What is Registrant Information Validation (RIV)?

RIV is a process that CIRA has in place to keep the .CA domain Canadian. We regularly review domain registrations to ensure .CA Registrants can demonstrate their connection with Canada in one of eighteen Canadian Presence Requirement (CPR) categories outlined in the Canadian Presence Requirements policy. Selection for validation is at CIRA's discretion.

Think you found a .CA domain that has registration information that is not Canadian? Let us know by contacting compliance@cira.ca.

If you received a RIV notice from CIRA, action is required. Once the process begins, CIRA applies locks to your domain(s) ensuring they cannot be transferred (to a different Registrar or to another contact) or have any contact information updated.

Once CIRA has received your supporting documentation, it will be reviewed to ensure it supports the Registrant’s information and CPR category. CIRA will only use your documentation for the purpose of validating your compliance with the Canadian Presence Requirement Policy for Registrants.  The copy of your identification will be destroyed once the validation process is finalized.

CIRA’s decision can come at any time during the RIV process. If the validation is approved, CIRA will send an email confirmation and remove all domain locks. If you are not compliant, CIRA will confirm by email that the validation was not approved. The correspondence will also confirm the date that your domain name(s) will be cancelled and will be made available to the public on a first come, first served basis.

Acceptable documentation

Here’s a quick breakdown of a few commonly selected CPR categories and what documentation CIRA accepts for validation for each. More information can be found in the official policy.

Canadian citizen

Canadian birth certificate or valid Canadian passport

Permanent resident of Canada

Canadian Permanent Resident Card

Trademark registered in Canada (international trademarks are not valid)

Copy of Canadian Trademark Registration. Please note that the registered trademark owner must be the Registrant of the .CA domain name. The registered trademark must include the exact word component of that registered trademark or Official Mark.

Canadian corporation

Documentation to support your Canadian corporate profile status can be obtained:

• For Federal corporations: through Industry Canada
• For provincial Corporate Profile Reports or Certificate of Status’: through ESC Corporate Services (a third party where you can search all provincial registries) or through the provincial business registries listed below. Please note registries may charge a fee to obtain documentation.

Provincial business registries

RIV notices

For the RIV process, the following notices are sent to the Administrative Contact and/or the Registrant (if the email address is not the same for both).

Tip: It is important to keep your domain contact information up to date. You can do this by logging into your account with your Registrar to update it or by contacting them; CIRA’s information associated with your domain name(s) will be updated automatically.

First notice

The initial notice is a request for you to provide supporting documentation to demonstrate your compliance with CIRA's Canadian Presence Requirements for Registrants policy.

Second notice

This will be sent ten business days after the first notice. It is a reminder that CIRA has requested you to provide documentation supporting your compliance with Canadian Presence Requirements. You will have five more business days to submit your documentation before your domain is suspended.

Suspension notice

If we haven’t received the supporting documentation requested, this notice will be sent to the domain Registrant. It will advise that your domain will be suspended for up to 30 days.

While your domain is suspended, your website and email will not function. During this period you can still submit the requested supporting documentation for CIRA's consideration.

If CIRA has not received your supporting documentation within the 30 day suspension period, your domain will be cancelled and made available to the public for registration on a first come, first-served basis.

Cancellation notice

The final notice is sent 30 days after the third notice to confirm that CIRA has canceled your domain.