How to Become an ICANN-Accredited Registrar

An ICANN-accredited registrar can sell domain names.

When you become a registrar accredited by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), you can offer something that almost everyone on the Web needs -- a domain name. ICANN is a technical coordination organization. If you operate a Web hosting business, offering domain name registration can expand your customer base and increase your profit margin. Once you become an ICANN-accredited registrar, you can set up your Web site to automate the buying and renewing of domain names.

Instructions

1. Complete the ICANN registrar accreditation application. Visit the application section of the ICANN Web site, and answer the questions on a separate sheet of paper. The questions are numbered. Answer each question using numbered paragraphs matching the number of the question.

2. Send the completed application with the nonrefundable $2,500 application fee. Attach documentation proving that your business is a legal entity and that you have working capital of at least $70,000. Provide a certificate of insurance showing commercial general liability coverage of at least $50,000

3. Check your e-mail to find out whether ICANN approved your application. After approval, ICANN will send you an invoice to pay the $4,000 per year accreditation fee.

4. Sign the Registrar Accreditation Agreement that ICANN provides. Accreditation status lasts for five years. After you meet all requirements, ICANN will add you to the list of registrars on its site and on the InterNIC (Internet Network Information Center) site.

5. Follow the guidelines of the Registrar Accreditation Agreement and the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy. The Registrar Accreditation Agreement contains the guidelines necessary to maintain your status as an accredited registrar. The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy contains the guidelines an accredited registrar must follow in case of a domain name dispute with a customer.

References

• ICANN: Becoming an ICANN Accredited Registrar
• ICANN: Financial Considerations
• ICANN: Registrar Accreditation Application
• ICANN: Registrar Registration Agreement
• ICANN: Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy