About .uk domains

Nominet.uk is our sponsor and backend provider for the country-code domain (ccTLD) .uk extensions that represent The United Kingdom.

Who can register .uk domains?

Anyone can register a .uk domain.

• .co.uk — Intended for commercial entities.
• .me.uk — Intended for private individuals.
• .org.uk — Intended for non-profit organizations.

Registration restrictions

When registering a .uk domain, you must follow specific requirements.

• Must use: 2-63 characters
• Can use: Letters (a-z characters), numbers (0-9) and hyphens (except in the 1st or last characters of the domain name)
• Cannot use: Special characters (e.g., & and #)
• IDNs: Not Supported

Features

• Registration length: 1-10 years
• Renewal length: 1-10 years
• Your .uk domain will renew on its expiration date.
• We attempt auto-renewal on the domain’s expiration date. If the renewal attempt fails, we re-attempt auto-renewal 8 days later, and again at 15 days.
• Backorders: Not supported
• Transfers to GoDaddy: Supported
• The transfer-in process is unique to .uk domains and does not include a free one-year extension.
• To initiate a .uk transfer, you must:
• Purchase a .uk domain transfer for $0 in your account.
• Contact your current registrar and request an IPS Tag change to GODADDY . Once updated, the transfer completes immediately.
• Transfers away from GoDaddy: Supported
• You'll need to update the IPS tag on your domain to your new registrar, then complete the transfer process with your new registrar.
• A registrar's IPS Tag can be verified on Nominet's list of registrars.
• For assistance cancelling a pending transfer away, please contact the gaining registrar.
• Transfers to another GoDaddy account: Supported
• When you move a .uk domain to another account you cannot change the registrant's first name, last name or organization. Choose the "do not change" option for the contact information.
• You’ll need to downgrade your protection plan if applicable.
• Basic privacy protection: Supported
Protection plan upgrades: Supported
• CashParking: Not supported
• Contact updates: Supported
• You can update all contact information directly through your account.
• Nominet verifies the contact details listed on your domain. If they’re unable to verify the contact details listed, your domain will be placed in a pending data quality validation status and advised via email. You’ll need to update the information or verify its validity by contacting our UK Verification department via email.

Nameserver requirements

• Must use: 1-10 nameservers, authoritative nameservers
• Can use: IPv4, IPv6, DNSSEC
• Cannot use: Vanity nameservers

Refunds

For details on refunds, see our refund policy. Most domains will follow the Standard Refund Terms, but certain domains may have exceptions or may not be refundable at all. Review the information under Products with Special Refund Terms > Domain Name Registrations/Renewals and Products Not Eligible for Refunds.

Cancellation requirements

Per Nominet requirement, only the registrant can cancel a .uk domain name outside the registration or renewal grace periods. If the domain was registered or renewed within the last 30 days, contact support to cancel the domain. If the domain was registered or renewed more than 30 days ago, you'll need to cancel the domain directly through Nominet.

More info

• Want to register a .uk domain? Search for your domain today.
• Check out our most common domain articles to get started with your .uk domain.