.CA domain policies

.CA is the country code TLD for Canada and is administered by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA).

.CA registration requirements

CIRA requires all .CA registrations to have a Canadian presence, thus .CA domain names can only be registered by individuals or organizations with a presence in Canada.

To register a .CA domain name, you must be a Canadian Citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or an organization in Canada such as a corporation, partnership, educational institution, or government entity with ties to Canada.

Legal types

When you register a .CA domain, you'll be asked to select a legal type that specifies what type of individual or organization you are registering on behalf of.

More information on CIRA's Canadian presence requirements for registrants can be found on the CIRA registry website.

If you are registering a .CA domain name as an individual, enter your first name and last name in the organization field of your domain registration records.

The available legal types are:

  • Aboriginal Peoples (individuals or groups) indigenous to Canada
  • Canadian Educational Institution
  • Canadian Hospital
  • Canadian Library, Archive, or Museum
  • Canadian Political Party
  • Canadian Trade Union
  • Canadian Unincorporated Association
  • Canadian citizen
  • Corporation
  • Government or government entity in Canada
  • Her Majesty the Queen
  • Indian Band recognized by the Indian Act of Canada
  • Legal Representative of a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident
  • Official mark registered in Canada
  • Partnership Registered in Canada
  • Permanent Resident of Canada
  • Trademark registered in Canada (by a non-Canadian owner)
  • Trust established in Canada

Back to top

Registrant contact information

The following information must be provided for the registrant contact, also known as the owner contact, whenever a domain name is registered or updated. This does not affect renewals.

Note: All fields are required. Any fields not entered will result in failed orders or contact updates. 

  • First name
  • Last name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Street address
  • City
  • Province/State, mandatory when Canada or US is selected; otherwise optional
  • Country
  • Postal Code, mandatory when Canada or US is selected; otherwise optional

Back to top

Restricted words for .CA domain registrations

CIRA implements specific rules around domain registrations. The following words are not permitted as first or last names for the contact information in any portion of .CA domain name registrations.

  • academic
  • academie
  • academy
  • access
  • admin
  • administration
  • administrations
  • administrator
  • adult
  • adventure
  • alb
  • alberta
  • alliance
  • american
  • and
  • animal
  • animals
  • animaux
  • arts
  • assistance
  • associate
  • associates
  • association
  • authority
  • autorite
  • available
  • band
  • bc
  • breakfast
  • british
  • business
  • businesses
  • calgary
  • canada
  • canadian
  • canadien
  • canadienne
  • capital
  • capitale
  • care
  • carpet
  • carpets
  • central
  • city
  • classic
  • club
  • clubs
  • co-op
  • college
  • comission
  • commerce
  • communication
  • communications
  • compagnie
  • company
  • computer
  • conseiller
  • conseillers
  • consultant
  • consultants
  • consultation
  • consulting
  • coop
  • corporation
  • cottages
  • council
  • country
  • cyber
  • cybercafe
  • design
  • designs
  • development
  • developpement
  • digital
  • disabilities
  • disability
  • disponible
  • distribution
  • district
  • dns
  • domain
  • domaine
  • domaines
  • domains
  • drink
  • droits
  • economic
  • economique
  • educational
  • eglise
  • electronic
  • electronics
  • electronique
  • electroniques
  • entreprise
  • ergonomic
  • ergonomics
  • ergonomique
  • essential
  • essentials
  • essentiel
  • essentiels
  • evenement
  • evenements
  • event
  • events
  • farm
  • farms
  • ferme
  • fermes
  • film
  • films
  • financial
  • financiere
  • food
  • foreign
  • free
  • fund
  • funds
  • gallerie
  • gestion
  • golf
  • graphic
  • graphics
  • graphique
  • graphiques
  • group
  • groupe
  • halifax
  • hamlet
  • health
  • hebdomadaire
  • help
  • hosting
  • hotel
  • hotels
  • immobilier
  • individu
  • individual
  • individuals
  • individus
  • industrie
  • industries
  • industry
  • information
  • instruments
  • interest
  • international
  • internet
  • journal
  • laboratoire
  • laboratoires
  • laboratories
  • laboratory
  • leasing
  • liberal
  • local
  • location
  • locations
  • management
  • manitoba
  • mb
  • mechanic
  • mechanics
  • medecine
  • media
  • medical
  • montreal
  • motel
  • motels
  • motoneige
  • motoneiges
  • motor
  • motors
  • nb
  • network
  • networking
  • new
  • new brunswick
  • newfoundland
  • nf
  • northerns
  • nova
  • nova scotia
  • of
  • office
  • online
  • ontario
  • org.
  • organisation
  • organization
  • ottawa
  • outlet
  • outlets
  • pei
  • photographie
  • photography
  • picture
  • pictures
  • product
  • production
  • productions
  • products
  • program
  • programs
  • properties
  • property
  • public
  • publishing
  • punk
  • quarterly
  • quebec
  • realty
  • remote
  • rental
  • rentals
  • restaurant
  • rights
  • rues
  • rural
  • sa
  • sask.
  • saskatoon
  • school
  • scotia
  • services
  • sex
  • ski
  • snowmobible
  • snowmobibles
  • societe
  • society
  • solution
  • solutions
  • sport
  • sports
  • student
  • studio
  • supplies
  • supply
  • system
  • systems
  • teacher
  • teachers
  • teaching
  • technical
  • technologie
  • technology
  • the
  • theatre
  • tm
  • toronto
  • town
  • treats
  • trimestriel
  • ultimate
  • universal
  • universel
  • universite
  • university
  • vacation
  • vacations
  • vancouver
  • vente
  • verte
  • village
  • ville
  • virtual
  • virtuel
  • webmaster
  • website
  • weekly
  • winnipeg
  • xxx

Back to top

Was this article helpful? If not please submit a request here

How helpful was this article?