If you are applying for a .ca domain name, you must meet the .ca Canadian Presence Requirements (CPR) as designated by CIRA, the .ca registry. If you do not meet these requirements, you risk having your domain rejected or cancelled at a later date.
Registrant Types
Corporation (Canada or Canadian province or territory): A corporation under the laws of Canada or any province or territory of Canada.
Requirements: Registrant name must be the full, legal name of the corporation and must be followed by the jurisdiction of incorporation, such as Canada, Ontario, NWT, unless it is obvious from the corporation's name.
Examples of Valid Registrant Name
123745 Canada Inc.
Smith Corp. of Ontario
Smith Ltée. Canada
Examples of Invalid Registrant Name
Smiths
Smiths Consulting
Smiths Kennel
Smiths Corp.
Leatra SP
Canadian citizen: A Canadian citizen of the age of majority under the laws of the province or territory in Canada in which he or she resides or last resided.
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be the full, legal name of the Canadian Citizen who will hold the domain name registration as the name would appear on a passport, driver's license or other identification document issued by a government.
The name may be followed by a space and "o/a xxxx" where "o/a" stands for "Operating As" and "xxxx" can be any alpha-numeric string designated by the applicant and subject to applicable rules and length restrictions, such as "John Doe o/a Doe Consulting Group." The name may also be followed by a space and a degree or a recognized professional designation, such as PhD, MD, DDS.
Full, legal names of individuals may only consist of alphabetic and special characters, such as a single quote mark (''), hyphen (-) or period (.).
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
John Doe
Fred-Albert Doon PhD
Bernard St-James o/a St-James Services
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
John
J. Doe
None
Personal
(blank)
Cool Gal
Domain Administrator
St-James Services
Acme Sales Inc.
Permanent Resident of Canada: A permanent resident as defined in the Immigration Act (Canada) R.S.C. 1985, c.I-2, as amended from time to time, who is "ordinarily resident" in Canada and of the age of majority under the laws of the province or territory in Canada in which he or she resides or last resided. "Ordinarily resident in Canada" refers to an individual who resides in Canada for more than 183 days in the 12-month period immediately preceding the date of the applicable request for registration of the .ca domain name or sub-domain name and in each 12-month period thereafter for the duration of the domain name registration.
Requirements: The registrant's name must be the full, legal name of the permanent resident, who will hold the domain name registration as the name would appear on a driver's license or other government-issued identification document.
The full, legal name may be followed by a space and "o/a xxxx" where "o/a" stands for "Operating As" and "xxxx" can be any alpha-numeric string designated by the applicant and subject to applicable rules and length restrictions, such as "John Doe o/a Doe Consulting Group." The name may also be followed by a space and a degree granted to the registrant by a recognized degree granting institution or a recognized professional designation which the registrant has the right to use, such as PhD, MD, DDS.
Full, legal names of individuals may only consist of alphabetic characters and the special characters: single quote mark (''), hyphen (-), period (.).
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
John Doe
Fred-Albert Doon DDS
Bernard St-James o/a St-James Services
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
John
John 7
J. Doe
F.A.D
Cool Gal
St-James Services
Acme Sales Inc.
Government or government entity in Canada: Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, a province or a territory; an agent of Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, of a province or of a territory; a federal, provincial or territorial Crown corporation, government agency or government entity; or a regional, municipal or local area government.
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be the complete, official name of the entity that will hold the domain name registration, without abbreviations. (A common abbreviation may follow the official name in parentheses). If the Registrant is not a government, the Registrant's name must be followed by the name of the jurisdiction (ie: Canada, province, territory, municipality, etc) to which the Registrant is related.
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
Government of Alberta
Export Development Corporation (EDC) (Canada)
Deposit Insurance Corporation of Ontario (DCIO)
The Corporation of the City of Toronto
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
Toronto Sales Are Us Inc.
DCIOPEI
John Doe
Canadian Educational Institution
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
University of British Columbia (UBC)
St-John's Middle School of Ottawa
Advanced Languages Institute of Ontario (ALI)(Ontario)
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
Sandhill Secondary School
Sales Are Us Inc.
UBC Student Association
Professional Association of Teaching Professionals of UdeM
Joe Smith
Canadian Unincorporated Association: Religious congregations, social and sports clubs and community group, based and operating in Canada.
