Verisign Domain Names Registrar
Verisign operates the authoritative domain name registry for all .com, .net, .name and .cc domain names.
The registrar onboarding process has several requirements. For assistance send an email to the Verisign Customer Affairs Office.
Step 1: ICANN Accreditation
Your business must be accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) before you can become a domain registrar for the .com, .net and .name top level domains (TLDs). Go to the ICANN website to start the ICANN accreditation process.
If you are an existing .com or .net registrar, it is easy to add additional TLDs to your account. However, if you are not a .com or .net registrar, you will just have a few extra steps to complete to become a .name or .cc registrar. After you establish an account, you may be required to provide financial information and information necessary to determine your technical readiness. Use the tabs below to proceed.
Step 2: Authentication
ICANN notifies all registry operators, including Verisign, when the accreditation process is complete for .com, .net and .name TLDs. If you are not currently a Verisign registrar, Verisign requires each business to be authenticated before establishing an account. A vendor selected by Verisign will contact you to request documents as proof of your business and your authority to represent and act on behalf of your company. For assistance or questions, please contact Verisign Customer Affairs Office.
STEP 3: Verisign Authorization
After you establish an account, you may complete the next steps simultaneously by providing financial information necessary to determine your technical readiness. When finished, explore the Add Services tab to find out how Verisign helps registrars with value-add services and resources. Use the tabs below to proceed.
Establish a Contractual Relationship
To establish your business relationship with Verisign, email all required forms and supporting documentation to the Customer Affairs Office.
NOTE: All supporting documentation that Verisign may request, including Registrar's Registration Agreement, Dispute Policy and Corporation Formation documents, must be provided in English.
Registry-Registrar Agreements (Required)
To offer .com, .net and/or .name, you will first be required to enter into a Registry-Registrar Agreement with Verisign for each TLD. The links to the relevant agreements below are for reference only as the Verisign Customer Affairs Office will forward the required contracts to you electronically.
- .com Registry-Registrar Agreement (PDF)
- .net Registry-Registrar Agreement (PDF)
- .name Registry-Registrar Agreement (PDF)
Name Store Merchant and Activation Agreements (Required)
To offer .cc, you will be required to enter into Name Store Merchant and Name Store Activation Agreements. To obtain copies of these agreements, contact the Verisign Customer Affairs Office.
Corporate Formation Documents (Conditional)
Depending on the outcome of the Authentication process described in Step 2 above, Verisign may require copies of corporate formation documents to verify the legal entity with which Verisign is entering into a contract. The corporate name used on all forms must match the legal name used for ICANN accreditation. ccTLDs such as .cc do not require ICANN accreditation.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Form (Required)
Registrars are required to complete and return the FCPA form to certify that the registrar will comply with the applicable laws and requirements under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The Customer Affairs Office will forward the required form electronically.
Registrar Information Form (Required)
Please email the Customer Affairs Office to receive a copy of the Registrar Information Form. You will need to complete the form and submit the required information to establish your account. Your business information must match your ICANN accreditation information. ccTLDs such as .cc must match your legally registered name.
Verisign's Handling of Personal Data
As the registry operator for the .com, .net, .name and .cc top level domains (the “Registry TLDs”), Verisign’s policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data submitted to Verisign by registrars for the Registry TLDs can be found in the Registrar Personal Data notice, including the purposes for which Personal Data submitted to Verisign by registrars for the Registry TLDs is collected, the intended recipients (or categories of recipients) of such Personal Data, and the mechanism for access to and correction of such Personal Data. More information about Verisign’s policies regarding personal data may be found in our Privacy Statement.
Financial Requirements (Required)
Verisign requires registrars to establish a payment security based on expected monthly registration volume across all TLDs. The Payment Security allows Verisign to provide you with available credit in our Shared Registration Systems. The minimum Payment Security amount is based on your forecasted domain registrations however there is no maximum amount you can provide. For more information on the Payment Security requirement, contact the Customer Affairs Office.
NOTE: You may complete this step at any point throughout the process of becoming a registrar.
Technical Requirements (Required)
Registrars must demonstrate full and correct operation of client systems within the Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) environment before connecting to the Shared Registration System (SRS). You may begin development of your client applications before you receive your user IDs and passwords, but you will not be able to complete it until Verisign has established your account.
SSL Certificates
Verisign requires that each server that communicates with the SRS has a certificate that meets or exceeds industry accepted secure key sizes and signing algorithms. Verisign supports certificates from the following Certification Authorities:
AAA Certificate Services
Digicert
GeoTrust Global
GlobalSign
GoDaddy
Starfield Technologies
Symantec
Thawte
UserTrust Network
To request Verisign's review of an SSL Certificate from a Certification Authority not listed above, please submit a request via email to Verisign Support at info@verisign-grs.com.
Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP) SDK
To develop the client end to the SRS, you must implement EPP software. Verisign has developed EPP SDKs and guides to help you develop your client application.
If you choose to develop your own EPP implementation, it must be based on RFC-5730, the published protocol specification. You will need to acquire and incorporate an implementation of the SSL protocol into your EPP software.
Testing and Evaluation
You will receive your user IDs and passwords to the OT&E environment after Verisign has established your account. You will be provided information to complete the technical certification test. When you are ready to demonstrate technical operation and qualify for access to the SRS, contact Verisign Customer Affairs Office. For assistance with testing, contact Verisign Support.
Additional Services
Whether you want to increase registrations or renewals, expand to new markets, or enhance services, Verisign has the tools, resources and registry services to help. Click here for more information.