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What is a domain name?
A domain name is the easy-to-remember name—like cira.ca—used to identify a computer on the Internet. The Domain Name System (DNS) is a comprehensive directory that connects these simple names with the numerical addresses of computers on the Internet—without this system the user-friendly Internet we rely on could not exist.
.CA is the domain extension used to designate Canadian domain names on the Internet.
A domain name is a familiar, easy-to-remember name used to identify a computer on the Internet. An example is cira.ca. Domain names correspond to the numerical addresses that are used to identify computers and route Internet traffic. Because an IP address is harder to remember than a catchy domain name, domain names have become the calling cards for websites.
What is the Domain Name System (DNS)?
The Internet Domain Name System, or DNS, is a directory of all domain names and their corresponding computers. DNS is an essential part of the Internet’s infrastructure—without its naming system, the user-friendly Internet we rely on would not exist. The development of DNS is credited to Paul Mockapetris, and the first DNS servers were activated 25 years ago.
In its simplest form DNS associates easy-to-remember domain names with the corresponding numerical IP addresses that identify computers connected to the Internet. For example, CIRA’s website host name, www.cira.ca, corresponds to the IP address 192.228.29.1, which is far more difficult to remember.
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) maintains the authoritative DNS servers for the .CA domain. CIRA’s DNS servers process over 700 million requests per day to connect Internet users with over 1 million .CA domain names.
A registry is an entity that maintains the master database of domain names for a top-level domain (TLD). CIRA is the registry for the .CA domain.
You can find a Registrar in the list of Certified Registrars on this website.
Can I register a .CA domain name directly with CIRA and avoid dealing with Registrars?
No. Registrants must go through CIRA Certified Registrars to register a .CA domain name.
What is the fee for registering a new .CA domain name?
The fee for a new .CA domain name registration can vary. The fee is paid to the Registrar, not to CIRA, and Registrars set their own fees for services they provide to Registrants.
Yes. CIRA's rules allow a Registrant to change Registrars. Registrants can transfer their domain name to another Registrar once the registration is more than 60 days old. A domain name cannot be transferred during its first 60 days.
How can I transfer my registration from one Registrar to another?
To transfer a registration, you must choose a new Certified Registrar. You must provide the new Registrar with your authorization code, and the new Registrar will initiate the request with CIRA for you. Once validated and approved, CIRA will send an email to you confirming the change of Registrar.
How are domain name requests approved?
Domain name requests are approved through CIRA’s system on a first-come, first-served basis.
How can I modify the registration information contained in WHOIS?
To modify registration information, please contact your Certified Registrar.