An unincorporated organization, association or club
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
St-Alban's Reformed Church of Victoria
Archdiocese of Montréal
Sun Youth Montréal
Citizens for the Protection of the Red River
Toronto Junior Soccer Association
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
ACDEN
St-Patrick's
Dartmouth Soccer Club Limited
John Doe
Canadian Hospital: A hospital located in Canada and licensed, authorized or approved to operate as a hospital under an Act of the legislature of a province or territory of Canada
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be the complete, official name of the hospital that will hold the domain name registration, without abbreviations. (A common abbreviation may follow the complete name in parentheses.) The Registrant's name must be followed by the jurisdiction (ie: name of province) that accredited the hospital if not obvious from the Registrant's name.
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
Royal Victoria Hospital - Québec
Sick Children's Hospital of Ontario
Veteran's Hospital Canada, Pointe Claire
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
Dr. John Doe, Jane Doe, John Doe Inc., SHUL
Nurses Union Local 1455 NHCWA
Manitoba Doctors Against Drugs (MDAD)
Partnership Registered: A partnership where more than 66.67% of its partners meet the requirements of one of the following Registrant Types: Corporation (Canada or Canadian province or territory), Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident of Canada, Trust established in Canada or a Legal Representative of a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident, registered as a partnership under the laws of any province or territory of Canada.
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be the registered name of the partnership that will hold the domain name registration. The Registrant name must be followed by the jurisdiction of registration (ie: Alberta) and the registration number.
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
Xenon Partnership (Ontario)
Blake, Cassels and Graydon LLP (Ontario)
John Doe Partnership, British Columbia
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
John Doe Partnership
Mybusiness Inc.
Fred Smith
Trademark registered in Canada by non-Canadian owner: A person who does not fall under any other registrant type, but is the owner of a trademark subject of a registration under the Trademarks Act (Canada) R.S.C. 1985, c.T-13 as amended from time to time. The .ca domain must include the exact words contained in the registered trademark.
This Registrant Type is only intended for Registrants that do not meet the requirements associated with any other registrant type but that have a trademark registered in Canada. (Trademarks subject of trademark applications and trademarks registered in other jurisdictions, such as the US, do not qualify.)
The domain name to be registered must include the trademark. For example, if the trademark is AVEA, this type of registrant can register avea.ca or aveaisus.ca but not xyz.ca.
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be the complete, legal name of the trademark owner (not the trademark agent) holding the domain name registration without any abbreviations. (A common abbreviation may follow the complete name in parentheses.) The applicant must also insert the Canadian registration number of the trademark following the Registrant name.
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
Arcuros SPA - TMA1762466
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
Arcuros SPA
Canadian Trade Union: A trade union recognized by a labour board under the laws of Canada or any province or territory of Canada with a head office in Canada.
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be the complete, official name of the trade union that will hold the domain name registration, without abbreviations. (A common abbreviation may follow the official name in parentheses.) The Registrant name must be followed by the jurisdiction in Canada that recognizes it -- if not obvious from the Registrant's name.
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) - Québec
Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
ZZCEUL local 237
Jean Smith
Sales Are Us Inc.
Canadian Political Party: A political party registered under a relevant electoral law of Canada or any Canadian province or territory.
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be the complete, official name of the political party holding the domain name registration, without abbreviations. (A common abbreviation may follow the official name in parentheses.) The Registrant name must also by followed by the jurisdiction in Canada in which it is registered, if not obvious from the official name.
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (PC)
Union Nationale du Québec
Reform Party - Alberta
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
John Doe
Sales Are Us Inc.
Liberal Party
ACCULD - Ontario
National Liberation Front of Mexico
Canadian Library, Archive or Museum: An institution, whether or not incorporated, that:
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
Royal Ontario Museum
Musé des Beaux Arts de Montréal
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
John Doe
Sales Are Us Inc.
My site
Domain Administrator
Biggs Bargain Books
Trust established in Canada: A trust established and subsisting under the laws of a province or territory of Canada, where more than 66 2/3 % of the trustees meet the requirements of one of the following Registrant Types: Corporation (Canada or Canadian province or territory), Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident of Canada, or a Legal Representative of a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident.
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be the complet, official name of the trust, without abbreviations. (A common abbreviation may follow the official name in parentheses.) The Registrant name must also indicate the total percentage of the trustees that meet one or more of the following requirements: Canadian citizen, permanent resident, Canadian corporation, legal representative
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
Marie Daigle Trust - (100%)
Arbeit Trust - (70%)
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
John Doe
Sales Are Us Inc.
Arbeit Trust (10%)
Aboriginal Peoples (individuals) indigenous to Canada: Any individual belonging to any Inuit, First Nation, Metis or other people indigenous to Canada.
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be the full, legal name of the Aboriginal Person applying for the Registration as it would appear on a driver's license or other government-issued identification document.
