About .uk Domain Names
The .uk country-code top-level domain name (ccTLD) is an extension that represents the United Kingdom. For companies that conduct business in the United Kingdom and individuals wanting to reach the growing number of Internet users there, .uk domain names are a good investment. Registering a .uk domain name gives you regional recognition and an easy-to-manage Web presence.
The information below applies to the following country-code second-level domain names (ccSLDs) that we offer at this time:
- .co.uk — Intended for commercial entities
- .me.uk — Intended for private individuals
- .org.uk — Intended for non-profit organizations
Who can register .uk domain names?
Anyone can register .uk domain names on a first-come, first-served basis.
These domain names can have up to 63 characters, with a minimum of three characters, and can contain letters (a to z), numbers (0 to 9), and hyphens (except at the beginning or end of the domain name). You cannot register domain names with special characters such as & and #.
Which registry controls .uk domain names?
Nominet is the registry for .uk domain names.
For how long can I register .uk domain names?
You can register .uk domain names for a minimum of one year and a maximum of 10 years.
When do .uk domain names renew?
Your .uk domain name renews before its expiration date. We attempt auto-renewal 14 days prior to the domain name's expiration date. If the renewal attempt fails, we re-attempt renewal seven days prior to the domain name's expiration date and again one day after the domain name's expiration date.
If we cannot auto-renew the domain name and you do not manually renew it before the third billing attempt, it becomes unmanageable in your account until it is renewed.
Can I transfer .uk domain names to my account with you?
The .uk transfer process is unique to the Nominet registry.
To initiate a .uk transfer, you must do the following:
- If available on our website, purchase a .uk transfer for $0.
NOTE: The .uk transfer does not include a free one-year extension because the transfer is free.
- Contact your current registrar and request an IPS tag change to WILDWEST. Once updated, the transfer completes immediately.
NOTE: When you complete either of the steps above, we will send an email to the registrant contact's email or to the account holder's email address. You must follow the instructions listed in the email to initiate a .uk transfer.
How do I transfer .uk domain names from you to another registrar?
To transfer a .uk domain name to another registrar, contact our support team to request the transfer and provide us with the following:
- A specific request to transfer the domain name. Include the full domain name in the request.
- The IPS Tag name of your new registrar.
NOTE: Nominet issues a case-sensitive IPS tag to each registrar approved to manage .uk domain names. Transferring a .uk domain name requires an update of the IPS tag information.
- Account validation information (customer account number or user name and your call-in PIN).
Can I add privacy and protection to .uk domain names?
No. Domains By Proxy® private registration and Protected Registration are not available for .uk domain names. Instead, you can contact Nominet and request privacy services through them.
Can I backorder .uk domain names?
No. We do not support the backorder of .uk domain names.
Can I move .uk domain names to another account with you?
Yes, but there are limitations. When you move a domain name, you cannot change the registrant first name, last name, and company name.
Can I update the contact information for .uk domain names?
Yes. For registrant contact information, first update it through Nominet. After your new information displays in the Nominet Whois database, contact our support team to update your contact information with us.
You can update all other contact information through the Domain Manager. See Updating Your Domain Name Contact Information for more information.
With .uk domain names, the type of contact update you want to make might include a fee. See Nominet's Transfer page for information on free vs. fee-based changes.
Are there nameserver requirements for my .uk domain names?
You can use any valid nameservers with .uk domain names. You can enter a maximum of 4 nameservers per domain name.
Do you support DNSSEC for .uk domain names?
We support DNSSEC for .co.uk, .me.uk, and .org.uk domain names.
See Managing DNSSEC for Your Domain Name for information on enabling DNSSEC for your .co.uk, .me.uk, and .org.uk domain names and About Self-Managed DNSSEC for information on the digital signature (DS) fields required for it. You can configure a maximum of ten DS records for your domain names.
