Registrar Accreditation: Process
The process of becoming an ICANN-accredited registrar includes several steps. The following summary of these steps is intended to guide you through this process and enable you to make informed business decisions along the way. For a short list of the documents you must submit and/or review as part of this process, please visit Documents You Must Submit or Review.
1. Apply for Registrar Accreditation.You must complete an ICANN Registrar Accreditation Application and send it to ICANN along with a non-refundable US $2,500 application fee. Please review theInstructions for Completing the Application, the current Registrar Accreditation Agreement, and applicable Consensus Policies before you apply.
To assist us in processing your application as quickly as possible, please submit very specific, thorough answers and all necessary supporting documents. The main reasons for delay in application processing include missing supporting documents and incomplete or vague answers to application questions.
Questions you may have concerning your application should be addressed to accredit@icann.org or to you can call the ICANN Registrar Application Helpline at +1-310-823-9358, extension 5814.
2. Receive Notification That You Qualify for Registrar Accreditation. After completing its review of your application and conducting any necessary follow-up inquiries and research, ICANN will inform you by e-mail of its decision to accredit your business or not.
3. Sign an Accreditation Agreement with ICANN and Pay Accreditation Fee. The last step in the ICANN Registrar Accreditation process is for you to execute a Registrar Accreditation Agreement with ICANN. The current version of the agreement was posted 17 May 2001. This is a standard document that all registrars sign with ICANN.
ICANN will generate and send your Agreement, along with an invoice for the annual fixed portion of the accreditation fee. (See Financial Considerations for details on registrar fees.)
Once you return the signed agreement and pay your accreditation fee, ICANN will notify the applicable registries of your accreditation and add you to the list of registrars at <http://www.icann.org/registrars/accredited-list.html>. The registry operators will then contact you to sign agreements and work out financial and technical details.
4. Complete Preparation of Your Agreement with Customers (including all Uniform Domain-Name Dispute Policy requirements). The ICANN Registrar Accreditation Agreement provides some guidance on these requirements. ICANN adopted a Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy which all accredited registrars are required to follow. You may also wish to implement a Privacy Policy to comply with the requirements of your accreditation agreement.
5. Inaugurate Your Service. After the above steps have been completed, you should be in a position to begin offering services to the public as soon as you pass testing and become operational with the respective registries for which you have been accredited.