Purchasing an ICANN-Accredited Registrar

Pursuant to ICANN's Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) Section 7.3.2, when an entity acquires a controlling interest in a registrar's stock, assets, or business, that registrar must notify ICANN within seven days of the acquisition. In this scenario, the registrar corporation/entity continues to exist but has new owners.

Note: The registrar acquisition process, also referred to as a change of control, is distinctly different from the process to assign an RAA. Please review the assignment webpage or contact [email protected] for additional information.

When an ICANN-accredited registrar is purchased, the acquired registrar must provide ICANN with the following:

1. Notice of the purchase or acquisition within seven days;
2. A statement affirming that the acquired registrar continues to meet the ICANN-adopted specification or policy on the accreditation criteria then in effect, and that it is in compliance with its obligations under the RAA;
3. A copy of the Purchase Agreement (confidential terms of the purchase may be redacted, but proof of the transaction or shares is required). Acceptable proof includes a document certifying the transfer of ownership of the accredited registrar entity to the new owner, signed by both parties;
4. An updated Registrar Information Specification [XLSX, 111 KB], including a certificate of good standing, proof of establishment, as well as other information on ownership, officers, and directors;
5. Statement of disclosure if the acquirer or any of the individuals or entities mentioned in the supporting documents has a controlling interest in one or more ICANN-accredited registrars, registry operators, or back-end registry operators.

The acquired registrar should send this information to ICANN by emailing [email protected]

The acquired registrar needs to verify that all of its contact data is up to date. If there are any questions about these requirements or the process, please contact [email protected].