, British Columbia
Rosa, Edward, Kelly, Partnership-Ottawa

Examples of INVALID Registrant names for the legal type 'Partnership registered in Canada':

Mybusiness Inc.
Fred Smith
John Doe Partnership

Domain Modification

The registrant of a .CA domain can not be updated within the first 5 days after the successful registration.

If the registrant contact or the administrative contact is being replaced the registry sends an email to the registrant and administrative contact even if the contact information stays unchanged.

Ownerchange

Please note that you can not change the registrant contact of a .CA domain name in these cases:

• within the first 60 days after a domain registration
• within the first 60 days after the transfer of a domain name
• within the first 60 days after the change of the registrant contact of a domain name

After a change of registrant the domain can not be transferred for 60 days and another change of registrant is not possible for 60 days.

Transfer

Please note that you can not transfer a .CA domain name in these cases:

• within the first 60 days after a domain registration
• within the first 60 days after the transfer of a domain name
• within the first 60 days after the change of the registrant contact of a domain name

Authorization Code

The Authorization Code of a .CA domain may have a length from 6 to 16 characters and may consist of the following characters: a - z, A - Z,0 - 9

RegistrarOC

Restore Process

To restore a domain as a RegistrarOC customer, you simply have to execute the RestoreDomain command. HEXONET directly forwards the restore request to the registry, which performs the restore in real-time. As soon as the restore is complete, the domain will get assigned to your account with the original domain data.

Please do not initiate a restore directly at the registry (e.g. using the registrar webinterface). All restore operations must be performed through our system.