Become an accredited registrar

To be eligible to apply for registrar accreditation, you must:

• Hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and be registered with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for goods and services tax (GST). 

• Have at least six months experience as a reseller of .au domain names

• Be ISO27001 accredited

• Be prepared to “opt-in" to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). 

If you’re a non-Australian organisation, you must also: 

• Hold an Australian Registered Body Number (ARBN) 

• Be registered as a foreign company with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). 

There are several costs associated with applying that you should be aware of: 

• Application fee to auDA of AUD$2,200 (GST inc) – non-refundable and paid at submission 

• Annual licence fee to auDA of AUD$3,300 (GST inc) – payable upon receiving full accreditation 

• Starting balance with .au registry operator, Identity Digital Australia, of AUD$10,000 – ready for when you receive full accreditation. 

Applicants must also be prepared to meet the costs of any technical development, staff training or other activities required to obtain accreditation. 

Applications are submitted to auDA .

Before submitting your application, contact us to ensure you meet the minimum requirements.

Your final application should include: 

• A completed Registrar Accreditation Application Form. 

• Payment to auDA for AUD$2,200.00 (inc. GST) via bank transfer, covering the accreditation application fee. 

Information security best practice is crucial to maintaining trust and confidence in the .au domain.  auDA achieved ISO 27001 certification in 2020.

The auDA Registrar Agreement requires auDA accredited registrars to achieve ISO 27001 certification or equivalent to maintain international best practice standards for information security.  

New registrars are required to demonstrate that they’re compliant with ISO 27001 or equivalent when they apply for auDA accreditation.

The requirement for ISO 27001 or equivalent was introduced in 2020-21 as part of the updated Registrar Agreement, replacing the previous auDA Information Security Standard (ISS).  

The .au Domain Name System (DNS) is recognised as a critical infrastructure asset under the Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act 2018 (Cth).   

The SOCI Act contains security requirements for the .au supply chain that includes auDA, the .au registry operator and auDA accredited registrars. We continue to engage with registrars on our shared security responsibilities under the legislation.  

All auDA accredited .au registrars and their appointed resellers, must comply with the  .au Domain Name Suppliers' Code of Practice.  

The Code of Practice outlines a compulsory set of principles and methods of market conduct for the domain name industry in Australia. Topics covered include: 

• Domain name renewal notices 

• Solicitations for business 

• Advertising and marketing 

• Disclosure of information 

• Complaints handling. 

auDA is responsible for handling complaints about breaches of the Code of Practice.

All auDA accredited .au registrars are required to enter into a Registrar Agreement with auDA, which sets out the requirements, obligations and terms that all registrars must meet in order to gain and maintain accreditation. Each agreement must be substantially similar and may be amended from time to time.

All auDA accredited .au registrars are required to enter into an agreement (the Registry-Registrar Agreement) with the .au registry operator, Identity Digital Australia, as part of the accreditation process.  

You can request a copy of the Registry-Registrar Agreement and information about the registry-registrar technical interface by contacting Identity Digital Australia. 

 If you have any questions about becoming an auDA accredited .au registrar, please contact our accreditation team by submitting an enquiry.