The Registrant may enter its full, legal name followed by a space and "o/a xxxx" where "o/a" stands for "Operating As" and "xxxx" can be any alpha-numeric string designated by the applicant and subject to applicable rules and length restrictions (e.g. "John Doe o/a Doe Consulting Group"). The name may also be followed by a space and a degree granted to the registrant by a recognized institution or a recognized professional designation, such as PhD, MD, DDS.
Full legal names of individuals may only consist of alphabetic characters and the special characters: single quote mark (''), hyphen (-), period (.).
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
John Doe
Fred-Albert Doon DDS
Bernard St-James o/a St-James Services
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
John
None
Personal
Domain Administrator
St-James Services Inc.
Aboriginal Peoples (groups) indigenous to Canada: Any Inuit, First Nation, Metis or other people indigenous to Canada, and any collectivity of such Aboriginal peoples.
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be the complete official name of the indigenous people a collectivity of Aboriginal Persons. If there is no official name, the name by which the collectivity is commonly known.
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
Acme Sales Inc.
Helping Spirit Lodge Society
John Jones
Indian Band recognized by the Indian Act of Canada: Any Indian band as defined in the Indian Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-5, as amended from time to time, and any group of Indian bands.
Requirements: The name of Registrant must be the Indian Band Name as registered with the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, Canada.
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
Lac la Ronge Indian Band
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
Mohawk Motors
Sioux Sales Inc.
Sales Are Us Inc.
Jean Gallant
Legal Representative of a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident: An executor, administrator or other legal representative of a Person listed as a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada.
Note: This registrant type is only available to a person or entity appointed by legal process to represent an individual, who is not competent to represent him or herself. It is not available to anyone who represents a Canadian or foreign corporation in any capacity.
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be the full, legal name of the Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada as it would appear on a passport, driver's license or other government identification document. This must be followed by the full legal name and capacity of at least one of the official representatives.
Full legal names of individuals may only consist of alphabetic characters and the special characters: single quote mark (''), hyphen (-), period (.).
The representative should be identified as the administrative contact for these registrations.
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
John Smith o/a Jayne Smith - executor
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
Sales Are Us Inc.
Arlenza SP
Shingle LLP
Official marks registered in Canada: A Person who does not meet the requirements for any other Registrant Type, but who is protected by Subsection 9(1) of the Trademarks Act (Canada) at whose request the Registrar of Trademarks has published notice of adoption of any badge, crest, emblem, official mark or other mark pursuant to Subsection 9(1), but in this case such permission is limited to a request to register a .ca domain name consisting of or including the exact word component of such badge, crest, emblem, official mark or other mark in respect of which such Person requested publications.
Note: This registrant type is only intended for Registrants that do not meet the requirements associated with any other registrant type but have an Official Mark registered in Canada.
The domain name must include the official mark. For example, if the official mark is WIPO, the registrant can register wipo.ca, but not intellectual-property.ca)
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be the complete official name of the entity holding the domain name registration without abbreviations. (A common abbreviation may follow the complete name in parentheses.) The registration number of the official mark must follow the Registrant Name.
Examples of Valid Registrant Names
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - 0970388
Examples of Invalid Registrant Names
John Doe Inc.
Arcuros SPA
Her Majesty the Queen: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second and her successors.
Requirements: The Registrant's name must be that of Her Majesty the Queen or, after a succession, the name of her successor.
Administrative Contact Name
You must enter the full, legal name of an individual as the administrative contact name. If you do not enter a name, your Registration Request may be rejected or later cancelled later by the .ca registry. You can only have one administrative contact for all your domain name registrations.
The .ca registry will give the administrative contact a user account number and password. This user account number and password are the only things CIRA requires to confirm and accept all requests to modify or transfer your domain name registrations. Anyone with access to these codes has the power to change all the registration information for your domain name and transfer your domain name(s) to someone else. You should also be aware that changing an administrative contact without the explicit formal approval of the current one involves a complex set of manual procedures which must all be completed to the registry's satisfaction before the change can be made.
The .ca Registry strongly recommends that registrants who are individuals make themselves their administrative contacts for their domain name registrations and that corporate registrants select an employee as the administrative contact for their registrations.
Administrative Contact Telephone Number
CIRA requires registrants to provide a valid daytime phone number. Please note that registrants can enter their phone numbers in the second phone number field will not be published in the WHOIS.
Please enter a valid telephone number, including the area code and extension (if applicable) where the administrative contact may be reached during business hours.
If you do not enter a valid phone number in the applicable field your request may be rejected or your domain name registration may be later cancelled by the .ca registry.
If you do not want the phone number of your administrative contact made available to the public on the CIRA WHOIS directory, please enter the telephone number in the telephone field labeled "second phone number." Only the .ca registry and your Registrar(s) will have access to it."