In order to register a .ca domain name, you must meet the Canadian Presence Requirements set forth by CIRA, the .ca registry.
Registrants of .ca domain names must fall under one of the Legal Types below. CIRA will reject your domain registration if you do not meet the Canadian Presence Requirements. If your .ca registration is initially accepted by CIRA and it is later found that you do not meet the Canadian Presence Requirements, CIRA may cancel your domain name registration without refund.
An official copy of CIRA's Presence Requirements can be found at https://www.cira.ca/sites/default/files/policy/canadian-presence-requirements-for-registrants.pdf. Below is a summary:
Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident
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.
Permanent Resident: A Permanent Resident as defined in the Immigration Act (Canada) who is ordinarily resident in Canada (as defined below) 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.
Valid Registrant Names
- John Doe
- John Q. Public
- Jane Doe PhD
Invalid Registrant Names
- John
- J. Doe
- Domain Administrator
Canadian Corporation
Canadian Corporation: A corporation under the laws of Canada or any province or territory of Canada.
Valid Registrant Names
- Smith, Inc.
- Smith Corp. of Ontario
- Smith Charity - NFP
Invalid Registrant Names
- Smiths Online
- John Smith
- Smith Sports Association
Canadian Association
Canadian Association: An unincorporated organization, association or club:
- at least 80% of whose members: (A) are ordinarily resident in Canada (if such members are individuals); or (B) meet one of the conditions set out in paragraphs relating to Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents, Legal Representatives, Canadian Corporations, Trust, or Partnership (if such members are not individuals); and
- at least 80% of whose directors, officers, employees, managers, administrators or other representatives are ordinarily resident in Canada;
Valid Registrant Names
- Smiths Online
- Smith Sports Association
- Smiths of Montreal
Invalid Registrant Names
- Smith, Inc.
- John Smith
- Smiths Limited
Other Legal Types
Legal Representative: An executor, administrator or other legal representative of a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident as described above.
Trust: A trust established and subsisting under the laws of a province or territory of Canada, more than 66.6% of whose trustees meet one of the conditions set out in paragraphs relating to Canadian Citizen and Canadian Corporation above.
Partnership: A partnership, more than 66.6% of whose partners meet one of the conditions set out in paragraphs relating to Canadian Citizen and Trust above, which is registered as a partnership under the laws of any province or territory of Canada.
Trade Union: A trade union which is recognized by a labor board under the laws of Canada or any province or territory of Canada and which has its head office in Canada.
Political Party: A political party registered under a relevant electoral law of Canada or any province or territory of Canada.
Educational Institution: Any of the following: (i) a university or college which is located in Canada and which is authorized or recognized as a university or college under an Act of the legislature of a province or territory of Canada; (ii) a college, post-secondary school, vocational school, secondary school, pre-school or other school or educational institution which is located in Canada and which is recognized by the educational authorities of a province or territory of Canada or licensed under or maintained by an Act of Parliament of Canada or of the legislature of a province or territory of Canada.
Library, Archive or Museum: An institution, whether or not incorporated, that (i) is located in Canada and (ii) is not established or conducted for profit or does not form part of, or is not administered or directly or indirectly controlled by, a body that is established or conducted for profit, in which is held and maintained a collection of documents and other materials that is open to the public or to researchers.
Hospital: A hospital which is located in Canada and which is licensed, authorized or approved to operate as a hospital under an Act of the legislature of a province or territory of Canada.
Her Majesty the Queen: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second and her successors.
Indian Band: 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.
Aboriginal Peoples: Any Inuit, First Nation, Metis or other people indigenous to Canada, any individual belonging to any Inuit, First Nation, Metis or other people indigenous to Canada and any collectivity of such Aboriginal peoples.
Government: 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; and a regional, municipal or local area government.
Trademark registered in Canada: A Person which does not meet any of the foregoing conditions, but which is the owner of a trade-mark which is the subject of a registration under the Trade-marks Act (Canada), but in this case such permission is limited to an application to register a .ca domain name consisting of or including the exact word component of that registered trade-mark.
Official Marks: A Person which does not meet any of the foregoing conditions, but which is a Person intended to be protected by Subsection 9(1) of the Trade-marks Act (Canada) at whose request the Registrar of Trade-marks 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 an application 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.